WA Draft Clauses for new proposed legislation, I warn you they are bad.

[Miss Aeryn]

The WA attourneys general office has published a FAQ on the WA Draft Legislation, link here:

The link is broken, so taken down

it's even scarier reading the fine print

 

[svengali]

Here is another useful link - You can provide Mr Porter with feedback on a form on this page:

The link is broken, so taken down

Let's all tell the God-bothering halfwit what we think of his laws. Those sort of registration provisions should be applied to Bikies, Paedophiles and other assorted scum - not to working girls trying to make a dollar.

 

[triumph]

Alternatively, the FAQ contains an email address to provide feedback as per below, suggest try to keep your comments emotion free and be objective.

Politicians only understand one thing and that votes . . .

How do I provide feedback on this Green Bill?


Community comment on the Prostitution Bill 2011 is invited by e-mailing: prostitution_reform_feedback@justice.wa.gov.au

Please note that no attachments can be sent to this email address. For larger documents please forward a copy to:

Prostitution Reform Feedback
Department of the Attorney General
GPO Box F317
PERTH WA 6841

The closing date for submissions is Friday 29 July 2011.

 

[svengali]

O.K., here is another link to an online bulletin board which pollies do read:

The link is broken, so taken down

This article is by Elena Jeffreys of Scarlet Alliance and has attracted a fair bit of attention already.

You can comment only if you are a member but joining is free - roughly the same procedure as joining this group so go for it. Let's tell Mr Porter what we think about his law.

 

[Ms Sue]

I feel that it is very important that anyone who works in the sex industry now needs to speak up and make their voices heard... These laws are going to effect you and your business ....This includes private girls ,strippers ,drivers, receptionist etc...Be loud you only have till the 29th July to have your say!!!!!!!!

 

[Miss Delights]

Jesus Christ...Is this your first post Sue? You heard her people!! I am getting all my girls in Kalgoorlie to write letters for me to bring to Perth, & I think we all need to do something? Local alliance like The Scarlet Alliance & Magenta are here if you need someone to ask questions on what you can do? & even Langtrees... We need 100 people for this Thursday too at 71 Burswood Rd in Burswood..Punters & Drivers are needed just as much as Ladies...Now or Never!!!:headbang::walk:

 

[Ms Sue]

Hi Dylan, No this is not my first post.... I just think this is a very important issue that we all need to address......xoxoxo

 

[Mrs Langtrees]

Last nights meeting was great

We had 5 politicians turn up last night. Only a few private ladies and two other houses Esquire and Madison represented, plus over 40 from Langtrees.
The most positive meeting I have attended in 30 years on the sex industry.
Everyone got their view point across and I believe we may be able to alter the new laws to prevent registration for agency ladies.
I am not so sure about the private lady issue of one lady being allowed to work from here own home.
Unless the private ladies themselves take the time to canvas their politicians and write submissions I believe they may get this through.
I have said for the last five years the privates need to set up some kind of organisation and have a lobbyist so their points of view are represented.With out it WA is soon to lose 99.9% of private operators. They will only be able to get a licence if they have accommodation in a commercial or industrial area-as we know very few suitable premises will be found.
The politicians have done a phone around and found that 14 out of 15 of the oldest brothels support the new proposals-subject to themselves getting licenses of course.When I pointed out why they were supportive and how our incomes would double and triple with out the private competition they could see why most brothels are supportive.
I personally believe in a level playing field and a fair choice for all workers- I will be making submissions but without support from the private individuals I don't see much chance of changing the clause which prohibits all sex work in residential areas.
We have until the end of July to get submissions in.

 

[Rochelle]

I agree. I don't know what I expected but I was positively surprised to see that those 5 politicians seemed to be rather interested in the 'real' reality of the industry and not only the good old hear-say. So it will be interesting to see what they finally come up with.
Considering the impact/consequences the new legislation might have on the industry I expected far more ladies and representatives from other establishments.

R.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Hornyball]

Wow good to see u got a good turn out, perhaps the govt will listen because if they don't they ruin many lives. The danger of course if the laws go through we will have stupid laws like the US. If these laws go in it will mean a foot in the door to make brothels only exist in the country like Nevada, make the punters criminals, create a huge VICE SQUAD, chasing consenting adults around, heaven forbid they chase real criminals endangering peoples lives in the community. This is only the start.

I wonder how they going to police private workers, I suspect there will be many men and women getting caught giving their paycheque over at the end of payday. Thin line between payment for sex or services. I wonder if I can get caught selling my body for labour/money or charging my boss by the hour. Oh wait there must be clear distinction between the two scenarios, oh what about the old bloke with young wife, goes on and on. Stupid laws make simple things so confusing and criminals out of normal consenting adults. Perhaps we should get bikies lawyer to represent the workers...

 

[sabrina19]

Anyone have a list of the politititions to write submissions to please??

 

[svengali]

Anyone have a list of the politititions to write submissions to please??

[I

Write here: Media Statements - Results

This is the rant I posted: (some liberties taken with my marital status)

Please consider my views of your proposed laws to "govern" prostitution in this state.

Let me say up-front that I am a happily married man with no need for the services of the ladies of the night but I do respect their rights to provide a service which is obviously in demand. I also recognise that in so doing they harm no-one. The nonsense about prostitutes being desperate drug addicts who need to be "rescued" is just that, nonsense, peddled by religious leaders trying to impose their influence in the face of dwindling public interest in their ancient superstitions. In my opinion, your proposed draconian legislation merely panders to these religious bigots and the other wowsers who want to ban the whole sex industry.

Over half of the sex workers in W.A. operate from private homes and most have little or no impact on their neighbours. I once lived next door to a "working girl" in a block of units and she was no problem at all - the other neighbour with the yappy terrier caused far more disruption. Your unnecessarily onerous registration requirements will ensure that these independent ladies either work for a legal brothel or operate illegally and we both know which choice they will make. Yes, it will be illegal but how will you stop them? The Police cannot control a handful of rowdy drunks on a Saturday night or adequately enforce the road rules so where will they find the manpower or the will to trace and prosecute illegal private prostitutes? And how much faith can anyone have that the records and personal details of these ladies will remain confidential? I wouldn't want to rely on it myself and I am sure they wouldn't either.

Yes, there is harm being done in the sex industry and both you and the police know about it but do nothing. I refer to the Asian pimps and gangsters setting up illegal brothels in suburban houses and using girls who, if not slaves, are pretty close to it. There are also at least 3 or 4 tolerated brothels run along similar lines with (usually) Asiatic "students" rotated though several houses here and interstate. By all means go after them and drive them out of business because they are a blight on the sex industry and on our society. But hands off the well-run brothels and those private operators who are harming no-one and providing a useful outlet for the sexually underprivileged.

To summarise, I suggest you redraft your proposed laws to let the industry continue to operate in pretty much the same way it does at present. Drop the bureaucratic and overly onerous registration provisions and deal with the bad elements which can probably be done quite adequately under existing laws. I am sure the owners of the better run houses and organisations like Scarlet Alliance would be more than happy to provide some guidance in framing the laws and it is a pity you didn't think to consult them earlier.

Kindest regards
Svengali (real name required on reply)

It is high time we kicked back against the God-Bothering pollies trying to force their religious beliefs into law so please post on the link so that this arrogant bunch of half-wits know how we feel about them.

 

[sabrina19]

Thankyou what you wrote is very moving to me I can relate to it I have sent my subissions to where you stated

 

[Hornyball]

Well said svengali, hit the nail on the head.

 

[Rochelle]

Well done svengali. Great statement. I hope they get tonnes of similar statements from people not working in the industry. It adds more weight.

R.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[svengali]

O.K., 23 July is fast approaching so I hope everyone is making plenty of noise about this issue?

Write here: http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Results.aspx?ItemID=141141

This is the link to reply to Mr Porter's office and if you think "this doesn't affect me" think again. The Government is now "considering" a report on drinking laws which, among other things, recommends raising the legal drinking age to 20 or 21.

This is the trouble with bible-bashing bigots - let them get away with one issue and it is straight onto the next one. If you don't want to live in a Christian version of Iran take a stand now.

 

[sexnut]

Are you saying I need to find a working girl before 23 of july!!

 

[chris.shiherlis]

I couldn't agree more with you svengali, I wonder what is going to happen after july 23rd?

 

[wootie]

I suspect there might be a kneejerk reaction then its back to business as usual with the exception it will go underground.

There is a reason why prostitution is called the world's oldest profession. Its a profession that has survived the test the time and will continue to do so regardless of regulatory measures.

 

[Fudd]

....I wonder what is going to happen after july 23rd?

....the period for public comments will cease and the Bill will be finalised for its second reading in the Lower House. If the public has been successful in having the politicians amend the Bill, it will then be read again for the first time and then proceed to its second reading at a later stage. If it passes the second & third readings...it will then go to the upper house for the next stage.

Fudd

 

[svengali]

Yes, it will take a while but we need some organised response.

The biggest problem seems to be that Mr & Mrs Wider Australia really don't care about it and the owners and operators, apart from our Mary-Anne of course, seem to want to keep their heads down.I posted a rant about it on the "Online Opinion" forum and it only attracted a couple of responses.

The best way I can see of achieving any result is to encourage as many people as possible to post comments on the link above otherwise this will just sneak quietly into law.

 

[Claudia Michaels]

Together with Maryanne I have put together a Submission with respect to the proposed Western Australian Prostitution Legislation.

This Submission is still a work in progress. However it will be available for reading at Langtrees from 8pm Wednesday through to 2pm Thursday and I will be on hand during this period to answer any questions. We are hoping to collect as many signatures from individuals within the industry as possible to demonstrate the breadth of support.

Signatures will need to be accompanied by your real name and what you do within the industry in order to carry any weight, but no addresses will be required so as to protect people's privacy. I would also appreciate a bit of background because I intend to put together an Introduction that explains who the Submission represents. This will be done in general terms not list who you are and what your life involves specifically - for example the statement that a number of individuals work in other professions such as nursing etc and that a number of individuals have children - depending on what people indicate of course.

Below is an outline of what the Submission incorporates. The position of the Submission and what is proposed won't change at this point; I am merely at a point of finalising it and working on the arguments and expression.

- The incorporation of a series of Objectives that balance the needs of the industry and the rights of prostitutes with the concerns of the community and dealing with genuine illegal activity. This will change the tone and approach of the entire legislation as everything within it must be referenced towards these.

- The definition of prostitution to incorporate massage and hand relief; escorting; and feitshes where physical contact doesn't occur

- Distinguishing between brothels and escort agencies and self-employed prostitutes and requesting that the location requirements for each are different so that escort agencies and self-employed prostitutes are not subject to the same location requirements as larger-scale brothels

- Requesting that existing brothels be given exceptions with respect to location and size so they can continue to operate as they have been

- The removal on limitations of the number of prostitutes who can work at a brothel any one time

- The removal of licensing for individual prostitutes who work for a brothel or escort agency.

- The allowance for those on a Student or Working Holiday Visa to work as a prostitute

- Greater protections with respect to the register in terms of how it is stored and by whom it can be accessed and stipulations that any information on the register will not be available by employers, with respect to various police checks and Visa applications and will not be able to be used against someone in a family law matter. Also includes penalties for anyone who breaches the bounds of the legislation.

- The removal of the potential for fingerprinting and palm printing

- Licenses to only have numbers on them, not names

- Putting in place checks and balances on the licensing authority so that there is not a presumption of guilt and so that they cannot make life difficult for professional workers

- Putting in place checks and balances on the police again so they cannot make life difficult for professional workers and can only target those genuinely engaged in illegal activity. This includes penalties for police who overstep the bounds of the legislation.

- Scaling back the draconian penalties to differentiate depending on circumstances.

- The incorporation of a wide range of health and safety requirements with respect to client interaction and within a workplace

- The incorporation of a prostitute's right to control their interaction with a client and the stipulation that prostitutes are independent contractors

- Encouraging education and awareness amongst professionals in the industry by engaging a prostitution support organisation such as Magenta to visit premises and offer support services to the industry

- Removal of the administrative duties from Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor and placing licensing and associated administration under the Department of Commerce and health and safety matters under the Department of Health.

 

[AmyMonroe]

Hi Claudia

Can you do something like this online petition as well - that way people that cant get into Langtrees can still sign it.

The link is broken, so taken down (its on the same topic)

Amy

 

[Claudia Michaels]

Unfortunately online petitions have no credibility. It is also necessary that anyone who endorses the Submission must have had the opportunity to read the full document for credibility purposes as well.

 

[sabrina19]

Anymore news on the new legislation??

 

[kiwicarl]

In the news today ...

Prostitution to be banned in suburban Perth - The West Australian


"Mr Ripper said Labor did not support any law that required sex workers to register their details with the Government, rejecting Attorney-General Christian Porter’s compromise proposal unveiled this morning."

 

[Tannerone]

Also in the news tonight, Maryanne said she AGREED with the legislation - what has happened?

 

[Mrs Langtrees]

I agree with legislation is what I said. The government have said that brothel ladies will not have to register which is one of the points I went to fight for.
The privates have to get out and meet the politicians over the next few weeks as I think with the numerous changes Porter has made he may get the numbers.
I have been warning the privates for a long time to get organised as their livelihood was on the line. I spoke with two liberals today and they couldn't believe how much he has changed the bill so he may change and allow genuine privates to operate from residential...he may not. This is a issue the private girls should be pushing and to date I have seen nothing from them. Not one submission was from a private worker. At this stage most politicians think privates are rowdy and the naughty girls of the industry. It is up to them to get organised very quickly or take the consequences.
Just for note Langtrees will not get a license under the proposed legislation and even if it could I wouldn't go for one based in Burswood as this property is registered as a adult entertainment center and this is too valuable a zoning to give away for a 6 room brothel with a maximum of 9 ladies on shift.

 

[Mrs Langtrees]

Closed new thread going