Fairbrother Russell: Prostitution Reform Bill — Second Reading 
Fairbrother Russell: Prostitution Reform Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:606;Page:3621] 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER (NZ Labour—Napier) 
: 
 This is not a bill that protects prostitutes. It is not a bill designed to encourage prostitution. It is not a bill setting a new moral climate. This is a bill that simply decriminalises prostitution and for that reason I support the bill. In doing so it is interesting to note that the person I contested the last general election with—a former Deputy Mayor of Napier and a former member of Parliament who described herself as representing Napier—also endorsed the bill. When I speak to my electorate I remind them of the fact that it is not emotion that should decide the outcome of this bill it is not anecdote personal experience or fear—it is cold analytical common sense.  
I want to start by reminding the House of clause 3 which is the purpose section. Those who are propagating arguments against the bill deliberately overlook clause 3. It reads: “The purpose of this Act is to decriminalise prostitution (while not endorsing or morally sanctioning prostitution or its use) and to create a framework that—(a) safeguards the human rights of sex workers and protects them from exploitation: (b) promotes the welfare and occupational health and safety of sex workers: (c) is conducive to public health: (d) prohibits the use in prostitution of persons under 18 years of age: (e) implements certain other related reforms.”  
Those reforms are not reforms legalising prostitution and they are not reforms setting up a regime of approval of the activity but are merely fundamental common-sense health and safety and non-exploitive reforms. But those who are fearful of the outcome of this bill or those who believe for some reason that prostitution is contagious and society will be hit with a wave of prostitutes and their clients can take refuge in clause 9N. This bill provides the first common-sense approach to the question of prostitution in this country.  
Clause 9N states that a prostitution law reform committee will be formed. As soon as practicable after the commencement of this legislation it will assess the number of persons working as sex workers in New Zealand and any prescribed matters that relate to sex workers or prostitution and report on its findings to the Minister of Justice. Clause 9N also states that no sooner than the expiry of 3 years but before the expiry of 5 years after the commencement there will be a thorough review of the operation of the Act. Therefore ladies and gentlemen those people bandying about figures of increases in the number of prostitutes child prostitution and the other fear-based scaremongering tactics taken by those who want to protect the present hypocritical ineffective law will be able to have figures on which to base their assessments.  
No countries had assessed the number of prostitutes before they made a change to their laws. So we cannot say there has been a multiplication by so many percentage because we do not have a starting point. With this bill we will have a starting point to assess the degree of problem if any in this country. By decriminalising prostitution we can get an even playing field but people should not forget that there are still protections for us and members of the public. There is the Crimes Act the Summary Offences Act which controls order and disorder on the streets the Resource Management Act the Employment Relations Act taxation legislation and GST laws. There are laws in this country that can answer all the concerns of those who want to build a framework of oppression already. All we are simply doing is taking away the ground of hypocrisy of ineffective laws dubious health standards and the influx of criminal gangs into an existing industry that is growing already before our very eyes.  
I endorse this bill totally because it decriminalises acts of prostitution. It goes one step further and lays a basis for us to assess how this country is placed in the moral climate and it gives us a chance to work rationally to decide whether any steps should be taken to attack some imagined evil. I say to those who are concerned that the country will become a barren climate of moral ne’er-do-wells that they should go to their faith and have faith in their fellow men. This is a good country and this is good bill.