Single vote could decide sex bill's fate

By ANGELA GREGORY and HELEN TUNNAH

A bid to legalise prostitution may now hang on the vote of just one MP as religious groups and opponents of the controversial law change intensify their lobbying of politicians.

MPs will decide in a conscience vote tomorrow whether to support the new law, which its sponsor, Labour MP Tim Barnett, says will provide much needed protection for sex workers.

But the fate of the Prostitution Reform Bill hangs in the balance, with some uncertain MPs moving away from backing it.

Politicians last voted on the bill two weeks ago, and the narrow margin - 62-57 with one abstention - means if two supporting MPs change their minds and no dissenters reverse their position, the legalisation attempt will fail.

Already one MP's vote is expected to be lost by the bill's supporters.

New Zealand's first Muslim MP, Dr Ashraf Choudhary, was listed as supporting the bill when it was last debated in Parliament, but that may have been an error. Voting records show he had previously opposed it.

He did not return calls yesterday and his office said he would not comment on his intentions.

And the abstaining MP, Pansy Wong (National), is now reportedly intending to vote against the bill, dropping the margin to just 61-59.

A tied vote would mean Mr Barnett's bill would fail.

Last night, he said he remained confident his law reforms would be introduced, despite intense lobbying by opponents, including an Australian expert, political scientist Professor Sheila Jeffreys, who is meeting MPs today and tomorrow.

A special meeting of opponents of the bill in Auckland yesterday included the right-leaning public policy group the Maxim Institute, a former prostitute and the national head of the Baptist Churches.

Their public opposition followed the writing of an open letter to MPs last week by 20 church groups.

Maxim Institute spokesman Scott McMurray said the law changes would "normalise" prostitution and leave a message that it was all right for women to be sold.

"It will become a career choice and this is because it is about mainstreaming prostitution," Mr McMurray said.

Stop Demand Foundation spokeswoman Denise Ritchie said society could change men's attitude that it was all right to "treat women little more than a public toilet".

Professor Jeffreys told the Herald that similar law changes in Australia had led to a proliferation of illegal brothels, links to organised crime and a reluctance by officials to police the sex trade.

But Mr Barnett said the bill, which provides for the certification of brothels and the provision of health and safety protections for sex workers, provided a clear and harsh law for men who had sex with an underage prostitute or abuse a sex worker.

He would not support a suggestion by Act that the bill be referred back to a parliamentary select committee for more consideration. "We've had 15 years of debate."

Narrow margin in prostitution vote

Politicians last voted on the Prostitution Reform Bill two weeks ago. The margin was close - 62 to 57. How they voted:

KEY: A, Act; G, Green Party; L, Labour; N, National; NZF, New Zealand First; PC, Progressive Coalition; UF, United Future.

For (62)


Rick Barker (L), Tim Barnett (L), David Benson-Pope (L), Georgina Beyer (L), Sue Bradford (G), Don Brash (N), Mark Burton (L), Chris Carter (L), Steve Chadwick (L), Ashraf Choudhray (L), Helen Clark (L), Deborah Coddington (A), Michael Cullen (L), David Cunliffe (L), Lianne Dalziel (L), Rod Donald (G), Helen Duncan (L), Ruth Dyson (L), Ian Ewen-Street (G), Russell Fairbrother (L), Jeanette Fitzsimons (G), Phil Goff (L), Mark Gosche (L), Ann Hartley (L), George Hawkins (L), Dave Hereora (L), Rodney Hide (A).

Marian Hobbs (L), Pete Hodgson (L), Parekura Horomia (L), Darren Hughes (L), Jonathan Hunt (L), Sue Kedgley (G), Graham Kelly (L), John Key (N), Annette King (L), Keith Locke (G), Steve Maharey (L), Trevor Mallard (L), Murray McCully (N), Mahara Okeroa (L), David Parker (L), Mark Peck (L), Jill Pettis (L), Lynne Pillay (L), Katherine Rich (N), Mita Ririnui (L), Heather Roy (A), Ken Shirley (A), Clem Simich (N), Lockwood Smith (N), Roger Sowry (N), Jim Sutton (L), Paul Swain (L), John Tamihere (L), Nandor Tanczos (G), Judith Tizard (L), Metiria Turei (G), Tariana Turia (L), Mike Ward (G), Maurice Williamson (N), Margaret Wilson (L).

Against (57)

Paul Adams (UF), Marc Alexander (UF), Jim Anderton (PC), Shane Ardern (N), Donna Awatere Huata (A), Larry Baldock (UF), Peter Brown (NZF), Gerry Brownlee (N), David Carter (N), John Carter (N), Brent Catchpole (NZF), Judith Collins (N), Brian Connell (N), Gordon Copeland (UF), Clayton Cosgrove (L), Brian Donnelly (NZF), Peter Dunne (UF), Harry Duynhoven (L), Gerry Eckhoff (A), Bill English (N), Taito Phillip Field (L), Stephen Franks (A), Martin Gallagher (L), Sandra Goudie (N), Bill Gudgeon (NZF), Phil Heatley (N), Paul Hutchison (N), Dail Jones (NZF), Winnie Laban (L), Janet Mackey (L), Nanaia Mahuta (L), Wayne Mapp (N), Ron Mark (NZF), Craig McNair (NZF), Muriel Newman (A), Damien O'Connor (L), Bernie Ogilvy (UF), Pita Paraone (NZF), Edwin Perry (NZF), Jim Peters (NZF), Winston Peters (NZF), Simon Power (N), Richard Prebble (A), Ross Robertson (L), Matt Robson (PC), Tony Ryall (N), Dover Samuels (L), Lynda Scott (N), Murray Smith (UF), Nick Smith (N), Barbara Stuart (NZF), Georgina Te Heuheu (N), Lindsay Tisch (N), Judy Turner (UF), Doug Woolerton (NZF), Richard Worth (N), Dianne Yates (L).

Abstention (1): Pansy Wong (N).