The programming itself will obviously be informed in many cases by the community, by groups that are currently doing very good work in this area. There can be community, provincial, territorial discretion as to the needs. Many of them I've already touched on. There are very often addiction issues, certainly violence, and the stress and trauma associated with that violence and upbringing. Ms. Smith can speak to this in a much more informed way, but many prostitutes enter prostitution at a very early age. Many are new Canadians. Sadly and tragically, many, as Mr. Casey referred to, come from the aboriginal community. Programs that are specific to those particular and individual conditions will be provided and will be crafted over time.
However, I want to refer back to the preamble. I think you will find in that preamble many of these stated and very specific objectives of the bill. It talks about exploitation, and this is inherent in prostitution. I think there is a focus in this bill on the risks of violence posed by engaging in prostitution. This holistic approach of legislation plus programming is aimed, as you've suggested, at going to the very source, by criminalizing those who are exploiting prostitutes, not punishing or revictimizing individuals who have been drawn in to it—in many cases through no fault of their own—and assisting with either prevention or an exit from prostitution, in a way that goes well beyond anything we can do in the criminal law.
The objectives are very clear. It's a very important preamble to understand. I would suggest there's a paradigm shift in the way we will treat exploited persons under this bill versus those who are ultimately responsible, the perpetrators, those who are purchasing and exploiting women.
