For workers
Declared income, an accessible mortgage, a retirement fund, health insurance, CNESST coverage — and the certainty of being able to report abuse to police without putting your livelihood at risk. The right to say no, protected by law.
Regulatory framework
Regulation that actually protects
Decriminalization without regulation would be a missed opportunity. Here is the framework ASMEQ proposes for Quebec: demanding for operators, protective for workers, reassuring for the public.
The principle
An open sector, firm rules
Under the framework we propose, any person or corporation could incorporate and operate an erotic massage parlour — the way one opens a restaurant, a clinic or a bar. But as in those sectors, openness comes with strict, verifiable obligations. The licence is not a formality: it is the filter that separates responsible establishments from criminal fronts.
Each standard below serves a precise objective: protect the people who work, guarantee consent, safeguard public health, and deny organized crime any foothold.
| Standard | Requirement | Objective |
|---|---|---|
| Age verification | Minimum age 18, mandatory government-issued ID before any hiring, confidential register accessible to inspectors. | Zero tolerance for the involvement of minors. Immediate licence revocation and criminal prosecution for any violation. |
| Consent | Free, informed consent, revocable at any time; mandatory posting of rights in the workplace; absolute right to refuse any client or any act. | Guarantee that everyone present is there by choice — and can change their mind without consequence. |
| Health | Voluntary, confidential periodic medical monitoring; priority access to STI screening clinics; hygiene and prevention training. | Make public health the sector’s ally rather than an argument against it. |
| Operating licence | Mandatory incorporation, background checks on directors, periodic inspections, public display of the licence. | Structurally exclude organized crime and give authorities an effective oversight lever. |
| Working conditions | Recognized worker status, declared income, CNESST coverage, retirement contributions, regulated house fees. | Full economic citizenship: mortgage, retirement, health insurance, credit — like any other trade. |
| Safety | Emergency buttons in every room, police-reporting protocol without reprisals, incident register, compliant lighting and exits. | Make calling the police a reflex, not a risk. |
| Financial transparency | Verifiable accounting, traceable payments, tax compliance, audits where money laundering is suspected. | Cut off laundering channels and ensure the sector’s income benefits those who work — and the public purse. |
The impact
What it changes, concretely
For the public
Inspected, compliant establishments instead of opaque venues; public-health standards actually enforced; neighbourhoods where the sector operates in daylight, under licence, like any business.
For the State
Tax revenue currently lost to the underground economy; real data on a sector that finally becomes measurable; and police resources concentrated where they save lives — against trafficking.
“Regulating is not endorsing: it is protecting. We do not regulate electricity because we adore it — we regulate it because it exists.”— ASMEQ, proposed regulatory framework
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who could operate a parlour under ASMEQ’s proposed framework?
Any person or corporation registered in Quebec that obtains an operating licence: background checks on directors, compliance with health and safety standards, verifiable accounting and periodic inspections. Organized crime is excluded by design — that is precisely what the licence is for.
How would workers’ age be verified?
Through mandatory government-issued ID before any hiring (minimum age 18), recorded in a confidential register accessible to inspectors. Zero tolerance: any violation would trigger immediate licence revocation and criminal prosecution.
Would workers have access to social protections?
Yes — that is the heart of the proposal: recognized worker status, declared income, retirement contributions (QPP), workplace injury coverage (CNESST), public health insurance, the ability to qualify for a mortgage — and the right to report any abuse to police without fear.
A framework ready for public debate
Elected officials, researchers, journalists: we present these standards in detail, with sources and international comparisons, on request.