Brothel register plan in sex bill

By AUDREY YOUNG political editor

Brothel keepers will be issued with certificates and their names put in a confidential file kept by a district court registrar, under an amendment to the Prostitution Reform Bill back before Parliament tonight.

The MP promoting the main bill, Tim Barnett, believes the amendment, in the name of Labour colleague Phil Goff, is one that may be passed.

Another might be that of Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel, banning people on temporary visas from sex work.

Parliament will begin a free-ranging debate on at least seven groups of amendments to the private member's bill, which is subject to a conscience vote.

But voting is not expected for at least a fortnight, and could be six weeks away.

Under Mr Goff's amendment, court registrars would issue certificates as the operator of a prostitution business to anyone who employed at least another prostitute.

People such as gang members and people convicted of serious violent, sex or drug offences would not be eligible.

An applicant would be able to apply for a waiver to a district court judge, and Mr Barnett said someone who had not offended for a long time might be considered for a waiver.

The record of identity of a certified brothel operator would be available for inspection only by the operator and by the police - but only to help investigate an offence.

Mr Barnett said that the confidentiality of the list would be a protection for the sex worker.

He said he spoke to a woman in a collective of three or four massage parlour workers last week.

"She uses a pseudonym at work. She doesn't want her whanau name to be known to everyone."

Amendments to the bill

* The Phil Goff amendments: would ban serious offenders from operating a brothel, require brothel operators to be certificated through a district court registrar, exemptions to be determined by a district court judge, and give councils wider powers to determine the placement of brothels.

* The Lianne Dalziel amendments: would make it illegal for people in New Zealand on any sort of temporary permit or those with provisional permanent residence to operate or invest in prostitution.

* Stephen Franks' amendments: would allow people to legally discriminate against sex workers on the grounds of their occupations, for example, refusal of landlords to let their flat to prostitutes; and to allow the defence of reasonable belief against the crime of using a prostitute under the age of 18.

* The Dianne Yates amendment: would make it a criminal offence to buy sexual services, not to sell.

* The Wayne Mapp amendments: would only make it an offence to solicit if it constituted a nuisance or harassment and allow prostitution from one or two-person operations.

* The Gordon Copeland amendments: in association with Mr Mapp's amendments, would prohibit advertising of sexual services, excluding advertisements that originate outside New Zealand, and maintain the licensing of massage parlours.