House of Commons is No Place for the Morality Squad

[Sweet Emily J 172062]

[B][U]House of Commons is No Place for the Morality Squad[/U][/B]

By Toula Drimonis

[URL="https://ricochet.media/en/254/house-of-commons-is-no-place-for-the-morality-squad"]https://ricochet.media/en/254/house-of-commons-is-no-place-for-the-morality-squad[/URL]

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While many were sorrowfully commemorating the 25th anniversary of the shooting of 14 women at Ã?cole Polytechnique this past Dec. 6, controversial anti-prostitution Bill C-36, now the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, quietly came into effect.

The new legislation, which makes it even harder for sex workers to protect themselves, came into full force on a day that has been designated as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Similar in moralizing tone to the recently introduced [URL="https://ricochet.media/en/180/conservatives-grandstanding-with-law-against-barbaric-practices"]Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Bill[/URL], C-36 has been widely criticized by sex workersâ?? advocacy groups for putting them and others in danger. Harperâ??s Conservative government seems to excel at enacting legislation that sounds like itâ??s taking a firm stance on something, while actually doing nothing.

Justice Minister Peter MacKay, who is is deluded enough to believe that he can eradicate the worldâ??s oldest profession, has stated in no uncertain terms that the goal of the bill is to reduce and eventually abolish prostitution. Itâ??s supremely irresponsible to focus on wishful thinking instead of concrete ways to protect sex workers in todayâ??s reality.

As it stands, the law now criminalizes the purchase of sex but not the act of selling it. Itâ??s meant to discourage and criminalize those who advertise for or request sex, by targeting johns and the pimps who sell and profit from prostitution, rather than the prostitutes themselves. It also makes it illegal to sell sexual services in public spaces where those under the age of 18 could be present. Offenders could face a maximum of five years in prison.

So while MacKay says the bill does not target prostitutes, they could face prosecution.

[URL="https://ricochet.media/en/254/house-of-commons-is-no-place-for-the-morality-squad"]Read Moreâ?¦[/URL]
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