Page 457 - Week 02 - Thursday, 22 February 1990
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There are two main issues that this committee should face. One is the reality in the Australian Capital Territory - a reality acknowledged by those of us who have had some knowledge, and I will have to put this delicately, in a professional sense of that industry - that it is already semi-regulated. The professionals in those institutes carry personal booklets like passports and those personal booklets carry official insignia from our health authorities. Of course, there is a health process in the Territory that I do not intend to go into at this stage, other than to indicate there is a regulatory mechanism at work.
There has been a certain degree of industry self-regulation, but I believe that street prostitution is an issue that cannot be seriously allowed in the national capital. It is an issue on which the Government, if invited to do so, will make submissions. Certainly the police will put some very assertive suggestions to your committee, Mr Moore.
The situation at this stage is that it is important that in the context of the committee's overall considerations that it is allowed to conduct this inquiry in the right fashion and without political point scoring. As you are aware, Mr Moore, the idea for this came in a Rally party room meeting. Those of us who have been professionally involved in criminal law, both on the enforcement side like my colleague Mr Stefaniak, and on the professional side, are aware that the industry is a reality. In fact, I personally recall completing a sublease once for what I thought was a - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Collaery, please stick to the point.
MR COLLAERY: Yes. I recall that there are issues to which the Assembly must direct its attention in a non-partisan manner on this important topic. Certainly the issues that Mr Moore's committee is looking at in terms of community moral standards are broad in relation to the X-rated video issue.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
DAY OF NEXT MEETING
Motion (by Mr Collaery) put and agreed to:
That the Assembly, at its rising, adjourn until Tuesday, 20 March 1990, at 2.30 pm, unless the Speaker fixes an alternative day or hour of meeting on receipt of a request in writing from an absolute majority of members.
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