Victoria has become the third jurisdiction in Australia to decriminalise sex work.
The repealing of the Sex Work Act 1994 is the first step in a two-year long process that will see licensing and zoning regulations dramatically changed, street sex work decriminalised and STI testing mandates scrapped for sex workers.
The bill passed just before 8.30pm on Thursday, 24 votes to 10. Having fought for the changes since the 1980s, former sex worker and Reason Party MP Fiona Patten spearheaded debate leading to the new laws.
“Unfortunately, the Andrews Labor government has tried to ram through another piece of legislation without safeguards in place and without time for proper consultation and scrutiny,” Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs Roma Britnell said.
The removal of offences and criminal penalties for individuals participating in the act of consensual sex work in most circumstances, the amending of advertising controls and introduction of anti-discrimination protections for sex workers is slated to begin this year as early as March.
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