Brothels and Pot Shops
As I write this, Canada's federal election is five days away, with Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party enjoying a lead as Tory fortunes decline. And Thomas Mulcair's New Democratic Party settles into third place.
"Nothing to see here. Move along," you might say.
Normally a Liberal win is welcome news among the party's traditional base of new immigrants. This demographic has fortified the Liberals since the days of Pierre Elliot Trudeau and forged inter-generational loyalty to the party.
And, of course, the Tories know this. So this happened.
Or, rather, who's attempting to sell it?
We turn to the leaders of Thorncliffe Parents Association. As with other member groups of The Canadian Families Alliance, TPA is a non-fact-based organization whose members take umbrage and offense with sexual health components of the 2015 Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum. Since about February of this year, assorted ad hoc groups advocating for so-called parents' rights in Ontario have labelled this recent update to a seventeen-year-old curriculum as everything from "age-inappropriate" (a phrase which has lost all meaning due to abuse) to being some sort of crazy scheme to groom children to acquiesce to early sex and change gender identity and sexual orientation at will.
Where do we begin?
The endgame of TPA and other organizations is to unseat Liberal MPs federally as a warning to Liberal MPPs provincially in Ontario. TPA has its sights on Rob Oliphant, a Liberal contender for east Toronto's Don Valley West riding, and a Minister of The United Church of Canada.
Sex work -- or, prostitution, if you must -- was already legal in Canada before a 2016 Supreme Court ruling struck down specific provisions of the criminal code which made that legal activity unsafe, and thus were deemed unconstitutional. The Government of Canada was given a deadline to write a new law. Since the High Court reaffirmed the legality of selling sexual services, the Harper government crafted a law to make purchasing these services illegal.
Yep. They outlawed one half of a transaction because the other was legal.
Many opposition party members voted against the legislation because it ignored the spirit of a decision handed down by our highest court; it unnecessarily jeopardized the safety of a vulnerable and marginalized group of Canadian workers; and therefore it was unlikely to survive scrutiny going back up through the court system.
Which has nothing to do with Kathleen Wynne's Liberal Party in Ontario.
Or helping children to better understand their own bodies and feelings.
"Nothing to see here. Move along," you might say.
Normally a Liberal win is welcome news among the party's traditional base of new immigrants. This demographic has fortified the Liberals since the days of Pierre Elliot Trudeau and forged inter-generational loyalty to the party.
And, of course, the Tories know this. So this happened.
CBC News: Conservative ads aimed at Chinese, Punjabi voters claim Trudeau backs brothels, pot sales to kids
And there's this from Jason Kenney, our Minister of National Defence, formerly Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism.
Huffington Post Canada: Jason Kenney Accuses Trudeau Of Supporting Brothels
It's delusional nonsense, of course. Mr Kenney doesn't believe it for an instant. It's disinformation aimed at low-information voters who depend upon others to decide what to do when the polls open.
Huffington Post Canada: Jason Kenney Accuses Trudeau Of Supporting Brothels
Dope in corner stores! Brothels in your 'hood! @jkenney lays out @JustinTrudeau vision. #CBC #elexn42 pic.twitter.com/OZR9Ddz8Qz
— Mike McArthur (@vancbcmcarthur) September 25, 2015
It's delusional nonsense, of course. Mr Kenney doesn't believe it for an instant. It's disinformation aimed at low-information voters who depend upon others to decide what to do when the polls open.
So who's buying it?
Or, rather, who's attempting to sell it?
We turn to the leaders of Thorncliffe Parents Association. As with other member groups of The Canadian Families Alliance, TPA is a non-fact-based organization whose members take umbrage and offense with sexual health components of the 2015 Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum. Since about February of this year, assorted ad hoc groups advocating for so-called parents' rights in Ontario have labelled this recent update to a seventeen-year-old curriculum as everything from "age-inappropriate" (a phrase which has lost all meaning due to abuse) to being some sort of crazy scheme to groom children to acquiesce to early sex and change gender identity and sexual orientation at will.
 |
| Thorncliffe Parents Association Facebook post; October 14, 2015 |
Where do we begin?
The endgame of TPA and other organizations is to unseat Liberal MPs federally as a warning to Liberal MPPs provincially in Ontario. TPA has its sights on Rob Oliphant, a Liberal contender for east Toronto's Don Valley West riding, and a Minister of The United Church of Canada.
Sex work -- or, prostitution, if you must -- was already legal in Canada before a 2016 Supreme Court ruling struck down specific provisions of the criminal code which made that legal activity unsafe, and thus were deemed unconstitutional. The Government of Canada was given a deadline to write a new law. Since the High Court reaffirmed the legality of selling sexual services, the Harper government crafted a law to make purchasing these services illegal.
Yep. They outlawed one half of a transaction because the other was legal.
Many opposition party members voted against the legislation because it ignored the spirit of a decision handed down by our highest court; it unnecessarily jeopardized the safety of a vulnerable and marginalized group of Canadian workers; and therefore it was unlikely to survive scrutiny going back up through the court system.
Which has nothing to do with Kathleen Wynne's Liberal Party in Ontario.
Or helping children to better understand their own bodies and feelings.
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