Sex bosses warn of new law's dangers

By STUART DYE

Foreign sex workers will flood New Zealand and scores of back-street brothels will open as a result of legalised prostitution, sex industry figures claimed last night.

Brothel owners say that by passing the Prostitution Reform Bill, MPs have opened a gateway to more vice, violence, drugs and dangers.

Taking powers away from the police, and legalising women who work the street will make it impossible to protect prostitutes, they claim.

Parliament passed the bill, which decriminalises prostitution, by 60 votes to 59 in a result which hinged on a handful of swinging votes and the abstention of Labour MP Ashraf Choudhary, who had previously indicated he would oppose it.

Reaction to the decision showed divisions in the sex industry.

Prostitutes hailed the law as the dawn of a new era of safety and security.

But parlour owners say it will have the opposite effect.

Brian Le Gros, owner of the White House on Queen St in Auckland, says hundreds of foreign women will be attracted to New Zealand to work in the newly legal industry.

Mr Le Gros, who says he spent $5m building the White House, also owns parlours in Wellington, and Noumea, and is opening one in Tahiti.

He said legalising prostitution was the right thing to do.

But it had been done wrongly, without consulting people involved in the industry.

"If police suspected something amiss in a massage parlour, such as drugs, they could close it down under prostitution laws.

They no longer had that power.

"There will be lots of parlours springing up with girls brought in from abroad and unscrupulous owners know the police can't touch them.

"Behind closed doors they can get away with almost anything.

"There will also be girls coming straight out of school knowing it is not illegal to work the streets. Who is going to check their ages?

"Obviously this is more dangerous.

"Any other law about big business would be put to the people involved, but that has not happened.

"It will become a free-for-all. They have opened a can of worms with this bill.

"It's not been given enough thought, and will have the opposite effect of that intended.

"The idea is right, but it needs to be tidied up very, very quickly."

Dave Beaumont, owner of the Mustang Gentlemen's Club, agrees the bill does not go far enough to protect prostitutes.

He believes up to 70 per cent of sex workers claim benefits or have other jobs.

"No matter what rights the bill says they have, they will not go to court and put their reputation and possibly lives on the line to win a case in an employment court."

But prostitutes say the new law will mean their business will be recognised alongside any other profession.

As the politicians debated and the vote was cast on Wednesday night, "Jenny" waited anxiously for the result.

The 50-year-old Aucklander has worked in brothels and privately over a 25-year career.

She has also campaigned for the rights of prostitutes.

Last night she said: "Everyone else has had a piece of the pie for too long.

"I've paid taxes but never had rights - this is all about choices and options.

"Parlour operators will have to comply with regulations and won't be allowed to take huge advantage of their position of power any more.

"I know of owners who interview girls naked.

"This is a violation of human rights and will become a thing of the past.

"The changes won't happen overnight, but they will happen and this is the first step.

"It's a wonderful and a big day."