Lole-Taylor Asenati: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Lole-Taylor Asenati: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 27 March 2013. Volume:688;Page:8988. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Le’aufa’amulia ASENATI LOLE-TAYLOR (NZ First) 
: 
 Well I think that is an improvement on the last time Mr Speaker. Prostitution is not illegal in New Zealand. I know that you know that and the National Government should also know that. But that does not mean that Government policies should be aiding and abetting the sex industry. [ 
Interruption 
] Oh look at them now. They do not like it when they hear something that their Government has failed to address. Alcohol is not illegal either. It is not illegal either but that industry is surrounded by a range of laws and regulations to mitigate the harm it does to society. 
What the public wants is leadership some leadership—something that the National Government has failed to deliver. It wants leadership from the Government in the area of prostitution because the fact is that the sex industry creates a serious risk and danger to society as well as to those working directly in the sex industry. Recently we have seen the Minister of Immigration having to advise international students not to enter the sex industry. So he must know something—he must know something in this area. On the new Immigration New Zealand employment advice website international students are being warned against working in the sex industry. Sam Lotu-Iiga you need to listen to this because a lot of those people are probably living in the Maungakiekie area. The question the public is asking is— 
Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am sorry but I am struggling to hear this member with the volume in here. Could we check the sound system because I am really struggling with it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I am having absolutely no problem hearing the member. It is a very good speech. Would the member continue. 
Le’aufa’amulia ASENATI LOLE-TAYLOR 
: Thank you Mr Speaker. I am sure that member has now learnt something important for a change. The question the public is asking is what took the Government so long. What took the Government so long to act? Has the Government not been monitoring these students coming into this country and engaging in this kind of work—the sex industry that is? Perhaps the Government finds sex work either not sexy enough or too sexy—too sexy to deal with. 
Since the introduction of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 the issues with prostitution have got worse. It is out of control in South Auckland and in Christchurch. In South Auckland for example we have a major issue in Papatoetoe in Manurewa in Otahuhu and now recently in Otara where 13-year-olds can earn something between $500 and $600 a night. That is disgraceful. Where are the police? Why are they not monitoring these young girls? 
The local residents especially the elderly have also been unfairly abused unfairly harassed unfairly suppressed and unfairly muzzled by these prostitutes. The law-abiding residents of this country are too afraid to ring the police. They are too afraid to actually report to the local authorities because they are too scared of the intimidation that they are receiving from these prostitutes. This is an industry that has been given $8.7 million— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: How much? 
Le’aufa’amulia ASENATI LOLE-TAYLOR 
: It has been given $8.7 million by the Ministry of Health to get its act cleaned up. New Zealand First acknowledges though that it is important that we support the intention behind these funds especially around the alcohol abuse the drug abuse the under-age abuse and of course the issues with health-related matters. But have we seen any reports? Has anyone received any reports on whether there has been an improvement in this area? I do not think we have. The Minister of Health has not even presented us with any reports to tell us how this $8.7 million of taxpayers’ money has been spent by the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective. There have been no updates. 
Unfortunately the problem of street prostitution has got worse and is completely out of control. By some reports something like a third of the sex workers in Auckland are Chinese. Is that not extraordinary? Is that not extraordinary David Bennett? What is going on here? How many of these people are recent migrants to New Zealand? How many of them are also using student visas as a front for a prostitution ring? Are they able to properly reside and work in New Zealand? Prostitution is an issue and I think the Government should pull my bill out of the ballot in order for this matter to be resolved.