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Fred Hahn
National Post | July 9, 2014 6:50 AM ET
If the Harper government’s anti-prostitution legislation, Bill C-36, is passed, it will reproduce the harms and violence of the prostitution laws that were recently deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) in its Bedford decision. The new bill not only reintroduces most of the offending laws, it also adds more criminal provisions to prohibit purchasing sex and advertising sexual services.
If it becomes law, this legislation will drive sex work underground by removing any legitimate means of accessing labour protections and safety mechanisms. It also prohibits sex workers from working collaboratively and from paying others to help ensure their safety.
The prohibition on advertising sexual services will make it even more difficult for sex workers to have some degree of control over their own businesses and their safety. Criminalizing communications minimizes sex workers’ ability to screen clients and to assess potential risks. The preponderance of research on sex work clearly demonstrates that the criminal restrictions contained within Bill C-36 are the kinds of laws that increase violence against sex workers. more
