Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Paterson, first of all, I want to thank you for focusing on the wording contained in subsection 213(1.1), which talks about places where children ought reasonably to be present.
I want to read to you what the minister said to us on Monday about this, and then I'm going to invite you to comment and talk to us a little further about it.
He said the following to us on Monday:
...Bill C-36 would also criminalize communicating for the purposes of selling sexual services, but only in public places where children can reasonably be expected to be present. Mr. Chair, this is an approach we have borrowed from other sections of the Criminal Code, mainly those that protect children. There is a legal definition or interpretation already in place in the Criminal Code that deals with places where children can reasonably be expected to be present.
Mr. Paterson, as you know, what the minister didn't say is that those sections of the code that he relies on for comfort and certainty are new. They were enacted by this government and have never been challenged.
How much comfort do you take in the constitutionality of section 213, given that scenario?