There’s some exciting news coming out of Ottawa this week – Bill C-36 has passed Senate and is on track to receive Royal Assent before the end of the year, meeting the deadline set by the Supreme Court. So what exactly does this mean? It means that in the next few weeks, Canada will have […]
Bill C-36 Adopted by the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
Good news from MP Joy Smith: I am delighted to share with you that Bill C-36 has been adopted by the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. In September when Parliament resumes, the Chair of the Committee will report the Bill back to the House of Commons where it will go through Report Stage […]

Indoor Toilets, Vulnerability, and Canada’s Prostitution Law
There was a story from India in the news a couple weeks ago that I still haven’t been able to shake. Two cousins from the impoverished, “low-caste” Dalit community, aged 14 and 15, went outside in the evening to use the toilet. Indoor plumbing is still considered a luxury in many parts of the country, and it […]
Canada’s New Prostitution Bill: What You Need to Know
On June 4, Justice Minister Peter MacKay introduced the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (Bill C-36). The bill was drafted as a response to last year’s Supreme Court decision, which ruled Canada’s existing prostitution laws to be unconstitutional. The Court gave Parliament exactly one year to propose new legislation in response to the […]