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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 4 Hansard (6 May) . . Page.. 976 ..

requirements and do not render the business illegal. The old approach would have been to say, "If they do not do this we will just close down the business". You would not apply that to any other business, and quite rightly so. I think the approach taken is entirely appropriate.

There is a constant review being carried out by the board that monitors what is going on in prostitution in the ACT. I noted that Mr Humphries has made a couple of new appointments to that board over the last year or so. In each case there has been appropriate consultation. I hope that that board will constantly monitor to ensure that the industry is running in the most effective way, the least intrusive way. Whilst it is not of great concern to the community on the one hand, prostitution is available for those people who decide to avail themselves of it. The health of those who decide to work in the industry is protected and their rights as workers are protected. That is what our legislation is trying to achieve. I understand, Mr Speaker, that there is a parliamentary delegation from New Zealand in Australia at the moment looking at this very issue. I hope that they will be able to learn from the gains that we have made in dealing with prostitution in this Territory.

MR WOOD (11.18): Mr Speaker, the Opposition will be supporting this Bill, which is, I think, a minor but nevertheless important step in regulating this industry. I gave thought to proposing amendments to add another requirement - I think the time will come when this will need to be done - and that is that there be reporting to the Assembly on this industry by the registrar or some other body. Because I was not absolutely sure who should do the reporting I did not propose those amendments at this stage.

I think the nature of that industry, certainly historically - let us hope it has changed in Canberra - is such that it does need very close scrutiny. Mr Humphries has pointed out that not every aspect of the requirements has been fulfilled; hence we have these amendments today. I think this Assembly, as the watchdog, needs to be able to scrutinise, if it so desires, rather more closely the operations of this industry - if you can call it an industry. Perhaps because it has been illegal in the past, I believe that operators will always seek to get away with what they can. I would like to be able to see once a year a report that gives us an overview of the state of the brothels in Canberra - how many there are, for example, and how many are registered from the home - and some comments about how that industry is being conducted. I think we need the ability to review the industry in that way. I think that is a step that I will be looking at in the future if the Government does not do so of its own accord. Other than that, this is a fine and sensible amendment Bill and it has our support.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General) (11.20), in reply: Mr Speaker, I thank members for their support for this legislation. It is, as Mr Wood says, minor but important. I think it further strengthens the regime which the Assembly has put in place to provide for a regulated industry in the ACT so as to minimise elements of harm which traditionally have been associated with it.

I hope that the delegation from New Zealand, to which Mr Moore referred, will be coming to the ACT. I will be very happy to talk to them if they do. I recently had the opportunity to discuss with the Northern Territory Attorney-General the scheme operating in the ACT. He was interested. He came to Canberra to discuss this legislation

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