Don’t like prostitution? That’s no reason to impose your morals on others | Caleb Bond

Banning sex work has never worked in the history of humanity and moral crusaders need to mind their own business, writes Caleb Bond.

The oldest profession in the world, they say, involves selling sex.

No matter how hard you try – how much you fiddle around the edges – it isn’t going away and it never will.

Nicola Centofanti, the leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council, is pushing to implement the “Nordic model” in SA, whereby it is illegal to pay someone for sex and engage in sex for which you have paid – but not to receive that money and render your services.

So, in essence, it would be legal to be a sex worker but illegal to see a sex worker. You could legally take illegal money.

The supposed objective of this is to reduce the demand for sex work because clients would be too scared to pay.

But it is already illegal to be in a place “frequented by prostitutes” under the Summary Offences Act, which effectively criminalises being in their company, and that hasn’t reduced demand.

Brothels are currently illegal and that certainly hasn’t stopped their establishment.

While the act of sex work itself is not specifically illegal, many facets of it – such as street work – are, and yet it has gone on for yonks in well-known parts of Adelaide.

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Nicola Centofanti at Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

So what would change? Police generally have better things to do than monitor people having consensual sex.

If your concern is for the safety and welfare of sex workers, just decriminalise it.

Then any kind of abuse or fraud can be reported and dealt with by police as it would be in any other circumstance without fear of repercussions.

The real reason some prefer it to be illegal is because they have a moral objection. But it is rather immaterial whether or not you agree with the concept of sex work. It is just a reality as old as time.

It is not my job, nor yours, to impose your sense of morality upon anyone else through the long arm of the law.

Freedom cuts both ways – you are free to do and say the things you want but you must also accept that others will do or say things you will find offensive or repulsive.

You can use and abuse your body in myriad other ways for profit – many of which result in people requiring the use of the public health system – but when it comes to sex we say no.

As long as it doesn’t cause harm to others, who are we to tell people how they can and can’t earn a dollar?

Not liking someone else’s job is not a legitimate argument for it to be illegal.

The exchange of sex for money is essentially a victimless crime.

One person willingly hands over money and another willingly does the job for which they have been paid. It is a consensual exchange.

Just like many other consensual sexual encounters going on every day of which you might morally disapprove but are not illegal.

Sex work is either decriminalised or legal and regulated in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Do you hear of any rampant problems there that could not also be found in SA?

It is illegal in Western Australia – yet Kalgoorlie has long been home to one of the country’s best-known red light districts.

It’s already happening. It’s been happening forever. Most barely give it a second’s thought.

Just decriminalise it and move on.