fl Toronta December 2, 2014 Kathleen Wynne, Premier Legislative Building Queen's Park Toronto ON M7A 1A1 Dear Premier Wynne: We, the undersigned, are elected Councillors in the City of Toronto. We are writing to ask that you refer the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act ("Bill C-36"), which promulgates new anti-prostitution laws in response to the Supreme Court of Canada's Bedford decision, directly to the Ontario Court of Appeal, so that it can determine whether the contents of this new legisiation are constitutional. We are equesting that you do this before pursuing any prosecutions under these laws; we are further requesting that you direct police not to enforce any provisions of this Act unless and until the Court of Appeal determines that they are indeed consistent with the Canadian constitution. Many experts and sex workers have testified that those laws are dangerous for sex workers and will recreate the harms that previously existed under the old laws that were struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada in Bedford. The current federal Conservative Goverment has now passed Bill C-36 despite the objections of those who will be most affected, including the most marginalized and vulnerable: outdoor sex workers. As City Councillors, we work to promote measures that increase public safety and that materially improve the living conditions of marginalized residents. In particular, we are united in our efforts to end violence against women. To that end, we strive to identify and correct situations that, however inadvertently, create conditions thal are unsafe for any woman. We fear that Bill C-36 has introduced such unsafe conditions into Canadian society, bringing foreseeable detriment and real danger to some of the most vulnerable women we represent, We firmly believe that sex workers have the same rights as other Canadian citizens. We support and uphold both the letter and the spirit of the Canadian Charter of Rights andFreedoms. Specifically, we believe that sex workers have the right to lif, liberty and security of the person, as well as the rights to freedom of expression and association, and the full benefit of the equality provisions under the Charter. It is our understanding that the new laws promulgated under Bedford do not respect these constitutional rights of sex workers. We therefore respectfully request that you refer the entirety of Bill C-36 immediately to the Ontario Court of Appeal, before more harm comgs to the sex who will be most affected by these laws. ue Vatlew. James Rsterae AD im Gury Cron hoo Citta ead Paula Fletcher a ond “TAs faa Gatos Oe Bete tes fog a Che ZA Auaslie Coin id Senn Geepewhint TIM vj 5 fab Gord tes . Rayon Cho ‘Janet Dave’ = Oo + Dow's SSeS, Does® mM vine His dale berardicelly els v Cothkn, The Miheve Ss My Hensal Meher tn. Tathe dD: Ceeine