Sex work: Decriminalisation push passes SA Upper House

A push to decriminalise sex work has passed its first hurdle with the state’s upper house voting in favour of the move, leaving the bill in the hands of the House of Assembly.

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Decriminalising sex work is one step closer to reality after it passed the Upper House 13 votes to six.

Greens MP Tammy Franks’ Bill passed following seven hours of debate spread over two days, placing the legislation in the hands of the 47 Lower House MPs.

It’s the second time the legislation has passed the Upper House in two years. It was not debated by Lower House MPs before state parliament prorogued for the 2018 state election.

Amendments were passed that would allow police officers to enter a brothel if they suspected a crime was occurring, as well as a scheme that would require the State Government to provide support to someone who wished to leave the sex work industry.

An advertising ban on “commercial sexual services” would see people who failed to comply fined up to $2500. The ban would not extend to newspapers. But a push for street sex work to remain criminalised, and a move that would effectively ban sex workers from Hanson Rd in Adelaide’s northwest, both failed.

Ms Franks said the decriminalisation push had enjoyed its “strongest level of support ever” after 13 attempts to pass the law in 20 years. “With the Attorney-General and Labor’s Katrine Hildyard moving it in the Lower House we should have decriminalisation by the end of the year,” she said.

Labor MP Clare Scriven said the amendments had made small improvements to an otherwise “fundamentally flawed” Bill. “The Bill increases the objectification of women, it gives more freedom for the exploiters and it increases risks to children,” she said.

Attorney-General Vickie Chapman has announced she will move the legislation once it reaches the Lower House. It will be a conscience vote for all MPs.