Hawkins George: Manukau City Council (Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill — First Reading 
Hawkins George: Manukau City Council (Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:666;Page:13792] 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Labour—Manurewa) 
: 
 I move  
That the Manukau City Council (Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill be now read a first time. 
 At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be considered by the Local Government and Environment Committee. Before I delve into this bill I want to pass on to the people of Canterbury the sympathy that I think everyone here has for what happened to those people. When one has been the Minister of Civil Defence one knows the problems going on and I say to John Carter that many people appreciate the work he is doing. 
This bill is on behalf of the Manukau City Council. It will allow the council to make by-laws designating any place a specified place; it requires a by-law to be made and reviewed in a manner similar to that of a by-law made under the Local Government Act 2002; it prohibits the conduct of the business of prostitution or the supply or receipt of any commercial sexual service in a specified place; and it provides the police with powers to arrest a person committing an offence under this legislation. 
This whole question goes way back to the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 which was passed by one solitary vote. Since then Manukau City Council has been back to this House trying to get legislation to help it overcome a difficulty it has. In my electorate of Manurewa and in Ross Robertson’s electorate of Manukau East we have been plagued by street prostitution for a number of years. Of course it has a huge impact on the community. When shopkeepers have to clean up used condoms vomit and urine in their shopfronts people get very upset. When kids on their way to school see that they are annoyed. The Prostitution Reform Act 2003 did not solve the problem. In most areas people work in brothels but we have a certain class of people who I think make life bad for others. This bill is supported by the two chief mayoral contestants for the super-city. They are Len Brown and of course John Banks. Here they are soliciting themselves on the front cover of  
Metro 
 magazine. They are soliciting for votes which is far different from anything else. 
Paul Quinn 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is well known in this House that using visual aids is acceptable only by the member speaking and no one else. Former Assistant Speaker Ross Robertson was joining in by holding up that display which I think Mr Assistant Speaker saw. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: I know that the member is a new member— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy) 
: That is not helpful. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: —but the reality is—and I am trying to inform the member—that during the course of a speech a member is entitled to use a display. That was what was happening and it was only for a very short time. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy) 
: The point has been made. We know the rules. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I thank the member opposite for his real concern. Soliciting is something that I think he does around election time but he will not do it very successfully next time; in fact he might be further down National’s list. 
When Manukau City Council developed its first bill it thought some real progress would be made and to be sure the first reading attracted about 100 votes in this House. Then it went off to the select committee. It came back from the select committee and the committee was divided on the matter but in the end it decided not to proceed with the bill so the council had the added problem of trying to find a way around the issue. It has used all the options we would expect a council to use. It has used better street lighting closed-circuit television Maori wardens and ambassadors and of course the police have been directed to look at the problem. But prostitution is just one of many social problems that are impacting on South Auckland. I have another bill on the Order Paper the Sale of Liquor (Objections to Applications) Amendment Bill which is waiting for its second reading and deals with another aspect of the social deprivation that is happening. There is also the issue of pokie machines but the issue that really annoys most people is the street prostitution that goes on. Yes we have a lot of people who are very upset that there is a mix of alcohol abuse and street prostitution going on at the same time. 
Last time I said it was a plea from Manukau City Council for help. This bill is also a plea for help from Manukau City Council. This bill may have the unusual feature of lasting longer than the council. Manukau City Council will not exist on 1 November and hopefully this bill will be picked up by the new super-city. That remains to be seen. Some people such as Councillor Dick Quax have been pushing to have this matter dealt with for a long time but there are some councillors who identify the problem and make a lot of noise about it but nothing happens. I am referring to Colleen Brown who has written an article in a newspaper about a young girl—let us call her “Holly”—who stands in the half-light of a liquor store. She goes on to describe “Holly” as a 14-year-old on the streets. I challenge every member of this House to get up and say whether a 14-year-old on the streets is acceptable. The trouble with the article of course is that it is made up by Colleen Brown who does not do anything other than make up stories. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: She wrings her hands. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yes she wrings her hands and this is a problem that needs far more support than that. It needs the support of this Parliament so that Manukau can get something done. 
When people talk about liquor being an associate of prostitution people really know what is meant. We have people marching around South Auckland protesting about liquor but the chair of the Wiri Licensing Trust goes on those marches. She is selling booze and protesting about the sale. So in South Auckland there is real conflict and people are getting confused messages. I say that this issue needs a forceful answer. It needs people to stand up and be accountable. It does not need people who make up stories or people who try to sell booze but say they are against it and against prostitution. We need people of much sterner stuff. 
It is unfortunate that this bill has come into the House at this late stage but it takes a lot of time and a lot of work by a council to bring a local bill before the House. I thank the officers of the Manukau City Council for their efforts. I thank the people of Manukau City who have contacted me about this bill. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am really sorry to interrupt my colleague but the reality is that a member in this House is using the Chamber as an office. The member knows who I am talking about. He was using a telephone which is against the Speakers’ rulings. I know that is true because I made the ruling myself. The member knows who it is. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I thank the member for that. Members know that they cannot make calls in here. They must go out to the lobbies to do that. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: What happens is that people look to this Parliament to see whether it will make a difference and whether it will give power to a local authority to do something about a problem. Of course that is what is really important: saying to councils that we will support them in their battle against street prostitution. We are not asking to turn the clock back to the days prior to 2003 when the prostitution reform legislation was before the House but we are saying that it is time for change and people have had enough.