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LEGALIZED PROSTITUTION - NEXT ON THE LIBERAL AGENDA

The Liberal government will stop at nothing to remain in power. For this reason it is putting forward extreme left-wing policies in order to keep the support of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois. These two parties, in effect, hold the balance of power in Parliament. Consequently Canadians are being held hostage to the demands of these extremists who are determined to change this country in accordance with their own views.

Legislation for same-sex marriage and the decriminalization of marijuana were the beginning of this slippery slope to disaster. Next on the agenda is the decriminalization of prostitution to allow all prostitutes to operate freely without legal restriction or, at best to operate out of legally sanctioned brothels. The brothel operators (madams) are expected to pay taxes to the government, and to operate these brothels as any other legal business. Prostitution, however, is not like any other business. It involves the selling of a human body for sexual purposes. It is the objectifying of a person by turning that individual into a commodity, which denies the human dignity of that person. Moreover, treating it as just a business ignores the real social problems, which underlie prostitution, such as poverty, drug addiction and sexual exploitation.

Justice Minister, Irwin Cotler, first raised the issue of changing Canada's prostitution laws in March of last year, in Vancouver, stating that sex trade workers must be protected from "exploitation, violence and abuse," citing law reform as the answer to the problem. He was only too pleased therefore, to obtain support for this policy change, from the Bloc and NDP opposition.

It was not possible however, to bring about such a dramatic policy change on prostitution, suddenly, by tabling a bill to this effect in the House of Commons. If the government did so, there would be resistance to the bill by the public, which would be both surprised and dismayed by such a change being imposed on them. Consequently, the Liberal Government when it wants to move on controversial issues, has slyly initiated the process by which it first requests a House of Commons Committee to "review" a law and then bring forward its "recommendations" on it. The Committee's recommendations are, of course, predetermined. This is the process the government so successfully employed in initiating same-sex marriage legislation and the legislation decriminalizing marijuana.

You will recall that the House of Commons Justice Committee in 2003 was in the process of "reviewing" the issue of same-sex marriage when the courts brought down their decision in favour of it. As a result, the committee in that case never did get around to providing its recommendations after its lengthy deliberations (see REALity July/August 2003). In regard to decriminalization of marijuana, both a Senate and a House of Commons Committee were established to "review" the issue. To no one's surprise, both parliamentary committees recommended that marijuana should, at the very least, be decriminalized, if not entirely legalized. The Government then stated that it was "obliged" to table such a bill based on the recommendations of the Committees. After all, how could the government ignore the recommendations of an "impartial" parliamentary committee?

Accordingly, the Liberal government has now established a committee to study the prostitution law. This committee is a sub-committee of the Justice Committee.

Which MPs were selected to sit on this sub-committee is revealing. The Liberals are represented by Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre) and John Maloney (Welland), who is the chairperson. Ms. Fry was the former Secretary of State for the Status of Women until she saw visions of burning crosses "as we speak" (see REALity March/April, 2001, p. 11). She is a feminist and great supporter of lesbian and homosexual rights (the latter are heavily concentrated in her downtown Vancouver riding). The NDP is represented by MP Libby Davies (Vancouver East). Ms. Davies is a self-proclaimed lesbian and a fervent feminist. The Bloc Quebecois is represented either by MP Paula Brunelle (Trois Rivières) or MP Nicole Demers (Laval) both whom are also staunch feminists. The only, dare we say, "sane" MP sitting on this committee is the Conservative MP Art Hanger (Calgary Northeast). Mr. Hanger is also the only committee member with an authentic knowledge and understanding of the issue as he was an RCMP officer prior to his election to Parliament. As a result he has a realistic grasp of the problems surrounding prostitution, including its close involvement with organized crime.

REAL Women appeared before this committee on February 14, 2005. It was quite an experience. Appearing with us on the same panel were Vancouver sex workers, Cherry Kingsley and Samantha Smythe, who represented a newly formed organization of sex workers beguilingly called, Canadian National Coalition of Experiential Women. Miss Kingsley, the spokesperson, told us how sex workers required independence from any restricting law and that it is a human right for sex workers to operate in their chosen field. She implied that legalizing prostitution is a matter of human dignity and respect for some women, and that their activities should not be restricted by regulation and certainly not by any legislation. Needless to say, their presentation was warmly received by the feminist MPs. (It was also apparent, following the end of the two-hour hearing, that MP Libby Davies was personally acquainted with Miss Kingsley.) The only committee member who raised any serious questions was MP Art Hanger, who referred to the fact that organized crime is invariably involved with prostitution, and that decriminalizing prostitution will result in giving the criminals an opportunity to operate freely.

REAL Women's presentation to the committee (See Article - "Prostitution in Canada and Other Countries", p. 11) was largely ignored by the feminist MPs. We may be women - but clearly our views are irrelevant, since we lack the necessary feminist perspective.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt this sub-committee of the Justice Committee will be making a recommendation that prostitution be decriminalized in Canada. MP Art Hanger will submit a minority report on the committee's findings, but his recommendations will, of course, be ignored by the Liberal Government. In due course, the government will table legislation to decriminalize prostitution in Canada. We can only hope and pray that another election will be called before the government has an opportunity to act on the recommendations of this Justice Sub-Committee on prostitution.

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