Standards being 'lowered'

A potential candidate for Hamilton City Council has taken out an advertisement accusing six councillors of "lowering" community standards with a proposed prostitution bylaw.

Public relations consultant Gordon Chesterman placed the advertisement in the Hamilton Press community newspaper. It includes photographs of the six councillors who last month supported a draft bylaw which allows "private sex worker residences".

The advertisement includes the headline: "When a brothel opens next to your family home, blame these six people!"

Mayor David Braithwaite and councillors Mavora Hamilton, Pippa Mahood, Jocelyn Marshall, Bill Ward and Ewan Wilson backed the bylaw, which would distinguish between brothels (two or more workers) and private sex worker residences.

Brothels would be restricted to commercial and industrial areas, but private sex workers could continue to operate across the city with strict controls.

Mr Braithwaite, whose casting vote carried the draft bylaw, said the ad was misleading. "What the suggested bylaw says is single sex workers in their own home can continue to operate between 7am and 10pm. Everyone knows that is not a brothel."

- NZPA