In the last sitting of Canada's Parliament a law was introduced by the Justice Minister Peter McKay. This law was passed. This is not the first time that our elected officials have tried deal with this issue. Each time our representatives have dealt with this issue a special interest group has successfully overturned the law which was enacted. These special interest groups have vowed to challenge this new law again. Their argument being that the new law forces people who work in the sex trade industry ply their trade in less safe places.
I am concerned that this issue has cost the Canadian taxpayer millions if not billions in these legal challenges over the years as well as delayed treatment of health issues related to this occupation.
I have some questions that Canadian taxpayers should ask themselves.
a) Do the people who work in the sex trade pay the appropriate taxes on the money they make plying their trade? I feel that many of these people do not. Would you admit to a crime? Some European Countries have government-run brothels, which provide a safe environment for these workers. These governments run facilities also receive taxes from the workers.
b) If these sex trade workers plied their trade in a state-run facility, the workers would be medically tested frequently and the use of condoms is mandatory. This would decrease the number of sexually-transmitted diseases. There by reducing the costs that STDs to our medical system. Currently the time the infection needs to incubate and become noticeable and get treatment sometimes more than two people are involved. There is also a stigma of it can't happen to me. This can cause violence and/or delay of treatment, which can cost our health system more.
c) the visibility of police presence in these red-light districts reduces the possibility of violence against these workers and because these districts are normally in industrial areas they are not normally a problem to residential parts of the town or city.
Justice Minister McKay has indicated that he is open to amendments. I am of the opinion that we need to try a different approach to this dilemma.
By adopting a new system like this, we take money out of the pockets of organized crime and eliminate the leaches who prey upon these people and profit from their work.
Canada has had its share of serial killers who have preyed upon people who make their living plying the world's oldest trade. By doing what I'm proposing we may take opportunity away from these sick people.
Stan New
Prince George
