[TheeBadOne]

Kiwi parliament overturns 100-year-old brothel ban

WELLINGTON, New Zealand, June 25 — Brothels will now be legal in New Zealand — its parliament narrowly voted on Wednesday to overturn the country’s 100-year-old sex laws which ban soliciting and living off the earnings of prostitution.
PARLIAMENTARIANS VOTED 60 to 59 in favor of the bill to decriminalize prostitution, drawing cheers from prostitutes and their supporters in the legislature’s packed public galleries.
“We passed tonight the world’s best sex industry legislation,” said Labor politician Tim Barnett, who has long championed changing New Zealand’s sex laws.
“It’s focused on real harms rather than trying to make moral judgments about the sex industry,” he told Reuters.
Under present laws, prostitution itself is not illegal but associated acts such as brothel-keeping, soliciting and living off the earnings of prostitution are.
The bill was passed despite intensive lobbying by church leaders, who feared it would draw young, vulnerable people into the industry and spawn new brothels.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/931041.asp?0cv=CB20
There are an estimated 8,000 prostitutes in New Zealand.
According to police figures, there have been 279 prosecutions for soliciting in the last five years and 14 for living off the earnings of prostitution.

[dinosaur]

You do realize there`s a sheep joke in here somewhere, don`t you?:what: :neener: :evil: :D

[Mark Tyson]

Yes!

Uh, I mean . . . how interesting, he he . . .

[444]

"Apparrently you havent seen the money those places make according to their taxation...

By the way... i worked or planned parenthood and we track STDs all over the state..

Breakdown showed significantly less STD's in brothels (about 1% of the ladies... and their testing is MANDATORY per their job) then the general public (12%) or in college women (19.6%). [all statistics are for NV only]

I can cite sources if i must, i presented these facts to the school of medicine as part of a community outreach project.

So, i'd rather in a legal prostitute than a college girl after knowing about 1 in 5 have an STD.

Consider that while you poke your fun at the working girls of our state.

Oh, 97% of illegal prostitutes sampled nationwide have STDs... 1% of NV working girls... you tell me if legalization is good."


Oh and by the way, to keep this gun related, as I mentioned, this is a quote from AR15.com. We have two legal brothels here in my hometown. We regularly hunt coyotes in back of them and have been known to stop in for a beer after we are done shooting.

[OF]

I saw a documentary on the Mustang Ranch or something and some of those women are making several hundred thousand dollars a year. And there aren't alot of rocket scientists working there. They're all adults, they make their choices and sure looked like they were having a good time at it. Certainly no more 'mental anguish' than anyone that works for a living. And they're rich, too.

- Gabe

[BigG]

Hear, hear. This calls for a celebration. Think I'll go fire my, um, guns. :p

[Nightfall]

“It’s focused on real harms rather than trying to make moral judgments about the sex industry,” he told Reuters.


Wish our gov't would learn to stop trying to legislate morality too. Just as legalizing certain drugs is a great way to fight the ill effects of the illegal drug trade, and to free up huge amounts of money for the budget, legalizing and regulating prostitution would fight the ill effects of illegal prostitution, and probably bring in millions of dollars in tax revenue to the gov't. Not to mention freeing up police to fight real crime instead. :p

[Mark Tyson]

Yes, I agree. Lifestyle decisions such as these need to be left up to the individual. The Nevada example is a case in point. Legislation of morality has caused more grief than it has solved, and anyway it violates personal liberty.

[Preacherman]

Folks, this is WAY off topic - although politicians are probably the second or third oldest profession, anyway... :D