This is the seventh article that Life Ministries has printed since 2010 opposing the Barnett Liberal Government’s plans to legalise prostitution.

In the last edition of Life News, with the government desperate to debate and pass the Prostitution Bill 2011 prior to the end of its first term, we urged our readers to make known their unequivocal opposition to the Bill.

We want to thank all of you who communicated your views to the government. You have helped to delay the passage of legislation that would have granted the approval of the state for brothel owners to recruit women to work as prostitutes and to make money from the sale of these women’s bodies to men. No one who believes in the inherent dignity of women should ever support such a bill.

Christians, both within and without parliament, are to be congratulated for their persistent opposition to the legalisation of prostitution in Western Australia spanning several terms of both Labor and Liberal governments. Since the turn of the century prostitution bills were introduced to the WA parliament on several occasions. These include the Prostitution Act 2000, the ProstitutionControl Bill 2002, the Prostitution Control Bill 2003, the Criminal Law Amendment Act 2004, the Prostitution Amendment Act 2008, and the Prostitution Bill 2011.

The Barnett Government has now abandoned all hope of passing the Prostitution Bill 2011 until after the next state election in March 2013.The government has now vowed to make prostitution laws a state election issue.

Expressing frustration at the delay in the passage of the Bill, Dr Kim Hames, the Government’s leader in the Lower House, stated, “we’ll go to the election on it.”He added, “Then the community can decide whether to support that Bill or not.”

Thus, there is a temporary reprieve from the struggle to save young women from entering an immoral, government-sanctioned occupation that could destroy them. But this reprieve will not last long, for soon after the election, whether the government is returned to office or not, this matter is sure to arise again. If elected, it is likely that a Labor government would introduce even more extreme legislation than the Barnett Liberal Government’s failed Prostitution Bill 2011. Whatever happens, we will be urging you to express your views once again. But, for the moment, well done, catch your breath, and thanks so much!