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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-06-08 Daily Xml
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SEX INDUSTRY REFORM

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (15:21): In the past two weeks, I have been very busy in the community of Ashford with regard to the establishment of the Bikini Girls Massage Cafe. I have spoken in this house before about some of the issues that have been raised by locals about this. I have attended a number of community meetings—two in the last couple of weeks—and also a school council meeting, about this particular business.

In addition, many complaints have been made to the Marion council and the first of a number of petitions has been presented. From memory, around 200 people have petitioned the council with regard to this particular business. I say the first petition because I understand that others are being compiled as we speak and also that there is a Facebook page. Not being a Facebook participant, I have not had the opportunity to look at that, but there has been a lot of discussion within the community of Ashford about the establishment of this business.

It seems to me that the emphasis for us in this chamber is the appropriateness of the current legislation with regard to the sex industry. While I think it is quite well known that my view is that sex work should be decriminalised, I think there also need to be complementary changes with regard to planning and development to make sure that there are suitable locations for premises where this type of work is provided. I think consideration should be given as to whether or not children—under 18 year olds–are likely to be regularly in the vicinity, for example, because of schools and facilities for children and youths, and whether there should be legislation that makes sure that such a business cannot operate in such a location.

I am pleased to say that, despite all the complaints I have heard and the community meetings that I have been to about this particular business, residents, including the school community, have made it clear that they think that the sex industry should be decriminalised but that we really do need to address the issue of location and the appropriateness of where the different sorts of sex work premises are located.

Speaking of petitions, yesterday I tabled a petition about the need to amend the Criminal Law Consolidation Act and the Summary Offences Act that I was given at a rally I attended last Thursday. That petition was:

...signed by 848 residents of South Australia requesting the house to urge the government to repeal the laws, under the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 and the Summary Offences Act 1953, which criminalise sex workers in the pursuit of their profession.

So, this issue is alive and well and I think it is about time that we, as members of parliament, addressed it—not only for the residents in our respective electorates but also to make sure that we have a modern system of dealing with this particular industry.

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