[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Neil]

Prostitutions for everyone!

While I don't especially mind the results of the decision, I think that this proves the rule of law is pretty much a joke.  If someone were to start assassinating judges, I would have a hard time condemning them.

[Grey Fox]

Why? It's like perfect decision proving the use of the Supreme Court.

It's them saying : "Youve made a stupid law & it's now outdated, fix it"

[Barrister]

Why? It's like perfect decision proving the use of the Supreme Court.

It's them saying : "Youve made a stupid law & it's now outdated, fix it"

Because it's not a stupid law?

[Grey Fox]

Oh but it is.

[Neil]

There's no reasoning behind it.  It's just a matter of them not liking the law anymore, so they decide that it's 'unconstitutional'.  The public health reasoning behind restricting prostitution might be defunct, but the social reasoning is still there, and that sort of decision falls to parliament, not to a clutch of unelected lawyers.

[Jacob]

So I guess this opens the door for the "All Inclusive Spa for Gentlemen Only" down the alley from my office to start offering sexual services, which apparently they wouldn't have offered before?

[Malthus]

So I guess this opens the door for the "All Inclusive Spa for Gentlemen Only" down the alley from my office to start offering sexual services, which apparently they wouldn't have offered before?

... in a year, assuming no new law is enacted.

For now, they have to stick to the totally non-sexual services they are currently offering, whatever those may be. 

[Barrister]

So I guess this opens the door for the "All Inclusive Spa for Gentlemen Only" down the alley from my office to start offering sexual services, which apparently they wouldn't have offered before?

What it means for the spa is that in 12 months they can now legally advertise that they offer sexual service, and the owners no longer run the risk of being hit for running a bawdy house, or for living off the avails of prostitution.

Quick prediction - in response Harper and Co will make prostitution itself illegal.  The conflict in this case was that prostitution was, and always has been, legal in and of itself, but related actions were not.

[Admiral Yi]

Bet?

[Jacob]

Quick prediction - in response Harper and Co will make prostitution itself illegal.  The conflict in this case was that prostitution was, and always has been, legal in and of itself, but related actions were not.

Question:

Is the legality of prostitution a no-body-cares, the government can do what they want and people may (or may not) grumble about it but in the end it's nothing kind of thing? Or is it something with actual political weight and consequences?

[Barrister]

Bet?

Suggest your terms.  I'm not acting on any inside information though.

Actually I think the most likely outcome is to follow the swedish model - outlaw the purchasing of sex for money (but not selling).

[Admiral Yi]

Suggest your terms.

US$50 even money.  You win if Canada illegalizes the purchase of sex by 12/31/14.

[Malthus]

So I guess this opens the door for the "All Inclusive Spa for Gentlemen Only" down the alley from my office to start offering sexual services, which apparently they wouldn't have offered before?

What it means for the spa is that in 12 months they can now legally advertise that they offer sexual service, and the owners no longer run the risk of being hit for running a bawdy house, or for living off the avails of prostitution.

Quick prediction - in response Harper and Co will make prostitution itself illegal.  The conflict in this case was that prostitution was, and always has been, legal in and of itself, but related actions were not.

This is, as I've said above, certainly a possible response. My guess is that they will do jack shit, just let the laws quietly die.

Reason: no new political capital to be made from passing new laws, and some small political risk.

Of course I could be wrong, but this is a typical Harper pattern: see, for example, abortion.

[Malthus]

Suggest your terms.

US$50 even money.  You win if Canada illegalizes the purchase of sex by 12/31/14.

You guys should make it more interesting - if you win, make beeb take you out to a now-legal brothel, his treat; pay beeb comparable cash if you lose. 

Yes I know, BB would never go ... 

[Barrister]

Quick prediction - in response Harper and Co will make prostitution itself illegal.  The conflict in this case was that prostitution was, and always has been, legal in and of itself, but related actions were not.

Question:

Is the legality of prostitution a no-body-cares, the government can do what they want and people may (or may not) grumble about it but in the end it's nothing kind of thing? Or is it something with actual political weight and consequences?

That's the big question, isn't it.

Harper & Co obviously are keen on not being seen as being reactionary social conservatives, which doesn't play well.  But there are some pretty strong reasons on why those laws were in effect in the first place.  Streetwalking for example brings with it a whole host of other unsavoury activities (hand to hand drug trafficking, increased traffic, used condoms lieing around, etc).  Nobody wants to live next door to a brothel.  And there's the german experience where even within a legal system there is still rampant trafficking of women going on.