The federal government wants you to talk to it about paying for sex
It’s safe to say that very few members of the public have ever wanted to sit down with Stephen Harper for a heart-to-heart about sex, but now, with the future of Canada’s prostitution laws in the balance, it may be time for some ordinary citizens to spill their thoughts on the subject.
Following a December Supreme Court decision that struck down Canada’s existing prostitution laws, the federal government was given a year to draw up new, fairer ways of regulating the sex trade. Now, Ottawa is seeking public input. Whatever feedback it receives could help shape the future of sex work in this country.
Credit where credit’s due: the Department of Justice’s approach to the task of gathering public feedback is, in this case, reasonably good. People can write emails and send letters, as usual, but there’s also a handy website where interested parties can submit their thoughts using a web form. These opportunities for reform only come along once in a generation or so. The website is right here.
While there is a web site for Canadians to answer specific questions, there is no requirement for the government to recognize the responses, or to even tally them accurately. I think it highly unlikely that the government would say, “You know what? We’re wrong. The vast majority of Canadians want something different than what we want, or what we thought they wanted.” even if that were the truth. Evidence Pierre Poilievre’s statements that he has talked to Canadians about election reform when he has not.
This government hears what it wants to hear, and silences critics. It manufactures national policy to suit the personal agendas of its members, and claims a mandate from the people to do so.
It derides Parliamentary process through omnibus bills and time allocation. It accepts no amendments from any opposition members as if they were all brain-dead and only government members are not. It assaults anyone and everyone who does not support them as being corrupt. We do not live in a democracy any longer. It’s an autocracy pretending to be democratic.
I think we should make majority governments illegal. Negotiation, persuasion, and compromise should be the way of doing things, not phony polls followed by dictation.