Harper Pitched New Prostitution Bill To Cauacus As A Compromise Despite Staunch Socia

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When the Conservative caucus met on Parliament Hill in the last week of May, MPs were given a thorough explanation of the new prostitution bill â?? not only by Justice Minister Peter MacKay, but also by the prime minister.
Stephen Harperâ??s intervention was designed to shore up support for the bill, in the face of staunch opposition from a number of caucus members.
A rump of social conservatives have made it known they are unhappy with the bill â?? and would have preferred outright prohibition, banning both the sale and purchase of sexual services. For a number of Conservatives, the billâ??s ban on the purchase and advertising of sex does not go far enough.
But Mr. Harper and Mr. MacKay presented the bill as a compromise between the harder line of the prohibitionists and outright legalization. â??It was done to bring people into the fold,â? said one MP.
Mr. Harper told the Tory caucus the bill was crafted to survive a constitutional challenge. In an effort to rally support, he said that if the courts throw the new bill out, the government will have no option but to introduce full legalization of prostitution.