Prostitutes Collective Refutes Law Change Will Mean More Brothels

The New Zealand Prostitutes Collective refutes claims that changes to the prostitution laws will result in a tripling of the number of Brothels. “Claims made by the Maxim Institute misrepresent the reality of a decriminalised sex industry” says Catherine Healy of the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective. “Numbers of brothels in the sex industry vary according to economic and employment conditions regardless of the law. Some sex workers leave large brothels to work independently from smaller, more discreet, addresses as they prefer to manage their own working conditions”.

John Bright, a Cabinet Office appointee to the New South Wales Sex Services Premises Planning Advisory Panel, “felt bound to respond to the mis-information put forward by Maxim Institute. The majority of councils have been happy to fully embrace the principles of decriminalisation of prostitution. Complaints are only acceptable if based on genuine amenity impact. This encourages all sex business operators to maintain minimal amenity impact in their neighbourhoods”.

NZPC believes that the Prostitution Reform Bill, which is back in Parliament for its second reading, will significantly reduce opportunities for exploitation while addressing community concerns. “Scaring residents into believing that thousands of brothels will pop up over night in the suburbs is irresponsible” says Ms Healy.

Ms Healy states “The Prostitution Reform Bill has strong community support, including the YWCA, the Business and Professional Women’s Federation, the National Council on Women, the Family Planning Association of New Zealand, Maori Women’s Welfare League, and the Public Health Association, and is essential to ensure the wellbeing and rights of the people involved in the sex industry. It is about health, not hype and hysteria.”

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