Brown Peter: Prostitution Reform Bill — In Committee 
Brown Peter: Prostitution Reform Bill — In Committee 
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PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 Whilst I respect the aims of the member who has just resumed her seat and what she is trying to do I do not know how she is going to police it. I do not know how she is going to stop it. We cannot stop “homers”—for want of a better term—on the black market right now. How will she stop students who are determined to earn money being prostitutes from doing that? She did not once refer to that; she just referred to the Opposition asking questions but did not even attempt to answer them. 
When this bill was first introduced 2 years or so ago its stated aim was to decriminalise prostitution on the pretext of improving the health of sex workers and reducing violence against them. Those of us on the Justice and Electoral Committee know that when we visited the Prostitutes Collective in various parts of the country they knew all about the safe-sex regime that is now in place; we do not have to educate them in any way. Indeed when we met the Christchurch Prostitutes Collective they said: “You can only stay and talk to us for an hour because we’ve got health workers coming in to give us guidance on this that and everything.” The first thing they showed us was cupboard full of condoms and goodness knows what. There is absolutely nothing in this bill that will change that for the better. If the situation needs to be changed it can be changed now. 
This bill is all about—and I challenge Tim Barnett to take a call and refute this—expanding this industry. He wants to expand the prostitution industry for both men and women. I understand that the Prostitutes Collective once employed him in some sort of public relations-marketing role. Maybe he can stand and tell us whether that is true or false but I understand that that is what he wants to do. There are umpteen amendments to this bill. I will list just the names of the people who are putting forward amendments: Dr Paul Hutchison Dianne Yates Marc Alexander Stephen Franks Larry Baldock Sue Bradford Gordon Copeland Wayne Mapp Phil Goff and Lianne Dalziel. This bill has been with the select committee for 2 years and we are getting that number of amendments trying to change it—all different and from all over the show. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: That all happened after I left! 
PETER BROWN 
: The honourable member over there was muttering something but if this bill is coming through with all these amendments he clearly did not do his job as chairman of the select committee. This bill will do nothing to improve the health of prostitutes or reduce violence towards prostitutes. What it will do is totally decriminalise prostitution and that is its stated aim. A non-stated aim is to decriminalise pimps—people who make money largely out of selling young women’s bodies. Like car salesmen sell cars pimps sell young women’s bodies. Is that what we want to do? Is that the incentive we want to give to those people—that is they can do it and now become a respectable businessman in that line of business? 
In this country right now—and I had the pleasure of speaking to her yesterday—is Dr Melissa Farley a lady with some considerable knowledge of this industry on a worldwide basis. The time I was talking to her went by very quickly and I had time to take a limited amount of notes. Because I saw it as a chief officer on a ship I have always contended that prostitution has expanded in all the countries where it has been liberalised. I have seen that at first hand and I have seen how prostitution expanded in this country when the police took their foot off the accelerator. In Thailand for example approximately 14 percent of the gross domestic product—US$27 billion a year—is derived from sex work. Is that what we want? 
Jill Pettis 
: This bill is not going to stop that. 
PETER BROWN 
: This bill makes Thailand look like a bunch of pussycats. The member over there thinks that this bill is out of line with Thailand. I can tell her that the Minister of Immigration will have her work absolutely cut out. People will be coming to this country not only to sell their services as pimps but also to bring in young women under false pretences. The Minister has now seen fit to bring in a Supplementary Order Paper and a sex tourist industry will come into this country like nobody’s business. [ 
Interruption 
] Let them shout; I am not worried about them in the least. 
Hon Dover Samuels 
: Supporting it! 
PETER BROWN 
: Dover Samuels should keep shouting. In all honesty if this bill is passed tonight or in the near future this industry will expand considerably. There will be more drug abuse and that industry will be a front for it. There will be more child prostitution and that industry will be a front for it. There will be more sexual activity leading to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases and there will be trafficking of women. Damien O’Connor seems to think that this is a light-hearted speech. 
Hon Damien O'Connor 
: Oh no I think it is a serious one. 
PETER BROWN 
: He should take it very seriously because this bill is selling young women in New Zealand short. 
Judith Collins 
: And boys. 
PETER BROWN 
: And boys but young women in particular. There will be more violence against prostitutes and there will be more blatant advertising. Sue Bradford wants to bring in an amendment to look at advertising. On the select committee she pooh-poohed that sort of idea. A disproportionate number of Maori people will be involved in this industry. If anybody refutes that Dr Farley has met— 
Jill Pettis 
: Do you think that might have something to do with poverty? 
PETER BROWN 
: It might well have something to do with poverty but you will encourage them. Yes you will! Not only will you encourage women to get into the industry you will encourage the men to get the women in. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Please do not bring the Chairperson into the debate. Also what I want in this House is what everyone wants and that is order. Let us have a bit of respectful chatter. 
PETER BROWN 
: Mr Chairperson I do know that you would not encourage them. I have watched you try to encourage a football team and without much success at that. I was referring to the member over there. That was a little light-hearted bit. However if prostitution in this country becomes subject to the free market—as this bill will basically allow it to become—not only will women be committing degrading acts but they will be competing with other women to do those degrading acts. I have seen women in countries where prostitution has been liberalised actually fighting over a client. That is what this bill will do. 
I shall return to the statistics produced by Dr Farley. She has interviewed 46 prostitutes in the short time she has been here. Of the 46 22 were Maori. I challenge the Maori members over there to stand up and support this bill. If they do my colleagues and I will be rubbing it into them very hard in the fullness of time. The only way to go in this country is to adopt laws similar to the Swedish model. In her wisdom Dianne Yates has put in a Supplementary Order Paper along those lines but it is not comprehensive enough. New Zealand First has done much research on this issue and my colleague Brent Catchpole has a well-researched and constructed member’s bill in the ballot that follows the Swedish model. If we really want to do something about prostitution in this country we should be going along those lines. 
France Finland Norway and Denmark are looking at tightening up their legislation. We are looking at liberalising it. We should be taking a leaf out of the Swedish book and copying the Swedish model. With due respect to Dianne Yates and I know she means well—