The former Liberal leader, Matt Birney, has vowed to strongly resist any move from within his party to shut down brothels in Western Australia.

During debate on the Government's prostitution legislation this week, the Liberal's police spokesman, Rob Johnson, said he believed every brothel in the state should be closed down.

Mr Birney, who is the member for Kalgoorlie, says he will be voting against the Government's bill to legalise brothels because he believes it would encourage women to join the industry.

However, he says shutting down all brothels would have a negative impact on the community.

"You would close Hay Street down in Kalgoorlie over my dead body," he said.

"It would lead to an environment of harassment for local women who simply wanted to go out on a Friday night for a quiet drink."

"That's not in their best interests and it's not in the community's best interests," Mr Birney said.

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