The act of prostitution has been dated back to the Old Testament in the Christian Bible so it is a practice that has been around for centuries. Prostitutes operate in two fashions, in brothels or on the street. Prostitutes on the street are usually at higher risk, as they do not have support systems that the prostitutes that operate in brothels have. These support systems include regular STD checks, security in their work and also protection from police, disorderly clients and gangs.

The view that a ban on prostitution would be virtually impossible is held by many including Colin Barnett as he stated, “I wish I could ban prostitution, but I can’t and everyone knows that” (Thomas, 2012). A complete ban on prostitution is not a viable option, as the industry would go underground due to the demand for paid sex. There are also a large number of men and women who rely on prostitution for their income. The new laws call for brothels to be banned in residential suburbs (AAP, 2012) meaning that they will still be able to open in the cities. However in order to make the practice safer for the people involved it makes sense to legalised the practice completely.

If prostitution was legalised, it would be a commonly accepted job and there would be legal protection for the people in the industry. This is the case in countries such as Germany, Holland and Denmark where the legalisation has made prostitution a controlled industry. Regulation of brothels would mean that those businesses would have to pay taxes and would therefore be controlled in the economic system, as is the case with other regular businesses. There is, however, a contrary point of view often held by politicians