Most recent articles on prostitution related laws, opinions, comments

[chuckertmg]

So… last week two people were arrested in San Francisco for, amongst other interstate crimes, "using the internet to facilitate prostitution" and a large site which escorts used to screen potential clients is shut down. Is this our future?

http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfranci...e-myredbook-siezed-by-fbi/Content?oid=2830030

 

[staggerspool]

It's Joy Smith's work, she has most of the male conservative MPs by the balls as she know most of them visit escorts (including McKay) and she is willing to out them if they are not on board with bill C-36. Blackmailing femi-nazi.

If there is such evidence, it would also be in the hands of the escorts.... and if Joy did out them, it would be the end of the current government. She'd be out of a job. So I doubt this particular rumor.

 

[staggerspool]

After Bedford ‏@AfterBedford 21m
Important read: the Benoit Atchinson Brief to the Justice Committee on #C36

http://ow.ly/yEiei #sexwork

http://www.nswp.org/resource/bill-c-36-and-the-views-people-involved-the-canadian-sex-industry

fighting to save Canadian civilization

Yay Chris Atchinson! I had a great interview with that guy.

 

[DigitallyYours]

Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform

Starting July 7th for four days the Justice Committee of the House of Commons will hear from 60 witnesses about their perspectives on Bill C36. Émilie Laliberté and Naomi Sayers will be witnesses for the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform on July 7th. You can watch the whole week live at this link:

http://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/Parlvu/WeekView.aspx?date=20140711&lang=en

 

[freedom3]

Is there any chance the committee would reject the bill ?

It is theoretically possible, but the Conservatives have a majority so they can pass any legislation they want.

 

[freedom3]

Can they move forward to the third reading with the bill even if it gets rejected by the committee ?

No, but the committee has a Conservative majority and so the Conservatives can approve it in its current form in committee if they wish.

 

[krazyplayer]

To look like they are being fair. Optics.

 

[wilbur]

But it looks that the committee is listening to SP as witnesses, something that Mackay has refused to do . If they already decided to approve the bill, why do they invite SPs then ?

But it looks that the committee is listening to SP as witnesses, something that Mackay has refused to do . If they already decided to approve the bill, why do they invite SPs then ?

The committee is also composed of members of other parties, and I believe that they can invite whoever they want also. But in the end, the committee has a majority of Conservative members, and any one of them would get into trouble with Harper if they didn't toe the party line. What is most likely to happen is that they may modify the Bill a bit to tone it down. But I don't think they will get rid of the prohibition of buying sex.

The only hope is if the Senate changes it. There is less party discipline amongst senators, and there are still red tories in the senate. The senate, after all, is supposed to be the chamber of sober second thought, and also are supposed to defend the interests of the regions/provinces. The NDP justice critic who is also on the committee, Francoise Boivin, reported that some, if not most of the provinces would not enforce parts of the Bill when it becomes law. It is the Provinces that enforce the Criminal Code and it is they who assume most of the costs of enfocerment and prosecution.

 

[freedom3]

But it looks that the committee is listening to SP as witnesses, something that Mackay has refused to do . If they already decided to approve the bill, why do they invite SPs then ?

It is the democratic tradition to vote on bills and send them to committee even if the party in power has a majority. That is the only reason they do it.

 

[DigitallyYours]

Justice Committee Members

Mike Wallace Cons Ontario-Burlington (Chair)
Francoise Boivin NDP Quebec (Vice-Chair)
Sean Casey Lib PEI (Vice-Chair)
Patrick Brown Cons Ontario-Barrie
P*ierre Jacob NDP Quebec
David Wilks Cons BC
Bob Dechert Cons Ontario-Mississauga
Eve Peclet NDP Quebec
Robert Goguen Cons NB
Kyle Seeback Cons Ontario-Brampton

There are 6 Conservatives, 3 NDP and 1 Liberal. No Joy Smith. No Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan. Although Dechert is the Parliamentary Secretary to MacKay. Interesting how all of the conservatives from Ontario are from reasonably friendly sex work areas - Burlington, Mississauga, Brampton, Barrie.

The bill was written by the Ministry of Justice behind closed doors which MacKay runs. At least this time around, it won't be a completely partisan process. It will depend a lot on what the witnesses say. But with the sessions being recorded for the public, it will be harder to just sweep things under the rug as well. There will be many eyes watching next week.

 

[canada-man]

Maggie's Toronto @MaggiesToronto · 19h
Maggie's: Sex Workers Organizing will be presenting as witnesses on July 7 at 3:30pm. Send us all your love,... http://fb.me/1bJnsaRlN

 

[canada-man]

Sex Work Law Reform ‏@CDNSWAlliance 3m
#c36: @POWER_Ottawa @pivotlegal @PEERSVictoria @MaggiesToronto @hrw @AIDSLAW +more will brief the JUST Cmtee next week. #CdnPoli #c36JUST

 

[DigitallyYours]

Well, here's some utter BS. According to Joy Smith's website, she's replacing Patrick Brown on the Justice Committee.

http://www.joysmith.ca/main.asp?fxoid=FXMenu,10&cat_ID=27&sub_ID=135&sub2_ID=95

On that same webpage, she even encourages people to write to the committee using a support C-36 template. She apparently claims to have helped write the bill. What kind of crap is that? So, the people who draft the legislation can lobby for it and then review it too? That's hardly checks and balances at work.

 

[canada-man]

http://www.parl.gc.ca/committeebusi...spx?Cmte=JUST&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=41&Ses=2

her name is not listed here.

 

[DigitallyYours]

http://www.parl.gc.ca/committeebusi...spx?Cmte=JUST&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=41&Ses=2

her name is not listed here.

She's listed in the Associate Member roster. Also there are many other MPs listed as associate members as well.

I guess we will see next week, although I doubt she would say she is on the committee if she is not. Perhaps she got herself onto the committee just for this bill. It wouldn't surprise me if she used every political favour she had to get herself on it.

We need mass outrage about this. She's not impartial!

 

[DigitallyYours]

[h=2]Committee holds summer hearings on C-36[/h]
http://www.cpac.ca/en/highlight/committee-holds-summer-hearings-on-c-36/

The justice committee convenes in Ottawa next week for a full slate of hearings on the government’s prostitution bill.

Justice Minister Peter MacKay is the first to appear on Monday morning (9:30am ET / 6:30am PT) to answer questions from MPs on Bill C-36. Watch on CPAC and cpac.ca.

Bill C-36 would:

• criminalize the purchase of sex or communicating for that purpose
• criminalize any material benefit from acts of prostitution
• ban the advertisement of sexual services
• ban communicating for the purpose of prostitution in a public place or “next to a place where persons under the age of 18 can reasonably expected to be present”

The legislation was a response to the Supreme Court’s December ruling to strike down three of Canada’s prostitution laws. Critics believe C-36 will not survive a constitutional challenge and still leaves women exposed to danger.

A long list of witnesses is scheduled from Monday to Thursday, including:

• Walk With Me Canada Victim Services
• Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform
• Criminal Lawyers’ Association
• Manitoba Justice Minister Andrew Swan
• Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
• Concertation des luttes contre l’exploitation sexuelle
• Sex Trafficking Survivors United
• Maggie’s: The Toronto Sex Workers Action Project
• BridgeNorth
• Prostitutes of Ottawa-Gatineau Work Educate & Resist
• Calgary Police Chief Rick Hanson
• Stella, l’amie de Maimie
• European Parliament member José Mendes Bota
• London Abused Women’s Centre
• Native Women’s Association of Canada
• Rising Angels
• Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
• Sisters Inside
• SIM Canada
• Canadian Women’s Foundation
• Pivot Legal Society
• Adult Entertainment Association of Canada
• Mothers Against Trafficking Humans
• Sex Professionals of Canada
• York Regional Police Chief Eric Jolliffe
• Sextrade101
• Resist Exploitation, Embrace Dignity (REED)
• Exploited Voices Now Educating
• Northern Women’s Connection
• British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
• PACE Society
• Asian Women Coalition Ending Prostitution
• Hope for the Sold
• Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter
• Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto
• u-r home
• Ed and Linda Smith, whose daughter was murdered after becoming a prostitute
• Georgia Lee Lang, a lawyer who has represented the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
• Jeanne Sarson and Linda MacDonald, Nova Scotia nurses who have worked with prostitutes and torture victims

The House of Commons debated the bill on June 11 and June 12.

 

[DigitallyYours]

Full witness list here:

http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublicat...=houseposting&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=41&Ses=2

Peter Mackay
Department of Justice Senior Officials
Walk with Me Canada Victim Services
Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform
Criminal Lawyers' Association
Janine Benedet, Associate Professor, UBC
John Lowman, Professor, Simon Fraser University
Government of Manitoba, Minister of Justice and Attorney General
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
Concertation des luttes contre l'exploitation sexuelle
Sex Trafficking Survivors United
Maggie's: The Toronto Sex Workers Action Project
BridgeNorth
Prostitutes of Ottawa-Gatineau Work Educate & Resist (POWER)
Calgary Police Service
Stella, l'amie de Maimie
Jose Mendes Bota, member of European Parliament, General Rapporteur on Violence Against Women
London Abused Women's Centre
Native Women's Association of Canada
Rising Angels
Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
Sisters Inside
Christine Bruckert, Professor, University of Ottawa
SIM Canada
Canadian Women's Foundation
Privot Legal Society
Ed Smith / Linda Smith
Adult Entertainment Association of Canada
Mothers against Trafficking Humans
Sex Professionals of Canada
York Regional Police
Gunila Ekberg, University of Glasgow School of Law Barrister & Solicitor
Sextrade101
Chris Atchison, Research Associate, University of Victoria
Resist Exploitation, Embrace Dignity (REED)
Georgia Lee Lang
Jeanne Sarson / Linda MacDonald
Exploited Voices Now Educating
Northern Women's Connection
British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
PACE Society
Asian Women Coalition Ending Prostitution
Hope for the Sold
Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter
Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto
u-r- home
Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation
Defend Dignity, The Christian and Missionary Allianace
Servants Anonymous Society of Calgary
PEERS Victoria
Gwendoline Allison, Foy Allison Law Group
Kyle Kirkup, SJD Candidate, University of Toronto Faculty of Law
Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres
Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network
Ratanak International

 

[canada-man]

I am looking at Patrick Brown's website and there is nothing on there saying Joy Smith is replacing him

 

[DigitallyYours]

I am looking at Patrick Brown's website and there is nothing on there saying Joy Smith is replacing him

I don't know... that's what she says on her website, as per the above posted link.

 

[MPAsquared]

She's listed in the Associate Member roster. Also there are many other MPs listed as associate members as well.

I guess we will see next week, although I doubt she would say she is on the committee if she is not. Perhaps she got herself onto the committee just for this bill. It wouldn't surprise me if she used every political favour she had to get herself on it.

We need mass outrage about this. She's not impartial!

WOW!!! That's just outrageous!