Labor leader Peter Malinauskas to vote no on sex work decriminalisation Bill over organised crime fears
The Opposition leader says he won’t support a Bill to decriminalise sex work because he fears it will encourage organised crime.
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Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas has revealed he will not support the push to decriminalise prostitution in South Australia.
In a significant move, Mr Malinauskas said he was concerned proposed legislation would allow organised crime to prosper in the sex industry and allow brothels to open near “schools, kindergartens and places of worship’’.
He also expressed concerns the Private Members Bill, which will be debated in the Lower House next week, would result in an increase in street workers that would adversely impact local communities, if passed in its current form.
“I do believe law reform in the area of prostitution is necessary, but my concern is that this Bill is so extreme in nature that it will have a whole stream of consequences that I generally do not believe are in the interests of the community,’’ Mr Malinauskas said.
The Greens Bill removes all offences relating to engaging in, soliciting or living off the proceeds of prostitution, but contains no measures to restrict who can own or operate a brothel.
Mr Malinauskas said he had arrived at his decision after meetings with advocates for prostitution reform, opponents and his own constituents.
He last week met with Police Commissioner Grant Stevens and other senior officers.
In a stark warning, Mr Stevens last month told The Advertiserhe feared community safety “will be at risk’’ and organised crime would flourish if the legislation was introduced without regulations to restrict who can own and operate brothels.
Police want regulations identical to those used to restrict bikie gang members or members of declared criminal organisations from involvement in the tattoo, security and second-hand goods industries.
Mr Malinauskas said outlaw motorcycle gangs have been a major safety issue and “an extraordinary amount of effort’’ by the parliament and police has seen significant gains in undermining organised crime in SA.
“By regulating these businesses that we know are infiltrated by organised crime, we have made SAPOL’s task to inhibit organised crime a lot easier,’’ he said.
“We know from police and others that organised crime are active in prostitution in SA.
“If we were to pass this version of the Bill, not only do we instantaneously make legitimate businessman out of these bikies, we also make it harder for police to even get access to organised crime within prostitution.
“That is unacceptable.”
Mr Malinauskas said he shared the concerns of those who were advocating for decriminalisation or prostitution in regard to the welfare of sex workers within the industry, but believed this Bill did not achieve that.
His stance is in contrast to that of Premier Steven Marshall, who stated in July that he would vote for the move.
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“I think that what we have got before the parliament at the moment has got the balance right, I think it is time for South Australia to move,’’ Mr Marshall said.
Mr Malinauskas said another major concern was that the Bill would allow brothels to open in the immediate proximity of schools, kindergartens and places of worship.
“For the life of me I do not think anyone would view that as a reasonable outcome and I find it somewhat extraordinary the Premier has said he believes the Bill is now in a position he can support it,’’ he said.
Attorney-General Vickie Chapman, who is co-sponsoring the Bill in the Lower House, said she was finalising amendments to limit where soliciting can occur — in line with what police have advocated.
Ms Chapman said she was looking at the NSW experience, which limited solicitation near a school, church or hospital.