MPs waver on sex-trade bill

By KEVIN TAYLOR

Wavering by a handful of National Party MPs may spell the end of an attempt to legalise prostitution.

The third and final reading of the Prostitution Reform Bill, a private effort by Labour MP Tim Barnett, begins in Parliament on Wednesday.

Church leaders have sent an open letter to MPs opposing the bill.

The letter, signed by senior members of the Anglican, Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist churches and the Salvation Army, said legalising brothels would allow commercial operators to freely enter the field with no other motivation than making money.

The bill passed its committee stages on June 11 in a conscience vote by 62 to 57 with one abstention.

But a small group of National MPs may stop the bill becoming law.

They are helped by the proxy vote of Labour MP Ashraf Choudhary - who previously opposed the bill - which may have been cast incorrectly in support earlier this month.

The abstention at the last vote was by National MP Pansy Wong, who until then had supported the bill along with fellow National MPs Murray McCully and John Key.

Mr McCully and Mr Key told the Weekend Herald yesterday that they had not finally decided which way to vote, as they wanted to see the bill's final shape.

Mr Key said the present law on prostitution was unfair, but he could see arguments against taking the final step.

The MP for Helensville said his electorate would probably want him to oppose it.

Mr Key said he understood that fellow National MP Lockwood Smith was also undecided.

Mr McCully said he was having a "good hard look" at the final shape of the bill before making up his mind.

"People who have read into my position that I was going to vote for it all the way would be mistaken."

United Future MP Larry Baldock said yesterday that he understood at least eight MPs who had previously voted for the bill were rethinking their positions.

The bill was "certainly not a done deal".

Only two MPs needed to change their stance for the bill to be stopped, he said.

Mr Barnett said last night that he remained cautiously optimistic about the outcome despite the undecided MPs.

He said MPs had been exposed clearly to the issues over a long period, and most had voted in a consistent way up to now.

"If they don't, and the bill doesn't go through next week, we are talking about no changes in the bizarre and damaging legal environment for prostitution for the next generation.

"So, it is a crunch decision really," he said.