Photo via media.canada.com

Canadian Justice Minister: No legalized Brothels for 2010 Olympics

The Canadian Justice Minister has rejected the notion of decriminalizing prostitution, a move that had been called for by a British Columbia organization leading up to the 2010 Olympics, reports Hilary White, LifeSiteNews.com.

"We are not in the business of legalizing brothels, and we have no intention of changing any of the laws relating to prostitution in this country," Justice Minister Rob Nicholson told the Commons status of women committee on Thursday.

A group calling itself the B.C. Coalition of Experiential Communities was attempting to pressure the government to create legal brothels for the upcoming Winter Olympics in 2010. The move had the support of both Liberal MP Libby Davies and Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan.

Nicholson made his comments in the face of a majority recommendation from the status of women committee that federal prostitution laws be changed to prosecute only those procuring sex, or pimps who exploit prostitutes.

Nicholson told the committee, "We have laws with respect to street soliciting or soliciting in public places that criminalizes completely the activity - the individual that is trying to purchase that service and the individual that is offering it. And (those) will continue to be the laws of this country."

The idea to legalize prostitution in Canada has some big-name supporters in Parliament. In 2005, the Liberal Party of Canada said that legalized prostitution was a priority on the convention agenda. A proposal to legalize prostitution was introduced as a private members bill by Vancouver East NDP Libby Davies. Liberal Senator Mac Harb, a long-time supporter of legalized prostitution, was quoted by the Toronto Sun saying, "It's a great idea."

But groups that work with at-risk women do not share the enthusiasm of Canada's political elites. Daisy Kler of the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter said, "The city thinks that foreign tourists should be entitled to women's bodies as part of their tourist package. And obviously we're going to object to that and we're not going to stand for it in our name."

"In countries where brothels have been decriminalized, the sex industry - both legal and illegal, indoor and on the street - has increased exponentially. This has, in turn, led to increased trafficking and child exploitation," she told the Vancouver Sun.

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[02/12/2008]

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