Super City Mayors Committed to Banning Street Prostitutes

Family First NZ says that the top mayoral candidates for the Auckland Super City are all committed to banning street prostitution.

Parliament voted last night to send a private members bill allowing Manukau City to ban street prostitution to a select committee, but concern was expressed that it applies to Manukau City which will soon be swallowed up in the super city.

“In response to a Family First questionnaire sent to the main mayoral candidates, John Banks, Len Brown, Andrew Williams and Colin Craig are all unanimous in agreeing to introduce and lobby for bylaws to ban street prostitution. This will be Auckland wide,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“We’ll be writing to the successful Mayor to remind them of this commitment and asking for their leadership on this issue.”

“The association of prostitution with gang and criminal behaviour, alcohol and drug abuse, and sexual abuse and violence means that we are sentencing more and more young people and prostitutes to an unacceptable situation.”

A 2009 report by the Ministry of Justice Review of Street-Based Prostitution in Manukau City highlighted the concerns about the presence of street-based prostitution in these areas, including ‘noise, antisocial behaviour including sexual acts occurring in public places, and litter including used condoms, syringes, bottles and food wrappers and human waste’.

“Prostitution is not the oldest profession – it is the oldest oppression. Men should not be allowed to think they have the right to a young woman's body because they have an urge, and money in their pocket.”

“The decriminalisation of prostitution has been a community disaster harming families, businesses, and the welfare of workers caught in the industry,” says Mr McCoskrie.

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