Tower of Power targeted in sex worker ‘political football’ protest
Unions have descended on the Premier’s office in the Brisbane CBD to protest government inaction on decriminalising sex work.
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Unions have descended on the office of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at One William Street to protest government inaction on decriminalising sex work.
Queensland sex workers fear the state government has abandoned its pledge to decriminalise their work, with Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath breaking a promise to introduce new laws by the end of this year.
Advocates say the safety of workers remains at risk each day the government fails to deliver on the decriminalisation of all forms of sex work.
The protest, occurring while Ms Palaszczuk is in Canberra for a meeting of the national cabinet, is being considered as another warning shot at the government from the powerful union movement, which has become increasingly critical of Ms Palaszczuk.
Unions have started polling Queenslanders about the Premier’s leadership and have hinted at pulling the significant cash support they provide to Labor each election.
Queensland Council of Union general secretary Jacqueline King said she was disappointed that the new sex workers laws didn’t happen in the final parliament sitting week last week.
“We had public commitments that this bill would have been introduced before Christmas so that it could be passed, go through the normal committee stage and go back to Parliament in early 2024,” Ms King said.
“So that doesn’t become a political football right. So we are expecting that the LNP and other members of the opposition will oppose this bill.
“So that’s why we’re deeply disappointed that Labor has chosen to delay its introduction, they are going to create more of a political headache for themselves. Sex work should not be a political football.”
Ms King said the bill needed to be passed first thing in the new year.
“We think this is a failing of leadership of the government so the government has to actually step up,” she said.
“Whether that’s the Premier, whether that’s the Attorney-General, whoever is involved in this, whether it’s the cabinet, they all need to get behind this and just get this done.”
Ms King said sex work and stripping needed to be treated the same as other work.
“They should have access to the same industrial laws so that they can get minimum wages conditions, that they’re protected that they that they don’t shy away from going to the police if they’re assaulted or they’ve got violence or they’ve been threatened. That they can actually, you know, stand up as an ordinary person in the community and be treated with respect like what everybody else does.
Decrim QLD campaign leader Janelle Fawkes said the decriminalisation of sex work was broadly supported in the community.
“We’ve been out at every event talking to people about decriminalisation, and there’s no pushback,” she said.
“There’s broad support within the Labour Party, broad support in the community, broad support in the Queensland Government. We just need to see this move forward now.
Stripper Raven Inferno said she was concerened the government broke their promise.
“We entrusted them to bring us through the bill by the end of the year,” she said.
“And we were really let down by that and we need them to come through on this. We’ve waited a long time and at least have.
“This is about advocating for the fact that strippers are sex workers too and strippers need basic workplace health and safety provisions like every other industry.”
“At the moment you can’t access Fair Work for basic workplace issues. For workplace issues, you need to go to the Australian Human Rights Commission and, and seek reconciliation through that process.
“And good luck with that process. And I’ve tried the long way. And I was not successful. We shouldn’t have to go to that length.”
Ms Fawkes said in the time the campaign happened other states had already decriminalised.
“Northern Territory and Victoria have completely decriminalized, they’ve gone through the entire process,” she said.
“And yet, we’re still waiting in Queensland.”
Last month the CFMEU protested against the government outside the Queensland parliament following the workplace death of 17-year-old Tyler Whitton.
CFMEU state secretary Michael Ravbar at the time said the government had “blood on its hands”.
“Workers now know exactly where they stand with a missing in action Minister for Industrial Relations and an out of touch Premier. They will not forgive or forget this betrayal,” he warned.
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