Decriminalisation won't make prostition any less regulated. Before they know it, they will have mandatory qualifications, inductions, workplace health and safety policies and compulsory registration wiith an industry body. This industry body could produce an annual journal that no sane person ever reads. The government will then insist that every single sex worker has public liability insurance and above all, that they all complete their BAS.

This occupation is under-regulated by modern standards.

Of course prostitution should be decimalised. Sex between consenting Adults should always be legal. I don't want my daughter to work in a mine, I think it disgusting to rape the earth that way but if she wants to, it's her choice. If she chose to be a prostitute, I would have no problems with that at all. It's SEX, not murder !

It's unthinkable to me that sex between consenting adults is a criminal act ! If some guy and girl hook up after a night out and have sex and she accidentally left her wallet at home and he gives her $X for a taxi home, that's okay and he's a great guy for helping out ? If some guy rings a girl up (or vice versa) and has sex and gives the girl $X, that's a crime ?

As to the argument about the difficulty in taxing it, what the hell, same as any other cash business, that's the domain of the ATO, not the Police.

I will never understand this squeamishness with other people being mortified about people having sex. Spare me the hand wringing ! You don't have to like it, you don't have to engage in it, you don't have to have anything to do with it but to be against it enough to support criminalisation ? That's asinine.

Much like the Gay Marriage "debate", get over it people, it's consenting ADULTS !

I wonder if some will look back upon these times from the future with a queasy feeling about what a weird morality people had. I say this while reading the story of Alan Turing and him killing himself after being found gay when it was a criminal offence, what a brilliant man and an incredibly sad story.

I love this piece. Sex work should be decriminalised. All of the arguments don't stand up to the straightforward logical arguments offered by Ari!
I hope South Australia does catch up with the rest of the forward thinking world and show leadership.
Vanna you have missed the point. There are other jobs but clearly sex workers have chosen this one - give them rights, I say.
Runner 'sordid lifestyle'? you have been watching too much soap. Have you missed the number of accountants, lawyers and doctors who put themselves through uni doing sex work. What is sordid about sex?
Jayb your tax figures are all wrong but in the end it doesn't matter. Sex workers are paying tax whether they are criminalised or decriminalized - conveniently the tax office turns a blind eye when it comes to taking a cut.
As for the comment about 'forced' - surely decriminalisation provides benefits for all or do you think the imaginary forced victims you are referring to would be better off with a police record or two for Christmas!

Ari,so you want to screw without being screwed? Right?

socratease

It sounds like Valley guy would like to have prostitution promoted as a career choice in our schools alongside Mining Engineering. I am sure our 13 year old girls would be fascinated with that. Maybe the boys could also be offered courses in male prostitution. Baing legalised would cerrtainly mean you could not discriminate against this 'profesion'. What warped thinking. Well I suppose you throw away any moral basis for decency and you end up with secularism's perverted views.

Ah Runner, we know that you prefer the good old Christian way here.
Encourage your daughter to marry a really rich guy, that is far
more profitable for her.