Sue Bradford queries timing of prostitute crackdown
Green Party MP Sue Bradford today queried the timing of a crackdown on prostitutes in Auckland by police over the
weekend.
Ms Bradford said the Auckland branch of the Prostitutes Collective had advised that 12 women had been arrested over the
past two days in Auckland for soliciting. It is very rare for women to be arrested for soliciting in the city on an
average weekend.
"It is a bit of a coincidence, given that the Prostitution Reform Bill is currently before the House. It appears as if
the police are trying to intervene in the political process, which is completely unacceptable," Ms Bradford said.
If police wanted to be politicians, they should run for Parliament, Ms Bradford said.
"Some of the people opposed to this bill say we shouldn't support decriminalising prostitution because police don't
harass or prosecute prostitutes anyway. But police this weekend have provided us with very visible proof that the
current law does not protect sex workers from being persecuted and prosecuted."
The Bill would decriminalise prostitution and help protect one of the more vulnerable sections of our community from
unfair discrimination and harassment.