Steven Miles’ plan to introduce legislation into the Queensland Parliament to decriminalise prostitution is a high-cost gamble supposedly aimed at reducing violence and exploitation of women in the sex industry.
Queensland Director of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), Rob Norman said, “The Premier’s gamble will place the lives of vulnerable young people in the firing line. Overseas experience shows that people trafficking, violence, and the exploitation of women increases wherever the sex industry is given unbridled freedom. Germany, a disastrous example of the effects of a burgeoning sex industry, is now reconsidering the effects of legalising prostitution. Germany’s experience should be a warning to our State government that decriminalisation as a means of ‘reducing violence and exploitation’ is a complete fallacy.
“Mr. Miles has a youth crime disaster on his hands and yet he’s opening another door for vulnerable young people to enter the world of organised crime. Young people, already under pressure with housing affordability and cost of living expenses going through the roof, will be encouraged under this new legislation, to turn to prostitution in order to keep their heads above water.”
Mr. Norman said, “Full decriminalization of prostitution grants impunity to pimps and brothel owners, allowing them to carry out their activities as if the commodification of people as objects to sell for sex is just another business. This is a violation of human rights and human dignity. ACL will continue to inform Queenslanders on the voting records of individual MPs in the lead-up to the State Election.”
The ACL calls on all MPs to remember Queensland’s shameful youth crime statistics and, if necessary, cross the floor and vote to reject the decriminalisation of prostitution.
