Trudeau totally untested in a tough policy debate
The Liberal Party of Canada has a self-styled change agent at the helm, and it must be somewhat exhilarating for the progressive rank and file. On marijuana policy, members were way ahead of their soon-to-be leader when they voted to endorse legalization two years ago. (At the time, Justin Trudeau struggled halfheartedly even to articulate a case for decriminalization.) At February’s national Liberal convention in Montreal, members have a chance to get ahead of their leader on prostitution policy as well: A resolution from the party’s youth wing proposes to treat (and tax) the sex trade just as it would “any other commercial enterprise” — a steakhouse, say, or a shoe store.
For Canada, it sounds unfeasibly revolutionary. But the pot and prostitution issues both partake of a widespread opinion that the status quo doesn’t work. In November, 2012, Angus Reid found just 8% of respondents willing to describe the War on Drugs as a “success.” Some months earlier, it found that 47% agreed current prostitution laws “are unfair and force prostitutes into unsafe situations,” whereas just 36% were felt they are “fair to the purpose of protecting the public good.” Moreover, 67% agreed that “providing sexual services to another person in return for payment … should be legal between consenting adults.”