Acting Premier welcomes CMC recommendations

CAIRNS: The Crime and Misconduct Commission’s recommendations from its report into escort services look sensible and are an endorsement of the Beattie Government’s sex industry reforms, Acting Premier Anna Bligh said today.

The Crime and Misconduct Commission report on inquiry into Queensland escort services was tabled at State Parliament this morning.

“The CMC’s report is an indication that our reforms to prostitution in this State are working,” said Ms Bligh.

“I welcome the CMC’s finding that the amount of illegal prostitution in Queensland is quite limited compared with the rest of the country – and that large-scale organised crime is virtually non-existent in the State’s industry.

“Our reforms have worked in reducing illegal activity. This is good news for people in the general community and also for those working in the industry.

“Today’s report makes 23 recommendations. We will consider them in detail and in consultation with the Prostitution Licensing Authority and as quickly as possible.

“The Report also provides recommendations on new ways to assist to shut-down illegal operators.

Among them are:

1. addressing the way in which illegal prostitution operators currently advertise their business

2. putting an end to the strategies used by illegal operators to masquerade as social escort services or sole operators

3. formulating new guidelines for advertising for legal prostitution

4. creating new offences to target illegal escort agencies – including disabling telephone numbers that have been used to advertise illegal services.

“We will examine all of them. We would however have to seek the cooperation of the Commonwealth in the disabling of telephones as we don’t run the phone system,” she said.

“The CMC’s recommendations look like sensible ideas to go with our existing reforms and to further crack down on illegal activities,” said Ms Bligh.

Media contact: Deputy Premier’s Office 3224 690