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 
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Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Labour—Manurewa) 
: 
 First of all I thank the pretender to the throne of Manurewa Cam Calder for getting up—that person from the North Shore is concerned about street prostitution as well. I thank all the people in the House who have spoken today from whatever point of view because I believe that addressing that issue is very important. I thank even those people who spoke against the Manukau City Council (Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill. When we have legislation that deals with local problems then I think a bit of passion comes out. 
I have had people over the course of time tell me that instead of picking on the prostitutes we should pick on the men who use them and arrest those men. That is not a bad idea. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: You had 9 years. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yes I have had 9 years but that member has been here for a long while and what has he done? What has he done? Nothing—not a thing. However I say the real tragedy about all of this is that under-age young girls are involved in prostitution. Of course they cannot work in brothels until they are 18 so they are exposed to street prostitution. When the original reform bill came through Parliament no one thought of that. Now we are trying to use band-aids to cover up problems that we did not foresee. I think that is a pity. We have had people murdered on the streets. Prostitutes have been murdered which shows what a dangerous life it is to be on the streets. 
When we analyse what is happening we hear a council Manukau City Council asking for help. The community that Manukau City Council represents is asking for help. Perhaps the real answer is to go back and redo the Prostitution Reform Act but I do not see many people who want to do that. Perhaps that is what the answer really is—to go back to the legislation. But people will not like to do that because last time the legislation passed by one vote and it was a real test for people. To try in an election year to amend or change the Prostitution Reform Act is the real measure. 
People who have electorates and party offices know what the problems are. People come to see us. People from the churches come to see us. People from the schools come to see us because they do not like kids to walk on their way to school through vomit left by undesirables who mix alcohol and prostitution. It is unseemly and of course it just does not make a town come right. I know that that is what my colleague Ross Robertson really wants to see happen in Hunters Corner where there is a big problem. Ross Robertson is a person who keeps on going and going—a wee bit like the battery. He never runs out; he keeps on going. That is really important because if one does not keep on going—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Ideally we should go back to the Prostitution Reform Act and change it. 
Simon Bridges 
: That was your party. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yes and we made a mistake. I imagine that the present Government will not change that Act but I thank its members for their support tonight. This bill provides a mechanism whereby once again a problem can be highlighted and a select committee can look at it. When the bill goes to the Local Government and Environment Committee the committee can do some real good work. The police have not been actively involved with this bill. They said they did not have the staff but now that they have the staff they are still not interested. Addressing the issue is too hard for them and it appears to be too hard for some of the political parties represented in this House. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Members the question is that that the motion be agreed to. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Labour—Manurewa) 
: 
 I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I request that a personal vote be taken. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The member is seeking a personal vote. A personal vote will be held.