On Parliament Hill

Prostitution has no place in our communities. It encourages other harmful and illegal activities such as violence, drug use and puts our children at risk. Statistics show that the average age of entry into prostitution is between 12 and 14 years. This is a very sad statistic.

As the Member of Parliament for Provencher, I have been clear in my opposition to the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the three prostitution laws in Canada in December of 2013.

These three laws made the following activities illegal:

• Solicitation; (communicating the exchange of money for sexual services)
• Living off the avails of prostitution (making money off of prostitution – (this targeted pimps and others who profited from prostitution); and
• Operating a common bawdy house (targeted those who operated a brothel).

I was very disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision. Fortunately our Government was given a year to respond and on June 4, 2014, we proposed a made in Canada model which targets pimps and johns.

I commend our Conservative Government for introducing Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act. The impact of the new prohibitions will affect those who purchase sex and persons who exploit others through prostitution. We are committed to protecting Canadian communities by making it illegal to sell sexual services in or near any public place where children could be present. Prostitution hurts Canadian communities and the most vulnerable Canadians.

This proposed legislation includes a number of provisions including:

• Criminalize those who fuel the demand for prostitution, i.e. purchasers of sexual services;
• Continue to criminalize those who financially benefit from the exploitation of others through prostitution, such as pimps, and those who procure others for the purpose of prostitution;
• Prohibit advertising for the sale of others’ sexual services in print or online;
• Immunize those who sell their own sexual services from criminal liability for any part they play in the purchasing, material benefit, procuring or advertising offences;
• Protect our communities by criminalizing communicating for the purpose of selling sexual services in public places where a child could reasonably be expected to be present; and
• Increase existing penalties relating to child prostitution.

These measures will be supported by $20 million in new funding, including to support grassroots organizations dealing with the most vulnerable prostitutes. Recognizing that there are prostitutes who are looking to leave this dangerous and harmful line of work, there will be an emphasis on funding programs with a proven record of helping prostitutes exit the sex trade.

I am proud that our Conservative Government took a principled stand and I believe that Bill C-36 will protect our communities – in particular women, children, and those who are at risk of being drawn into prostitution.