Sex leader slams Govt law change

One of the godfathers of New Zealand's sex industry has slammed prostitution reform legislation for exposing workers to unsafe practices and greater danger.

Ron King, who set up brothels and strip clubs in Auckland, says the Prostitution Reform Act enables young girls to operate out of private premises as prostitutes without protection.

In a rare interview from his Australian home, King said MPs "made a fool of themselves" when they passed the Prostitution Reform Act in 2003.

But Catherine Healey, of the New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective, said sex workers could now legally work for themselves, and that was a much-needed reform.