"Brothel laws in limbo" MARK WORLEY, The Mercury, May 24, 2009
THE future of Tasmania's prostitution laws is uncertain.
The State Government is failing to complete a review of sex industry legislation within the statutory timeframe.
The Sex Industry Offences Act, which bans brothels, came into effect in November 2005 and a review was required to be tabled in Parliament within three years.
Nearly six months after that deadline passed, however, the review is yet to be finalised or tabled.
While the delay will not affect the strength or application of the laws, industry advocates are disappointed sex workers have been left in limbo.
In a major policy backflip in late 2005, the State Government banned brothels - after initially making moves to legalise the industry.
The introduced laws only allow self-employed sex workers, with two at the most working together.
Unlawful operators can be fined $50,000 and customers can be fined and face a jail term of up to a year.
But last week Tasmania Police confirmed no one had been charged with any offences under the Sex Industry Offences Act.
Attorney-General Lara Giddings apologised for the delay in reviewing the laws.
"The review has taken longer than expected," Ms Giddings said. "I expect to be able to release it soon."
Scarlet Alliance (sex worker association) spokeswoman Alina Thomas said sex workers were worried about the future of the industry.
"We are very concerned, when the review gets tabled, that we will go back to getting a lot of negative attention based on conservative moral judgments," Ms Thomas said.
Greens leader Nick McKim hit out at the failure to complete the review.
"The best outcome for sex workers and the community would be for the industry to be properly regulated, providing good health and safety outcomes for workers," Mr McKim said.