Page 1558 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 April 1991
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chapter 5, and be pleased that we called it "Other Jurisdictions", not "Other Methods". It is quite clear, Mr Speaker, that whenever one deals with something like this there is always going to be the possibility of double meanings and so forth.
A few days ago I finally got around to watching Pretty Woman. The film is a far cry from what I have seen of prostitution. That film is a Cinderella story. The prostitute there finally gets treated as a person, rather than an object, and I think that has some relevance to us today.
Mr Speaker, in tabling this report there are a number of people that I would like to thank. The first of those is Peta Roberts, the original secretary of our committee who got the committee moving; Judy Starcevich, who really was a backup, perhaps an anchorwoman, to the committee; Marion Terrill, who did a significant amount of work on the interim statement that was published on behalf of the committee in the Canberra Times; and, most importantly of all, the secretary of the committee, Ron Owens, who has worked absolutely tirelessly.
Mr Speaker, when I hear some people making disparaging comments about public servants I think of people like Ron Owens when I take them to task. I know that Ron worked the other night until around 3 o'clock in the morning in order to make this report available to be tabled this week. This is something that we should recognise. I know that all members here recognise the significant contribution that all our public servants make to us. I think that is a good example. I think Ron Owens is a very good example of somebody who has made a major contribution.
The secretariat staff have to put up with members, and dealing with members is, on many occasions, not the easiest of things to do. Of course, there are exceptions to that rule, Mr Speaker, and those exceptions I shall not name. I do have Bill Wood sitting in front of me. Mr Wood and Mrs Nolan are the other people that I would like to thank. At times we had difficult and very frank debate on issues. This committee does require open minds and because of their open minds we have been able to come to an agreed report. That is something that I feel very pleased about.
I also wish to thank the Attorney-General for his constant positive responses and positive remarks about what the committee was doing. This has made for a positive attitude in the community and a logical and rational debate. The Attorney-General also made available the police force for comment. We have been very pleased with the police force and how they have contributed in many ways. In fact, as late as lunchtime today, they informed the committee of the opening of a new brothel in Mitchell. Even as this report is tabled, in fact there are not seven brothels as identified by the committee; as of today, I understand, there are eight. The one opened in Mitchell is called Silk International, for those who are interested in the detail.
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