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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 8 Hansard (24 October) . . Page.. 1941 ..

Ms Follett: You are looking after your cronies; that is what you are doing.

MR DE DOMENICO: No, we are not.

Mr Connolly: There is a smell like Parkwood Eggs over this.

MR DE DOMENICO: You would not know how to smell anything except your own bathwater, which you drink anyway, Mr Connolly.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

Mrs Carnell: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, before the Chief Minister presents a paper, may I provide an answer to a question? In the adjournment debate on 20 September Mr Moore raised with me in the Assembly the issue of the criminal records of prostitutes following the legalisation of prostitution. At the time I indicated that I would take the issue on notice and advise the Assembly of the answer. Mr Speaker, I raised this matter with the then Attorney-General, Mr Connolly, in June of 1993 and I sought the same action Mr Moore has sought from me, so I can understand why he has asked the question.

I have had advice from the Deputy Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, Mr Allen, that the records of people associated with the prostitution industry in the ACT prior to the legalisation who were not involved in other criminal activities and who did not have previous criminal convictions at the relevant time having the force of law were destroyed on 17 February 1994. Records of people associated with the prostitution industry in the ACT prior to legalisation who have been involved in other criminal activity or who have previous criminal convictions at the relevant time having the force of law have not been destroyed. Mr Speaker, Mr Moore told the Assembly that it was his view that this had not yet been done. I can assure Mr Moore that the records were disposed of in accordance with the provisions under the Archives Act 1983. I have written to Mr Moore indicating the answer to that question in more detail.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I seek leave of the Assembly to make a very brief statement for perhaps a minute-and-a-half on that issue.

Leave granted.

MR MOORE: Thank you, members. Mr Speaker, this really closes the circle on an issue that this Assembly has dealt with very responsibly. The issue of sex workers in the ACT has brought international interest. At the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference that I attended in Sri Lanka a couple of weeks ago a number of African states in particular, including Botswana and some local jurisdictions within South Africa,

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