title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Sex work in Australia has operated differently depending on the period of time evaluated. For this reason discussion is divided into three distinct periods: convict, late colonial, and post-federation. Pre-colonial "prostitution" among Aboriginal peoples is not considered here, since it bore little resemblance to contemporary understanding of the term. The arrival of the Europeans changed this "wife exchange" system, once they started exchanging their European goods for sexual services from Aboriginal women. During the convict period, English common law applied, and dealt with brothel keeping, disorderly houses, and public nuisance. The late colonial period viewed prostitution as a public health issue, through the Contagious Diseases Acts. Since Federation in 1901, the emphasis has been on criminalising activities associated with prostitution. Although not explicitly prohibiting paid sex, the criminal law effectively produced a "de facto" prohibition.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Prostitution probably first appeared in Australia at the time of the First Fleet in 1788. Some of the women transported to Australia had previously worked in prostitution, while others chose the profession due to economic circumstances, and a severe imbalance of the sexes. While the 1822 Bigge Inquiry refers to brothels, these were mainly women working from their own homes.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In the colonial period, prior to federation, Australia adopted the Contagious Diseases Acts of the United Kingdom between 1868 and 1879 in an attempt to control venereal disease in the military, requiring compulsory inspection of women suspected of prostitution, and could include incarceration in a lock hospital.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: After federation, criminal law was left in the hands of the states. But criminal law relating to prostitution only dates from around 1910. These laws did not make the act of prostitution illegal but did criminalise many activities related to prostitution. These laws were based on English laws passed between 1860 and 1885, and related to soliciting, age restrictions, brothel keeping, and leasing accommodation.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Since the 1970s there has been a change toward liberalisation of prostitution laws, but although attitudes to prostitution are largely homogenous, the actual approaches have varied. A May 1990 Australian Institute of Criminology report recommended that prostitution not be a criminal offence, since the laws were ineffective and endangered sex workers. The NSW Wood Royal Commission into Police Corruption in 1995 recommended sex work be decriminalised to curb corruption and abuse of power. A survey conducted in the early 2000s showed that 15.6% of Australian men aged 16–59 have paid for sex at least once in their life and 1.9% had done so in the past year. Men who had paid for sex were more likely than other men to smoke, to drink more alcohol, to have had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or been tested for HIV, to have more sexual partners, to have first had vaginal intercourse before 16, and to have had heterosexual anal intercourse.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS UNAIDS has estimated the number of sex workers in Australia in 2012–2014 as between 20–25,000. Scarlet Alliance, a national peer sex worker NGO, provides advocacy for sex workers in Australia.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Health and safety regulations and peer education have been effective at keeping STIs in the sex worker population at a low level, similar to the general population, and comparable among the states. Although there had been claims that sex workers were responsible for STI levels in mining communities, subsequent research has shown this not to be true.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The number of people trafficked into or within Australia is unknown. Estimates given to a 2004 parliamentary inquiry into sexual servitude in Australia ranged from 300 to 1,000 trafficked women annually.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In 2006, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Trafficking in persons: global patterns lists Australia as one of 21 trafficking destination countries in the high category.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Australia did not become a party to the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others when it was implemented in 1949. It has implemented in 1999 the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, to which it is a party. Australia has also ratified on 8 January 2007 the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, which requires it to prohibit, besides other things, child prostitution. For the purpose of the Protocol, a child is any human being under the age of 18, "unless an earlier age of majority is recognised by a country's law". In all Australian jurisdictions, the minimum age at which a person can engage in prostitution is 18 years, although it is argued against the age of consent, and it is always illegal to engage another in prostitution.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: A 2020 research on migration, sex work and trafficking showed that, due to the decriminalisation of sex work in some of its states and to a recent increase in work visa opportunities for sections of migrant sex workers, the numbers of human trafficking victims into the sex industry in Australia had dramatically decreased.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Sex work in the Australian Capital Territory is governed by the "Sex Work Act 1992", also known as "Anna's Law", following partial decriminalisation in 1992. Brothels are legal, but sex workers were required to register with the Office of Regulatory Services (ORS), subsequently Access Canberra. The ORS also registered and regulated brothels and escort agencies. Sex workers may work privately but must work alone. Soliciting remains illegal (Section 19).


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Subsequent amending acts include the "Prostitution Amendment Act 2002" and the "Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Act 2011"


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Prior to passage of the " Prostitution Act 1992", prostitution policy in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) consisted of "containment and control" under the "Police Offences Act 1930"


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: This prohibited keeping a brothel, persistently soliciting in a public place, or living on the earnings of prostitution. This law was not enforced. In 1991 a report entitled "Prostitution in the ACT: Interim Report (Australian Capital Territory)" was produced by the Select Committee on HIV, Illegal Drugs and Prostitution describing the then state of the industry, the shortcomings of the law, and the possible reforms available. Having considered the example of other Australian States that had adopted various other models, the committee recommended decriminalization, which occurred in the 1992 "Prostitution Act". Sex workers and brothel owners were required to register with the Office of Regulatory Services (ORS), subsequently Access Canberra, as were escort agencies, including sole operators.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The legal situation was reviewed again with a "Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety's inquiry into the ACT Prostitution Act 1992", following the death of a 16-year-old woman, Janine Cameron, from a heroin overdose in a brothel in 2008.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The inquiry was established on 28 October 2010. The committee, chaired by ACT Liberal MLA Vicki Dunne, devised terms of reference that were as follows:


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Written submissions were required by 26 February 2011 at which time 58 submissions had been received.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Submissions to the committee included Scarlet Alliance. The Alliance requested changes that would allow sex workers to work together, the removal of registration (which is rarely complied with), and the repeal of sections 24 and 25 dealing with sexually transmitted diseases. The Eros Association, which represents the industry also called for removal of registration and for an expansion into residential areas. As in other States and Territories, conservative Christian groups such as the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) called for criminalising clients.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Ms Dunne stated that the committee would consider exit schemes; however Attorney-General Simon Corbell stated that it was unlikely there will be any substantive changes to the "status quo". The committee completed its hearings on evidence on 13 July 2011, and issued its report in February 2012. The Government issued a formal response in June, stating it would follow most of the recommendations and that the inquiry had affirmed that sex work was a legitimate occupation.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In the October 2012 elections the opposition Liberals campaigned on a platform to oppose allowing more than one sex worker to use a premise in suburban areas but were not successful in preventing a further term of the ALP Green alliance.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: New South Wales (NSW) has the most liberal legislation on prostitution in Australia, with almost complete decriminalisation, and has been a model for other jurisdictions such as New Zealand. Brothels are legal in NSW under the "Summary Offences Act" 1988. The main activities that are illegal are:


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: According to a 2009 report in the "Daily Telegraph", illegal brothels in Sydney outnumbered licensed operations by four to one.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: NSW was founded in 1788 and was responsible for Tasmania until 1825, Victoria until 1851 and Queensland until 1859. It inherited much of the problems of port cities, penal colonies, and the gender imbalance of colonial life. Initially there was little specific legislation aimed at prostitution, but prostitutes could be charged under vagrancy provisions if their behaviour drew undue attention. In 1822 Commissioner Bigge reported stated there were 20 brothels in Sydney, and many women at the Parramatta Female Factory were involved in prostitution. "The Prevention of Vagrancy Act 1835" was designed to deal with 'undesirables'. In 1848 the Sydney Female Refuge Society was set up in Pitt Street to care for prostitutes; its buildings were demolished in 1901 to make way for the new Central Railway Station.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The 1859 Select Committee into the Condition of the Working Classes of the Metropolis described widespread prostitution. Nineteenth-century legislation included the "Criminal Law Amendment Act 1883" and "Police Offences Act 1901". Attempts to pass contagious diseases legislation were resisted, and unlike other States, legislative control was minimal till the general attack on 'vice' of the first decade of the twentieth century which resulted in the "Police Offences Amendment Act 1908", and the "Prisoners Detention Act". Street prostitution was controlled by the "Vagrancy Act 1902" (sec. 4[1] [c]) enabling a woman to be arrested as a 'common prostitute'. This was strengthened by an amendment of the "Police Offences (Amendment) Act 1908", which also prohibited living on the earnings.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The "Vagrancy Act" was further strengthened in 1968, making it an offence to 'loiter for the purpose of prostitution' (sec. 4 [1] [k]). These provisions were then incorporated into the "Summary Offences Act 1970", s.28.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In the 1970s an active debate about the need for liberalisation appeared, spearheaded by feminists and libertarians, culminating under the Wran ALP government in the "Prostitution Act 1979". Eventually NSW became a model for debates on liberalising prostitution laws. But almost immediately, community pressure started to build for additional safeguards, particularly in Darlinghurst , although police still utilised other legislation such as the "Offences in Public Places Act 1979" for unruly behaviour. Eventually, this led to a subsequent partial recriminalisation of street work with the "Prostitution (Amendment) Act 1983", of which s.8A stipulates that;


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: (1) A person in a public street shall not, near a dwelling, school, church or hospital, solicit another person for the purpose of prostitution ...


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: (2) A person shall not, in a school, church or hospital, solicit another person for the purpose of prostitution.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Further decriminalisation of premises followed with the implementation of recommendations from the Select Committee of the Legislative Assembly Upon Prostitution (1983–86). Although the committee had recommended relaxing the soliciting laws, the new Greiner Liberal government tightened these provisions further in 1988 through the "Summary Offences Act" in response to community pressure.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The current regulatory framework is based on the "Crimes Act 1900", "Disorderly Houses Act 1943" (renamed "Restricted Premises Act" in 2002), "Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979", and "Summary Offences Act 1988". The suburbs of King's Cross in Sydney and Islington in Newcastle have been traditional centres of prostitution. New South Wales is the only Australian state that legalises street prostitution. But community groups in those locations have occasionally lobbied for re-criminalisation.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: As promised in its 2011 election campaign, the Liberal Party sought review of the regulation of brothels. In September 2012, it issues a discussion paper on review of the regulations. It stated that the purpose was three-fold, the protection of residential amenity; protection of sex workers and safeguarding public health. Nevertheless, there is no evidence of a negative effect of brothels on the community.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Generally prostitution policy in NSW has been bipartisan. But in 2010 the Liberal (centre-right) opposition announced that it would make prostitution reform part of its campaign for the March 2011 State election. The plan would involve a new licensing authority, following revelations that the sex industry had been expanding and operating illegally as well as in legal premises. The Liberals claimed that organised crime and coercion were part of the NSW brothel scene. The last reform was in 2007, with the Brothels Legislation Act. The Liberals were duly elected as the new government in that election.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Sex work including the operation of brothels and street work became legal, subject to regulation, in the Northern Territory in 2019 with the passage of the "Sex Industry Act" which repealed earlier legislation.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Unlike other parts of Australia, the Northern Territory remained largely Aboriginal for much longer, and Europeans were predominantly male. Inevitably this brought European males into close proximity with Aboriginal women. There has been much debate as to whether the hiring of Aboriginal women (Black Velvet) as domestic labour but also as sexual partners constituted prostitution or not. Certainly these inter-racial liaisons attracted much criticism. Once the Commonwealth took over the territory from South Australia in 1911, it saw its role as protecting the indigenous population, and there was considerable debate about employment standards and the practice of 'consorting'.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Pressure from reform came from women's groups such as Women Against Discrimination and Exploitation (WADE). (Bonney 1997) In 1992 the Prostitution Regulation Act reformed and consolidated the common law and statute law relating to prostitution. The first report of the Escort Agency Licensing Board in 1993 recommended further reform, but the Government did not accept this, feeling there would be widespread opposition to legalising brothels. The Attorney-General's Department conducted a review in 1996. A further review was subsequently conducted in 1998. In 2004 "The Suppression of Brothels Act 1907" (SA) in its application to the Territory was repealed by the . Under this legislation brothels and street work were illegal, but The Northern Territory Licensing Commission could license Northern Territory residents for a licence to operate an escort agency business. Sole operators were legal and un-regulated. Sex workers protested against the fact that the NT was the only part of Australia where workers had to register with the police.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In June 2010, the NT Government rejected calls from the NT Sex Workers Outreach Programme for legalisation of brothels. As elsewhere in Australia, legalisation was opposed by the Australian Christian Lobby.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The ALP government, elected in 2016, issued a discussion paper in March 2019. Following the consultation period in May, legislation was prepared, and introduced in September as the "Sex Industry Bill". It was referred to committee on 18 September, inviting public submissions. The Economic Policy Scrutiny Committee reported on 20 November, with the Government response on the 26th. The Bill was considered and passed by the Legislative Assembly that day, effectively decriminalising prostitution in the Territory, and coming into force on 16 December 2019. The move was welcomed by the United Nations HIV/AIDS Programme (UNAIDS).


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: On November 2022, the NT Government passed the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill giving full protection of sex workers making it the first country in the world to do so.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The PLA reports to the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC), which reports to parliament. There are two types of sex work that are legal in Queensland:


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: All other forms of sex work remain illegal, including more than one worker sharing a premise, street prostitution, unlicensed brothels or massage parlours used for sex work, and outcalls from licensed brothels. The CMC continues to oppose outcall services; although this is currently favoured by the PLA.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: According to a 2009 report, only 10% of prostitution happens in the licensed brothels, the rest of 90% of prostitution remains either unregulated or illegal. There were 25 known legal brothels in 2009, and 75% of sex work involved outcall. There are continuing reports that an illegal sector continues to thrive.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Much emphasis was placed in colonial Queensland on the role of immigration and the indigenous population in introducing and sustaining prostitution, while organisations such as the Social Purity Society described what they interpreted as widespread female depravity. Concerns led to the "Act for the Suppression of Contagious Diseases 1868" (31 Vict. No. 40), part of a widespread legislative attempt to control prostitution throughout the British Empire through incarceration in lock hospitals. Brothels were defined in section 231 of the "Queensland Criminal Code" in 1897, which explicitly defined 'bawdy houses' in 1901. A further act relating to venereal disease control was the "Health Act Amendment Act 1911" (2 Geo. V. No. 26). Solicitation was an offence under Clause 132E, and could lead to a fine or imprisonment. Other measures included the long-standing vagrancy laws and local by-laws.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The Fitzgerald Report ("Commission of Inquiry into "Possible Illegal Activities and Associated Police Misconduct"") of 1989 led to widespread concern regarding the operation of the laws, and consequently a more specific inquiry ("Criminal Justice Commission. Regulating morality? An inquiry into prostitution in Queensland") in 1991. This in turn resulted in two pieces of legislation, the "Prostitution Laws Amendment Act 1992" and the "Prostitution Act 1999".


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The Crime and Misconduct Commission reported on the regulation of prostitution in 2004, and on outcall work in 2006. Five amendments were introduced between 1999 and 2010. In August 2009 the Prostitution and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2009 was introduced and assented to in September, becoming the "Prostitution and Other Acts Amendment Act 2010" proclaimed in March 2011.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Brothels are illegal in South Australia, under the "Criminal Law Consolidation Act" 1935 and the "Summary Offences Act" 1953. Soliciting in public places (maximum penalty of $750), receiving money from the prostitution of another, and procuring are illegal ($2,500 or jail for six months), but the act of prostitution itself is not.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Despite the intentions of the founders, prostitution became identified early in the history of the colony, known as the 'social evil', and various government reports during the nineteenth century refer to estimates of the number of people working in prostitution. In 1842, within six years of the founding of the colony, it was reported that there were now "large numbers of females who are living by a life of prostitution in the city of Adelaide, out of all proportion to the respectable population".


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The "Police Act 1844" set penalties for prostitutes found in public houses or public places This was consistent with the vagrancy laws then operating throughout the British Empire and remained the effective legislation for most of the remainder of the century, although it had little effect despite harsher penalties enacted in 1863 and 1869.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Following the scandal described by WT Stead in the UK, there was much discussion of the white slave trade in Adelaide, and with the formation of the Social Purity Society of South Australia in 1882 along similar lines to that in other countries, similar legislation to the UK "Criminal Law Consolidation Amendment Act 1885" was enacted, making it an offence to procure the defilement of a female by fraud or threat (the 1885 "Protection of Young Persons Act"). Opinions were divided as to whether to address the issue of prostitution by social reform and 'prevention', or by legislation, and many debates were held concerning the need for licensing and regulation.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The twentieth century saw the "Suppression of Brothels Bill 1907", the "Venereal Diseases Act of 1920", the Police Act 1936 and Police Offences Act 1953.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: While current legislation is based on acts of parliament from the 1930s and 1950s, at least six unsuccessful attempts have been made to reform the laws, starting in 1980. In 1978 one of many inquires was launched. Parliament voted a select committee of inquiry in August, renewed following the 1979 election. The Evidence Act 1978 was amended to allow witness immunity.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The committee report (1980) recommended decriminalisation. Robin Millhouse's (former Liberal Attorney-General, but then a new LM and finally Democrat MLA) introduced (27 February 1980) a bill entitled ""A Bill for an Act to give effect to the recommendations of the Select Committee of Inquiry into prostitution"." It generated considerable opposition in the community and failed on a tied vote in the Assembly on 11 February 1981.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: A further bill was introduced in 1986 (Carolyn Pickles ALP MLC 1985–2002) but dropped on 18 March 1987 due to Liberal opposition and community pressure, with a 13–2 vote.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: A number of issues kept sex work in the public eye during 1990 and 1991. The next development occurred on 8 February 1991 when Ian Gilfillan (Australian Democrat MLC 1982-3) stated he would introduce a decriminalisation private members bill. He did so on 10 April 1991 but it met opposition from groups such as the Uniting Church and it lapsed when parliament recessed for the winter. Although he introduced a similar bill on 21 August 1991 but on 29 April 1992 a motion passed that resulted in the bill being withdrawn in favour of a reference to the Social Development Committee, although little was achieved by the latter during this time.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Another bill came in 1993 and then Mark Brindal, a Liberal backbencher, produced a discussion paper on decriminalisation in November 1994, and on 9 February 1995 he introduced a private member's bill ("Prostitution (Decriminalisation) Bill") to decriminalise prostitution and the "Prostitution Regulation Bill" on 23 February. He had been considered to have a better chance of success than the previous initiatives due to a "sunrise clause" which would set a time frame for a parliamentary debate prior to it coming into effect. He twice attempted to get decriminalisation bills passed, although his party opposed this. The Decriminalisation Bill was discharged on 6 July, and the Regulation Bill was defeated on 17 July.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Meanwhile, the Committee released its final report on 21 August 1996, but it was not till 25 March 1998 that Terry Cameron MLC (ALP 1995–2006) introduced a bill based on it. It had little support and lapsed when parliament recessed.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The Liberal Police Minister, Robert Brokenshire, introduced four Bills in 1999, the "Prostitution (Licensing) Bill 1999", the "Prostitution (Registration) Bill 1999", the "Prostitution (Regulation) Bill 1999" and the "Summary Offences (Prostitution) Bill 1999", to revise the laws and decriminalise prostitution. The "Prostitution (Regulation) Bill" was passed by the House of Assembly and received by the Legislative Council on 13 July 2000, but defeated on 17 July 2001, 12:7. The Bill was also supported by the Australian Democrats. The then Minister for the status of Women, Diana Laidlaw is said to have been moved to tears, and called her colleagues "gutless". Another MLC, Sandra Kanck (Australian Democrat 1993–2009) angrily stated that sex workers had been "thrown to the wolves by Parliament".


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: No further attempts to reform the law were been made for some time, however in 2010 a governing Labor backbencher and former minister, Stephanie Key, announced she would introduce a private members decriminalisation bill. Religious groups immediately organised opposition, although the opposition Liberals promised to consider it. Consultations with the blackmarket industry continued and in June 2011 she outlined her intended legislation to amend the "Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935" and the "Summary Offences Act 1953" to ensure sex workers had the same industrial rights and responsibilities as other workers, that minors under the age of 18 years were not involved in or associated with sex work, preventing sex services premises from being established within 200 metres of schools, centres for children or places of worship, allowing local government to regulate public amenity, noise, signage and location in relation to sex services premises with more than three workers, promote safe sex education and practice by clients and sex workers, and enable sex workers to report criminal matters to the police like in a similar matter to other citizens, but not where workers could report victims of abuse for intervention assistance or men who sought out such young women as potential rapists or pedophiles.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: She presented her proposals to the Caucus in September 2011, and tabled a motion on 24 November 2011 "That she have leave to introduce a Bill for an Act to decriminalise prostitution and regulate the sex work industry; to amend the "Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935", the "Equal Opportunity Act 1984", the "Fair Work Act 1994", the "Summary Offences Act 1953" and the "Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1986"; and for other purpose".


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The proposal was opposed by the Family First Party that had ten per cent of the votes in the Legislative Council, where Robert Brokenshire now opposed decriminalisation. However Police Commissioner, Mal Hyde, stated that the laws need to change. After considerable discussion and some compromises the "Sex Work Reform Bill" was introduced in May 2012, but was defeated by one vote, 20 to 19 in a conscience vote on second reading in November 2012.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Status of Women Minister Gail Gago introduced a similar bill in the Legislative Council, but withdrew it following the defeat of Stephanie Key's Bill. Key introduced another Bill in May 2013.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: On 1 July 2015 Michelle Lensink Liberal MLC introduced an updated version of the Key-Gago legislation as a Private Member's Bill to the South Australian Legislative Council (53rd Parliament), the "Statutes Amendment (Decriminalisation of Sex Work) Bill" (LC44). Key and Lensink collaborated across party lines to develop the legislation, sexual exploitation being the obvious potential in an industry like this, and its introduction to the Legislative Council was intended to test key elements of the legislation with important opponents in the upper house. The Bill passed the upper house on 6 July 2017 but did not proceed past a second reading on 19 October 2017 in the Assembly, due to prorogation prior to the election the following March, which led to a change of government.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The Bill sought to decriminalise sex work by a number of legislative amendments. It would delete the term "common prostitute" from the "Criminal Law Consolidation Act" (1935) and "Summary Offences Act" (1953). In addition it would remove common law offences relating to sex work and add "sex work" to the "Equal Opportunity Act" making discrimination against a person for being a sex worker an offence. Criminal records relating to sex work, including brothels, would be deleted by amending the "Spent Convictions Act". The "Return to Work Act" would be amended to recognise commercial sexual services as in any other business. Sex workers would also be covered under the "Work Health and Safety Act"


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: A further attempt to introduce the same Bill ("Decriminalisation of Sex Work Bill" LC2) was made on 9 May 2018 (54th Parliament), also as a private member's bill sponsored by the Attorney-General Vickie Chapman and Tammy Franks MLC (Greens), and with the support of Liberal Premier Steven Marshall. Statistics published at the time showed that only four people had been fined for offering prostitution services in public between 1 October 2016 and 30 September 2019. In that period, 57 fines for other sex work offences, mainly for managing a brothel or receiving money in a brothel. The bill was again passed in the Legislative Council on 20 June 2019, but this time was defeated in the Assembly 24 to 19 on 13 November 2019 on a conscience vote on second reading. This was the thirteenth bill to fail over a 20-year time period.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Prostitution is legal, but it is illegal for a person to employ or otherwise control or profit from the work of individual sex workers. The "Sex Industry Offences Act" 2005 states that a person must not be a commercial operator of a sexual services business – that is, "someone who is not a self-employed sex worker and who, whether alone or with another person, operates, owns, manages or is in day-to-day control of a sexual services business". Street prostitution is illegal.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: This law explicitly outlines that it is illegal to assault a sex worker, to receive commercial sexual services, or provide or receive sexual services unless a prophylactic is used.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Prostitution has existed in Tasmania (known as Van Diemen's Land prior to 1856) since its early days as a penal colony, when large numbers of convict women started arriving in the 1820s. Some of the women who were transported there already had criminal records related to prostitution, but most were labelled as such, despite it not being either illegal or grounds for deportation. Prostitution was not so much a profession as a way of life for some women to make ends meet, particularly in a society in which there was a marked imbalance of gender, and convict women had no other means of income. Certainly brothels were established by the end of the 1820s, and records show girls as young as 12 were involved, while prostitution was associated with the female factory at Cascades. Nevertheless, the concept of 'fallen women' and division of women into 'good' and 'bad' was well established. In an attempt to produce some law and order the "Vagrancy Act 1824" was introduced.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The "Van Diemen's Land Asylum for the Protection of Destitute and Unfortunate Females" (1848) was the first establishment for women so designated. Other attempts were the Penitent's Homes and Magdalen Asylums as rescue missions. In 1879 like other British colonies, Tasmania passed a Contagious Diseases Act (based on similar UK legislation of the 1860s), and established Lock Hospitals in an attempt to prevent venereal diseases amongst the armed forces, at the instigation of the Royal Navy. The Act ceased to operate in 1903 in the face of repeal movements. However, there was little attempt to suppress prostitution itself. What action there was against prostitution was mainly to keep it out of the public eye, using vagrancy laws. Otherwise the police ignored or colluded with prostitution.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: More specific legislation dates from the early twentieth century, such as the Criminal Code Act 1924 (Crimes against Morality), and the Police Offences Act 1935. Efforts to reform legislation that was clearly ineffective began in the 1990s. Prior to the 2005 Act, soliciting by a prostitute, living on the earnings of a prostitute, keeping a disorderly house and letting a house to a tenant to use as a disorderly house were criminal offences. Sole workers and escort work, which was the main form of prostitution in the stat, were legal in Tasmania.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Reform was suggested by a government committee in 1999. In December 2002 Cabinet agreed to the drafting of legislation and in September 2003, approved the release of the draft Sex Industry Regulation Bill for consultation. The Bill proposed registration for operators of sexual services businesses.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Consultation with agencies, local government, interested persons and organisations occurred during 2004, resulting in the "Sex Industry Regulation Bill 2004" being tabled in Parliament in June 2005.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The Bill included offence provisions to ensure that Tasmania met its international obligations under the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (signed by Australia in 2001.) It passed the House of Assembly and was tabled in the Legislative Council, where it was soon clear that it would not be passed, and was subsequently lost. It was replaced by the Sex Industry Offences Act 2005. Essentially, in response to protests the Government moved from a position of liberalising to one of further criminalising. The Act that was passed consolidated and clarified the existing law in relation to sex work by providing that it was legal to be a sex worker and provide sexual services but that it was illegal for a person to employ or otherwise control or profit from the work of individual sex workers. A review clause was included because of the uncertainty as to what the right way to proceed was. The Act commenced 1 January 2006.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In 2008, the Justice Department conducted a review of the 2005 Act and received a number of submissions, in accordance with the provisions of the Act.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The report was tabled in June 2009 and expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the legislation, and suggested considering alternatives.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In June 2010, the Attorney-General Lara Giddings announced the Government was going to proceed with reform, using former Attorney-General Judy Jackson's 2003 draft legislation as a starting point. Giddings became the Premier in a minority ALP government in January 2011. However, her Attorney-general, former premier David Bartlett, did not favour this position but resigned shortly afterwards, being succeeded by Brian Wightman.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Wightman released a discussion paper in January 2012. This was opposed by religious conservative groups, some feminist groups as well as community organisations with concerns about the potential a legalised sex industry to bring organised crime to the state, and included presentations from other States such as Sheila Jeffreys. The government invited submissions on the discussion paper until the end of March, and received responses from a wide range of individuals and groups. Wightman declined to refer the matter to the Law Reform Institute. After the review Wightman stated that there were no plans to make prostitution illegal "Legal issues around the sex industry can be emotive and personal for many people... The Government's top priority is the health and safety of sex workers and the Tasmanian community."


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Victoria has a long history of debating prostitution, and was the first State to advocate regulation (as opposed to decriminalisation in New South Wales) rather than suppression of prostitution. Legislative approaches and public opinion in Victoria have gradually moved from advocating prohibition to control through regulation. While much of the activities surrounding prostitution were initially criminalised "de jure", "de facto" the situation was one of toleration and containment of 'a necessary evil'.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Laws against prostitution existed from the founding of the State in 1851. The "Vagrant Act 1852" included prostitution as riotous and indecent behaviour carrying a penalty of imprisonment for up to 12 months with the possibility of hard labour (Part II, s 3). The "Conservation of Public Health Act 1878" required detention and medical examination of women suspected of being prostitutes,


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The "Crimes Act 1891" included specific prohibitions under "PART II.—Suppression of Prostitution" Procurement (ss 14–17) or detention (ss 18–21) of women either through inducements or violence to work as prostitutes was prohibited, with particular reference to underage girls. The "Police Offences Act 1891" separated riotous and indecent behaviour from prostitution, making it a specific offence for a prostitute to 'importune' a person in public (s 7(2)).


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Despite the laws, prostitution flourished, the block of Melbourne bounded by La Trobe Street, Spring Street, Lonsdale Street and Exhibition Street being the main red light district, and their madams were well known. An attempt at suppression in 1898 was ineffectual.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The "Police Offences Act 1907" prohibited 'brothel keeping', leasing a premise for the purpose of a brothel, and living off prostitution (ss 5, 6). Despite a number of additional legislative responses in the early years of the century, enforcement was patchy at best. Eventually amongst drug use scandals, brothels were shut down in the 1930s. All of these laws were explicitly directed against women, other than living on the avails.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In the 1970s brothels evaded prohibition by operating as 'massage parlours', leading to pressure to regulate them, since public attitudes were moving more towards regulation rather than prohibition. Initial attempts involved planning laws, when in 1975 the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme allowed for the operation of these parlours, even though they were known to be brothels, indeed the approval process required assurances that they would not be operated as such but this was not enforced. Community concerns were loudest in the traditional Melbourne stroll area of St. Kilda.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: A Working Party was assembled in 1984 and led to the "Planning (Brothel) Act 1984", as a new approach. Part of the political bargaining involved in passing the act was the promise to set up a wider inquiry. The inquiry was chaired by Marcia Neave, and reported in 1985. The recommendations to allow brothels to operate legally under regulation tried to avoid some of the issues that arose in New South Wales in 1979. It was hoped that regulation would allow better control of prostitution and at the same time reduce street work. The Government attempted to implement these in the "Prostitution Regulation Act 1986". However, as in other States, the bill ran into considerable opposition in the upper house, was extensively amended, and consequently many parts were not proclaimed. This created an incoherent patchwork approach.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In February 2022, Victoria passed legislation to decriminalise sex work. "The Sex Work Decriminalisation Act 2021" will partially abolish street-based sex work offences and associated public health offences, remove the licensing system and move to regulate the industry through existing agencies." From 1 December 2023, a sex services business will be able to operate exactly the same way as any other business in Victoria.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In 1992 a working group was set up by the Attorney-General, which resulted in the "Prostitution Control Act" 1994 (PCA)


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Owner-operated brothels and private escort workers are not required to obtain a licence, but must be registered, and escorts from brothels are permitted. If only one or two sex workers run a brothel or escort agency, which does not employ other sex workers, they also do not need a licence, but are required to be registered. However, in all other cases, the "operator" of a brothel or escort agency must be licensed. The licensing process enables the licensing authority to check on any criminal history of an applicant. All new brothels are limited to having no more than six rooms. However, larger brothels which existed before the Act was passed were automatically given licences and continue to operate, though cannot increase the number of rooms. Sex workers employed by licensed brothels are not required to be licensed or registered. A person under 18 years is not permitted to be a sex worker (sections 5–7), and sex work must not be forced (section 8)


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Amending Acts were passed in 1997 and 1999, and a report on the state of sex work in Victoria issued in 2002. More substantial amendments followed in 2008. The "Consumer Affairs Legislation Amendment Act 2010" came into effect in November 2010. 'Prostitution' was replaced by 'Sex Work' throughout. The Act is now referred to as the "Sex Work Act 1994". In 2011 further amendments were introduced, and assented to in December 2011. In addition to the "Sex Work Act 1994", it amends the "Confiscation Act 1997" and the "Confiscation Amendment Act 2010". The stated purposes of the Act is to assign and clarify responsibility for the monitoring, investigation and enforcement of provisions of the Sex Work Act; to continue the ban on street prostitution.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In November 2005, 95 licensed brothels existed in Victoria and a total of 2007 small owner-operators were registered in the state (Of these, 2003 were escort agents, two were brothels, and two were combined brothels and escort agents.) Of the 95 licensed brothels, 505 rooms existed and four rooms were located in small exempt brothels. Of 157 licensed prostitution service providers (i.e. operators), 47 were brothels, 23 were escort agencies and 87 were combined brothel-escort agencies. In March 2011, government data showed the existence of 98 licensed brothels in Victoria.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Based on the statements of William Albon, a representative of the Australian Adult Entertainment Industry (AAEI) (formerly the Australian Adult Entertainment Association (AAEA)), the number of illegal brothels in Victoria was estimated as 400 in 2008, with this estimation rising to 7,000 in 2011. In 2011 "News.com.au" published an estimate of 400 illegal brothels in the Melbourne metropolitan area—the article cited the news outlet's engagement with the Victorian State Government's Business Licensing Authority (BLA), the body responsible for registering owner-operated sex work businesses, but does not clarify from where or whom it obtained the estimate.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: However, a 2006 study conducted by the University of Melbourne, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre and Victoria's Alfred Hospital, concluded that "The number of unlicensed brothels in Melbourne is much smaller than is generally believed." The study's results presented an estimate of between 13 and 70 unlicensed brothels in Melbourne, and the method used by the researchers involved a systematically analysis of the language used in advertisements from Melbourne newspapers published in July 2006 to identify sex industry venues that were indicated a likelihood of being unlicensed. A total of 438 advertisements, representing 174 separate establishments, were analysed.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: As of April 2014, street prostitution continues to be illegal in the state of Victoria and the most recent review process of the legislation in terms of street-based sex work occurred at the beginning of the 21st century and a final report was published by the Attorney General's Street Prostitution Advisory Group. However, the advisory group, founded in March 2001 by the Attorney-General at the time, Rob Hulls, solely examined the issues pertaining to the Port Phillip Local Government Area (LGA), as the suburb of St. Kilda, located in the City of Port Phillip, is a metropolitan location in which a significant level of street prostitution occurred—this remained the case in 2010. The Advisory Group consisted of residents, traders, street-based sex workers, welfare agencies, the City of Port Phillip, the State Government and Victoria Police, and released the final report after a 12-month period.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The Advisory Group seeks to use law enforcement strategies to manage and, where possible, reduce street sex work in the City of Port Phillip to the greatest extent possible, while providing support and protection for residents, traders and workers. It proposes a harm minimisation approach to create opportunities for street sex workers to leave the industry and establish arrangements under which street sex work can be conducted without workers and residents suffering violence and abuse ... A two-year trial of tolerance areas and the establishment of street worker centres represents the foundation of the package proposed by the Advisory Group. Tolerance areas would provide defined geographic zones in which clients could pick-up street sex workers. The areas would be selected following rigorous scrutiny of appropriate locations by the City of Port Phillip, and a comprehensive process of community consultation. Tolerance areas would be created as a Local Priority Policing initiative and enshrined in an accord. Ongoing monitoring would be undertaken by the City of Port Phillip Local Safety Committee.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The concluding chapter of the report is entitled "The Way Forward" and lists four recommendations that were devised in light of the publication of the report. The four recommendations are listed as: a transparent process; an implementation plan; a community consultation; and the completion of an evaluation.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The June 2010 Victorian Recommendations of the Drug and Crime Prevention Committee were released nearly a decade later and, according to SA:


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: ... if implemented, will criminalise, marginalise and further hurt migrant and non- migrant sex workers in Victoria; a group who already face the most overbearing regulatory structures and health policies pertaining to sex workers in Australia, and enjoy occupational health and safety worse than that of their criminalised colleagues (Western Australia) and far behind those in a decriminalised setting (New South Wales).


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Alongside numerous other organisations and individuals, SA released its response to the recommendations of the Committee that were divided into two sections: 1. Opposition to all of the recommendations of the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry 2. Recommendations from the Victorian Parliamentary Committee to the Commonwealth Government. The list of organisations in support of SA's response included Empower Foundation, Thailand; COSWAS, Collective of Sex Workers and Supporters, Taiwan; TAMPEP (European Network for HIV/STI Prevention and Health Promotion among Migrant Sex Workers); Sex Workers Outreach Project USA; Maria McMahon, Former Manager Sex Workers Outreach Project NSW and Sex Services Planning Advisory Panel, NSW Government; and Christine Harcourt, Researcher, Law & Sex Worker Health Project (LASH) for the University of NSW National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research and Faculty of Law and University of Melbourne Sexual Health Unit School of Population Health.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In terms of HIV, a 2010 journal article by the Scarlet Alliance (SA) organisation—based on research conducted in 2008—explained that it is illegal for a HIV-positive sex worker to engage in sex work in Victoria; although, it is not illegal for a HIV-positive client to hire the services of sex workers. Additionally, according to the exact wording of the SA document, "It is not a legal requirement to disclose HIV status prior to sexual intercourse; however, it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly infect someone with HIV."


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Between 1995 and 1998, the Prostitution Control Board, a state government body, collected $991,000 Australian in prostitution licensing fees. In addition, hoteliers, casinos, taxi drivers, clothing manufacturers and retailers, newspapers, advertising agencies, and other logically-related businesses profit from prostitution in the state. One prostitution business in Australia is publicly traded on the Australian stock exchange.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Australia (CATWA) members Sheila Jeffreys and Mary Sullivan in a 2001 article criticised the 1984 Labor government decision to legalise prostitution in Victoria. They explained the legislative shift as follows: "The prohibition of prostitution was seen to be ineffective against a highly visible massage parlour trade (a euphemism for brothels), increasing street prostitution, criminal involvement and drug use." The authors used the term "harm minimization" to describe the objective of the Labor government at the time, and the oppositional Coalition government elected in 1992 decided to continue this policy. Sullivan and Jeffreys defined sex work as "commercial sexual violence", and argued that the aim to eliminate organised crime from the sex industry had failed.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In a 2005 study Mary Sullivan of CATWA stated that prostitution businesses made revenues of A$1,780 million in 2004/5 and that the sex industry was growing at a rate of 4.6% annually (a rate higher than GDP). In the state of Victoria, there were 3.1 million instances of buying sex per year as compared with a total male population of 1.3 million men.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: She stated that women made up 90% of the labour force in the industry in Victoria and earned, on average, A$400–$500 per week, did not receive holiday or sick pay, and worked on average four 10-hour shifts per week. According to her report, there had been an overall growth in the industry since legalisation in the mid-1980s and that with increased competition between prostitution businesses, earnings had decreased. She estimated the total number of women working in the sex trade to be 3,000 to 4,000 in the mid-1980s, opposed to 4500 women in the legal trade alone in 2005, estimating the illegal trade to be 4 to 5 times larger.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Sullivan's study stated that the sex industry was run by six large companies, which tended to control a wide array of prostitution operations, making self-employment very difficult. She claimed brothels took 50% to 60% of the money paid by clients, and that one agency threatened a worker with a fine if she refused a customer. Sullivan also alleged that legal businesses were commonly used by criminal elements as a front to launder money from human trafficking, underage prostitution, and other illicit enterprises.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Like other Australian states, Western Australia has had a long history of debates and attempts to reform prostitution laws. In the absence of reform, varying degrees of toleration have existed. The current legislation is the "Prostitution Act 2000", with some offences under the "Criminal Code", "Health Act" 1911 (addressing venereal diseases) and the "Liquor Control Act" 1988 (prohibiting a prostitute from being on licensed premises). Prostitution itself is legal, but many activities associated with it, such as pimping and running brothels, are illegal. Despite the fact that brothels are illegal, the state has a long history of tolerating and unofficially regulating them. Street offences are addressed in Ss. 5 and 6 of the "Prostitution Act", while brothels are prohibited (including living on the earnings) under S. 190 of the "Criminal Code" (2004). Procuring is covered under both acts.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Asian workers form a significant section of the workforce and experience a disproportionate amount of social and health problems.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Legislation addressing prostitution in Western Australia dates from the introduction of English law in 1829, specifically prohibiting bawdy houses ("Interpretation Act"). Prostitution in Western Australia has been intimately tied to the history of gold mining. In these areas a quasi-official arrangement existed between premise owners and the authorities. This was frequently justified as a harm reduction measure. Like other Australian colonies, legislation tended to be influenced by developments in Britain. The "Police Act 1892" was no different, establishing penalties for soliciting or vagrancy, while the "Criminal Law Amendment Act 1892" dealt with procurement. Brothel keepers were prosecuted under the "Municipal Institutions Act 1895", by which all municipalities had passed brothel suppression by-laws by 1905.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Laws were further strengthened by the "Police Act Amendment Act 1902", and "Criminal Code 1902". Despite this the brothels of Kalgoorlie were legendary. Prostitution was much debated in the media and parliament, but despite much lobbying, venereal diseases were not included in the "Health Act 1911". Prostitution was also dealt with by the "Criminal Code" 1913. The war years and the large number of military personnel in Perth and Fremantle concentrated attention on the issue, however during much of Western Australian history, control of prostitution was largely a police affair rather than a parliamentary one, as a process of "containment", in which brothels were tolerated in exchange for a level of cooperation. Consequently, the names and addresses of prostitutes remain recorded in the official records. This policy originated in Kalgoorlie, and later appeared in Perth The informal containment policy, dating from 1900, was replaced by a more formal one in 1975. Containment was ended by the police in 2000, leaving brothels largely unregulated. Approaches reflected the ideology of the particular ruling party, as an attempt was made to replace "containment" and make control a specific parliamentary responsibility.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: There was further legislative activity in the 1980s and 1990s with the "Criminal Law Amendment Act 1988 Pt. 2", "Law Reform (Decriminalization Of Sodomy) Act 1989", "Acts Amendment (Evidence) Act 1991", and the "Criminal Law Amendment Act (No 2) 1992". The "Criminal Code" (s.190, s.191) made managing premises for the purpose of prostitution, living off the earnings of prostitution, or procuring a person for prostitution an offence. Reform was suggested in 1997, with the formation of a working group, and a "Prostitution Control Bill" was drafted in 1999 but not enacted till the "Prostitution Act 2000". The latter dealt principally with street soliciting, offences involving children in relation to prostitution, advertising and sponsorship.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Under the new Australian Labor Party (ALP) Government of Geoff Gallop, elected in 2001, several prostitution Bills were introduced. In November 2002, Police Minister Michelle Roberts introduced the "Prostitution Control Bill 2002" as a Green Bill (for public discussion). Following submissions, a Bill ("Prostitution Control Bill 2003") was introduced in April 2003. The latter was a bill to decriminalise prostitution, regulate brothels, introduce a licensing system and establish a Prostitution Control Board. The bill was described as a "social control model" and widely criticised. It lacked sufficient support in the upper house, and eventually lapsed on 23 January 2005 on prorogation for the February election, at which the Government was returned. During this time, offences under the "Police Act" 1892 were repealed by passage of the "Criminal Law Amendment (Simple Offences) Act" 2004 and the "Criminal Investigation (Consequential Provisions) Act" 2006, transferring these offences to the "Criminal Code".


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Much of the debate on the subject under this government centred on the Prostitution Amendment Act 2008, introduced in 2007 by Alan Carpenter's ALP Government. As a background, a working party was formed in 2006, reporting the following year. Although the resulting legislation passed the upper house narrowly and received Royal Assent on 14 April 2008, it was not proclaimed before the 2008 state election, in which Carpenter and the ALP narrowly lost power in September, and therefore remained inactive, the incoming Coalition Government having vowed to repeal it in its "Plan for the First 100 Days of Government". The Act was based partly on the approach taken in 2003 in New Zealand (and which in turn was based on the approach in NSW). It would have decriminalised brothels and would have required certification (certification would not have applied to independent operators).


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Therefore, the 2000 Act continued to be in force. Brothels existed in a legal grey area, although 'containment' had officially been disbanded, in Perth in 1958 and subsequently in Kalgoorlie.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In opposition the ALP criticised the lack of action on prostitution by the coalition government. The debate had been reopened when the Liberal-National Barnett Government announced plans to regulate brothels in December 2009. More information was announced by Attorney-General Christian Porter in June 2010. Religious groups continued to oppose any liberalisation, as did elements within the government party although Porter denied this.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: His critics stated that Porter "would accommodate the market demand for prostitution by setting up a system of licensed brothels in certain non-residential areas" and that people "should accept that prostitution will occur and legalise the trade, because we can never suppress it entirely" and that it is "like alcohol or gambling – saying it should be regulated rather than banned."


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Porter challenged his critics to come up with a better model and rejected the Swedish example of only criminalising clients. These represent a change in thinking since an interview he gave in March 2009. However he followed through on a promise he made in early 2009 to clear the suburbs of sex work.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Porter released a ministerial statement and made a speech in the legislature on 25 November 2010, inviting public submissions. The plan was immediately rejected by religious groups.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: By the time the consultation closed on 11 February 2011, 164 submissions were received, many repeating many of the arguments of the preceding years. One major submission was a comprehensive review of prostitution in Western Australia by a team from the University of NSW. This time Porter found himself criticised by both sides of the 2007 debate, for instance churches that supported the Coalition position in opposition, now criticised them, while sex worker groups that supported the Carpenter proposals continued to oppose coalition policies, as did health groups.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: On 14 June 2011 the Minister made a "Green Bill" (draft legislation) available for public comment over a six-week period. Porter explained the purpose of the legislation thus: "The Prostitution Bill 2011 will not only ban brothels from residential areas but also ensure appropriate regulatory and licensing schemes are in place for those very limited non-residential areas where prostitution will be permitted and heavily regulated." A FAQ sheet was also developed. Publication of the Bill did not shift the debate—which remained deeply polarised, with any legalisation bitterly opposed by conservative religious groups—despite Porter's assurances that his government did not condone sex work. Sex Workers and health organisations remained just as committed to opposing the proposals.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Following consultation, the government announced a series of changes to the bill that represented compromises with its critics,


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: and the changes were then introduced into parliament on 3 November 2011, where it received a first and second reading.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Sex workers continued to stand in opposition. Significantly, the opposition Labor Party opposed the bill, both political parties agreeing on the need to decriminalise the indoor market, but differing in approach. Since the government was in a minority, it required the support of several independent members to ensure passage through the Legislative Assembly. In practice, it proved difficult to muster sufficient public support, and the Bill did not attract sufficient support in parliament either. Porter left State politics in June 2012, being succeeded by Michael Mischin. Mischin admitted it would be unlikely that the bill would pass in that session. This proved to be true, as the legislature was prorogued on 30 January 2013, pending the general election on 9 March, and thus all bills lapsed.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: The Barnett government was returned in that election with a clear majority, but stated it would not reintroduce the previous bill and that the subject was a low priority. Meanwhile, sex workers continued to push for decriminalisation. A division exists within the government party, with some members such as Nick Goiran threatening 'civil war'.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: In the election campaign of 2017, prostitution law reform was among the topics debated, and the Barnett government defeated with a return to power of the ALP. Public discussion of reform has continued since, with lobbying on both sides of the question, while a further review of the industry, following up on the 2010 (LASH) report, continued to recommend decriminalisation (The Law and Sex worker Health, LASH reports).


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Christmas Island is a former British colony, which was administered as part of the Colony of Singapore. The laws of Singapore, including prostitution law, were based on British law. In 1958, the sovereignty of the island was transferred to Australia. The ‘laws of the Colony of Singapore’ continued to be the law of the territory. The "Territories Law Reform Act 1992" decreed that Australian federal law and the state laws of Western Australia be applicable to the Indian Ocean Territories, of which Christmas Island is a part.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Cocos (Keeling) Islands were, like Christmas Island, a British colony and part of the Colony of Singapore. After transfer of sovereignty to Australia in 1955, Singapore's colonial law was still in force on the islands until 1992. The "Territories Law Reform Act 1992" made Australian federal law and the state laws of Western Australia applicable to the islands.


title: Prostitution in Australia

text: Previously a self-governing Australian territory, the "Norfolk Island Applied Laws Ordinance 2016" applied Australian federal law and the state laws of New South Wales to Norfolk Island.


title: AaB Fodbold

text: AaB, (full name: "Aalborg Boldspilklub", ) internationally referred to as Aalborg BK, or sometimes also known as AaB Aalborg, is a professional football team located in Aalborg. The club is represented in the Danish Superliga and has won four Danish football Championships and three Danish Cup trophies. Most recently the team won the double in 2014.


title: AaB Fodbold

text: AaB was founded on 13 May 1885 by English engineers who were building Jutland's railway system, and the first years was concentrated on the game of cricket. It was initially named Aalborg Cricketklub (Aalborg Cricket club) but the name of the club was changed to Aalborg Boldklub (Aalborg ballclub) in 1899. Football was adopted on an amateur basis in 1902, and has since been the main sport, as the name was changed to the current Aalborg Boldspilklub af 1885 (Aalborg ballgameclub of 1885) in 1906.


title: AaB Fodbold

text: In 1995 AaB became the first Danish team to participate in the UEFA Champions League group stage when they were awarded a place because Dynamo Kyiv was expelled from the tournament after one game for attempted match-fixing. AaB qualified for the 2008–09 Champions League and is with two appearances the Danish club who has participated the second most in the tournament after F.C. Copenhagen.


title: AaB Fodbold

text: Aalborg BK was part of the top-flight Danish leagues from the 1928–29 season, until the relegation of the club in 1947. The club returned to the best league in 1963, and except from the years of 1972, 1978 and 1981–1986, Aalborg BK has since been a part of the various editions of the Danish football championship. Despite its many years in the Danish championship, the club never won a championship title, but Aalborg BK won the Danish Cup competition in 1966 and 1970. Paid football was introduced in Denmark by the Danish Football Association in 1978. As Aalborg BK returned to the best Danish league, the club founded the professional branch of "AaB A/S" in 1987 to run a professional football team.


title: AaB Fodbold

text: Through the 1990s, the club won its first two Danish championships. In the Danish Superliga 1994-95 season, 24 goals from league topscorer Erik Bo Andersen secured the championship title for the team of coach Poul Erik Andreasen. The club was initially eliminated by Dynamo Kyiv in the qualification matches for the UEFA Champions League 1995-96, but following a bribing scandal Kyiv was banned from the tournament and Aalborg BK entered in their place. Aalborg BK thus became the first Danish team to compete in the UEFA Champions League. As they managed a 2–1 home win over Panathinaikos and a 2–2 draw with Porto in the six matches the club played in the initial group stage, Aalborg BK was eliminated. Erik Bo Andersen left the club for Scottish club Rangers, but in Søren Frederiksen, the club found its next goal-getter. Though not the league top scorer, Frederiksen scored 17 goals in the Danish Superliga 1998-99 which the club won under guidance of Swedish coach Hans Backe. Once again, Aalborg BK faced Dinamo Kyiv in the Champions League qualification, but again felt short, losing 1–2 at home and drawing 2–2 in Kyiv after a late Aalborg BK goal was disallowed for being behind the goal line.


title: AaB Fodbold

text: Since then, the club established itself in the top half of the Superliga and won a bronze medal and qualified for the 2007 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Aalborg beat Honka on the away goals rule (2–2 in Finland and 1–1 in Denmark) in the second round, and in the third and final round Aalborg BK faced Gent and drew, 1–1, in the away game but beat them 2–1 in the following home match. Thus they "won" a place in the UEFA Cup's second qualification round and met HJK, the first match ended 2–1 to Helsinki, but in the last match Aalborg BK won 3–0 and were thus ready for the UEFA Cup 2007-08. Drawing the Italian team Sampdoria in the First Round, which have Antonio Cassano and Vincenzo Montella as notable players, made the task seem impossible. Aalborg made it again on the away goal rule (getting 2–2 in Genoa and managing 0–0 in Aalborg), and qualified for the group stage – being the first Danish team ever, to send an Italian team "out of Europe." In the group stage Aalborg BK was seeded in the lowest pot, and drew Anderlecht, Tottenham Hotspur, Getafe, and Hapoel Tel Aviv. Drawing with Anderlecht at home, and losing 2–3 to Tottenham (after being ahead 2–0 after the first half) forced Aalborg to win at home against Getafe, a match Aalborg BK lost 1–2.


title: AaB Fodbold

text: In the 2007–08 season, Aalborg won their third Danish Championship and qualified for the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds. in the second qualifying round, Aalborg easily eliminated FK Modriča 7–1 on aggregate. In the third round, before the group stage, they defeated FBK Kaunas 2–0 both at home and away and reached the group stage of the Champions League for the second time, the first time a Danish team achieved this. In the group stage, they were drawn in Group E along with defending champions Manchester United, Villarreal and Celtic. Aalborg finished third in the group, ahead of Celtic, with 6 points and progressed to the 2008–09 UEFA Cup knockout stage.


title: AaB Fodbold

text: Their first match in their UEFA Cup run was against Spanish side Deportivo de La Coruña. Aalborg BK won the first leg at home 3–0 and the second leg at the Estadio Riazor 1–3, securing a 6–1 aggregate. Aalborg BK thereby earned a place among the last 16 teams. where they faced Manchester City. After a 2–0 loss in Manchester in the first leg Aalborg BK fought back to tie the score with a 2–0 win at home. The tie ended in agony however, as Aalborg were defeated by 4–3 on penalties.


title: AaB Fodbold

text: On 11 May 2014, the club won their 4th Danish Championship, and four days later the double was secured, as the club defeated F.C. Copenhagen 4–2 in the Cup final.


title: AaB Fodbold

text: Since 1920, Aalborg BK has played its games at Aalborg Stadion. The stadium was opened on 18 July 1920 with a north-south aligned playing field. The first spectator seats were built in 1927, and in 1937 a wooden terrace for 3,000 standing spectators was built. In 1960, the stadium burned down and a new east-western aligned concrete stadium was opened in 1962. In recent years the stadium has been enlarged and rebuilt so that it now has modern facilities and roof over all spectator stands. The stadium currently has a capacity of 13,997 people (8,997 seats) or 10,500 people (all seats).


title: AaB Fodbold

text: Aalborg BK's official fanclub is AaB Support Club. Formed in 1990, it is one of the oldest fanclubs in Denmark. Aalborg BK's fan-culture is thriving, with both official and unofficial groups like Auxilia Ultras, AaB Tifo Kaos and Generationen offering fanatical support at all games home and away. All fan groups for Aalborg BK, both official and unofficial also work together under the name "Vesttribunen" (The Western-Stand), in reference to the tribune where the active fans stand. Some Ultras of Aalborg BK have a friendship with those of Hammarby IF and SK Brann.


title: AaB Fodbold

text: AaB's traditional rivals are AGF with whom they contest "Den Jyske Klassiker" (The Jutland Classic), a match between the two largest cities


title: AaB Fodbold

text: and most popular clubs in Jylland. The rivalry was most prominent in the 70's, 80's and 90's and has since declined in tension due to both


title: AaB Fodbold

text: clubs starting to see FC Copenhagen and Brøndby IF as greater rivals. The creation of Randers FC also saw a new local-rivalry for AGF which


title: AaB Fodbold

text: The Jutland Classic is however still considered one of the biggest games in danish football, and the history and rivalry between the two


title: AaB Fodbold

text: clubs shows on matchday with massive crowds, bold chanting and fanatical support between both sets of fans. The fans of both clubs still


title: Sketches of Spain

text: Sketches of Spain is an album by Miles Davis, recorded between November 1959 and March 1960 at the Columbia 30th Street Studio in New York City. An extended version of the second movement of Joaquín Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" (1939) is included, as well as a piece called "Will o' the Wisp", from Manuel de Falla's ballet "El amor brujo" (1914–1915). "Sketches of Spain" is regarded as an exemplary recording of Third Stream, a musical fusion of jazz, European classical, and styles from world music.


title: Sketches of Spain

text: Davis' wife Frances Davis insisted he accompany her to a performance by flamenco dancer Roberto Iglesias. Inspired by the performance, Davis bought every flamenco album he could get at Colony Records shop in New York City.


title: Sketches of Spain

text: The album pairs Davis with arranger and composer Gil Evans, with whom he had collaborated on several other projects, on a program of compositions largely derived from the Spanish folk tradition. Evans explained: [We] hadn't intended to make a Spanish album. We were just going to do the "Concierto de Aranjuez". A friend of Miles gave him the only album in existence with that piece. He brought it back to New York and I copied the music off the record because there was no score. By the time we did that, we began to listen to other folk music, music played in clubs in Spain... So we learned a lot from that and it ended up being a Spanish album. The Rodrigo, the melody is so beautiful. It's such a strong song. I was so thrilled with that.


title: Sketches of Spain

text: The folk songs in the album were inspired by recordings made by Alan Lomax in Galicia and Andalusia, which were released in 1955 by Columbia Masterworks.


title: Sketches of Spain

text: The opening piece, taking up almost half the record, is an arrangement by Evans and Davis of the adagio movement of "Concierto de Aranjuez", a concerto for guitar by the contemporary Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Following the faithful introduction of the concerto's guitar melody on flugelhorn, Evans' arrangement turns into a "quasi-symphonic, quasi-jazz world of sound", according to his biographer. The middle of the piece contains a "chorus" by Evans unrelated to the concerto but "echoed" in the other pieces on the album. The original melody then reappears in a darker mode.


title: Sketches of Spain

text: Davis plays flugelhorn and later trumpet, attempting to connect the various settings musically. Davis commented at rehearsal, "The thing I have to do now is make things connect, make them mean something in what I play around it". Davis thought the concerto's adagio melody was "so strong" that "the softer you play it, the stronger it gets, and the stronger you play it, the weaker it gets", and Evans concurred.


title: Sketches of Spain

text: According to Davis' biographer Chambers, the contemporary critical response to the arrangement was not surprising, especially given the scarcity of anything resembling a jazz rhythm in most of the piece. Martin Williams wrote that "the recording is something of a curiosity and a failure, as I think a comparison with any good performance of the movement by a classical guitarist would confirm". The composer Rodrigo was also not impressed, but royalties from the arrangement brought him "a lot of money", according to Evans.


title: Sketches of Spain

text: In a contemporary review for "DownBeat", Bill Mathieu hailed "Sketches of Spain" as one of the 20th century's most important musical works so far and a highly intellectual yet passionate record. He found Evans's compositions extremely well crafted and Davis's playing intelligently devised, concluding in his review, "if there is to be a new jazz, a shape of things to come, then this is the beginning." Replying to suggestions that "Sketches of Spain" was something other than jazz, Davis said "it's music, and I like it". In "The Rolling Stone Album Guide" (2004), J. D. Considine called it "a work of unparalleled grace and lyricism", while "Q" magazine said it "took orchestral jazz in a new direction". Robert Christgau was less enthusiastic about the record and recalled being a young listener when it was released: "In 1960 [it] catapulted Davis into the favor of the kind of man who reads "Playboy" and initiated in me one phase of the disillusionment with jazz that resulted in my return to rock and roll".


title: Sketches of Spain

text: For "Sketches of Spain", Evans and Davis won the 1961 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Composition of More Than Five Minutes Duration. The album was ranked number 358 on "Rolling Stone"s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. According to Acclaimed Music, it is the 393rd most frequently ranked record on critics' all-time lists.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: The tenth season of "American Idol" premiered on January 19, 2011, and concluded on May 25, 2011, on the Fox television network. The show underwent a multitude of changes from the ninth season, including the return of Nigel Lythgoe as the executive producer. Randy Jackson returned as judge for his tenth season while Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined the judging panel following the departures of Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Interscope Records, which is part of Universal Music Group, replaced Sony Music Entertainment as "Idol"s official partner record label. Interscope's Chairman Jimmy Iovine, a songwriter and producer, was named as the in-house mentor to work with the contestants on a weekly basis. He was supported by associated producers Rodney Jerkins, Alex da Kid, Tricky Stewart, Don Was, will.i.am, and Timbaland, who all helped the contestants tailor their song choices to their chosen genre of performance, while also producing arrangements for the contestants and offering original material to be performed. Ray Chew replaced Rickey Minor as the show's musical director and leader of "Idol"s live band.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Programming changes affecting viewership, included a revision in the days of broadcast from Tuesdays and Wednesdays to Wednesdays and Thursdays. The show also opened up an option for viewers to cast their votes online through Facebook, allowing 50 votes per account. Specific changes in the competition itself included extending extra rounds (such as the Las Vegas show) and a final solo round, while also returning the judges' wild card choices. The show additionally lowered the age of eligibility to 15 years. More contestants made it to Hollywood in the tenth season than in previous seasons.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: On May 25, 2011, after 122.4 million votes were cast for the finale (and nearly 750 million votes for the seasonal total), Scotty McCreery was crowned the winner of the tenth season of "American Idol", making him the youngest male winner at 17 years and seven months old, and the second youngest winner ever behind sixth season winner Jordin Sparks. The tenth season was the first season where 11 contestants went on tour instead of 10. Nine contestants from this season were signed to record labels. The signed artists are Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Haley Reinhart, James Durbin, Casey Abrams, Stefano Langone, Pia Toscano, Naima Adedapo, and Jimmie Allen.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Simon Cowell, who had been a judge since the first episode of the first season, announced on January 11, 2010, that he would not be returning as a judge for this season in order to focus on launching the American version of his hit British singing competition "The X Factor". Ellen DeGeneres officially announced her departure on July 29, 2010, after judging for only one season, because she felt the show was not the "right fit" for her. Kara DioGuardi then announced on September 3, 2010, that she would also not return this season. On September 22, 2010, it was announced that Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler would join the judging panel.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: There were a number of other major changes in season ten, from the judges to the format of the show itself including the opening intro, which used the "Hall of Idols". Nigel Lythgoe returned as the executive producer, and Ray Chew has been hired as the show's new musical director, replacing Rickey Minor, who left the show along with vocal coach Dorian Holley to become the musical director of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno". Peisha McPhee, mother of season 5's runner-up Katharine McPhee, joined as one of the vocal coaches. In this season, online voting was also offered for the first time for fans with Facebook accounts; up to 50 votes may be cast.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: The tenth season also saw a return to the process of singers singing two songs each on performance nights starting earlier in the season, and three songs each starting on Top 3 night.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Extra rounds were added in the Hollywood phase of the competition which would narrow the contestants down to 60 finalists. Those who advanced were then taken to Las Vegas in an extra round where they were asked to perform a song from the Beatles, and then a further solo round in Los Angeles. It was initially plan to reduce the contestants down to 20 by the end of the Hollywood rounds, however, 24 contestants were chosen instead for the semifinal, and they would perform in two groups of 12 in a semi-final sudden death round where they faced the public vote to determine the top five males and females to form the first 10 finalists. The judges were given three wild card picks, bringing the total number of finalists to 13.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Lythgoe had previously suggested significant format changes that would replace the following semifinal, with contestants having "to make the best music video, to promote themselves, and to work with a band and dancers for an awards show-style performance." However, the plans were shelved. Despite previous reports that "Idol" producers had axed the weekly music theme, the themes remained.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: At the end of the ninth season, their affiliation with Sony Music Entertainment has ended and was replaced with Universal Music Group, meaning that the winner would now be signed to Interscope Records. Interscope's sister labels, A&M Records and Geffen Records, would also be involved in promoting and distributing the albums of the show's finalists. Chairman of the Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group, Jimmy Iovine, worked directly with contestants this season as the in-house mentor. Additionally, a team of Universal Music-associated producers and songwriters, such as Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Timbaland and Alex da Kid, also worked alongside the contestants to help them take on original arrangement and material. Some suggested changes, such as allowing the finalists to release music while the season is still in progress rather than waiting to record an album, were not implemented, although music were released somewhat earlier than previous seasons.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: This is the first season in which the contestant age minimum was reduced to 15 years old. The maximum age, however, still remained 28.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Note 1: Actual number not announced on the show but this number is based on the number of names listed on americanidol.com website and may not be the actual total.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: In addition to the above cities, for the first time contestants were allowed to audition online via Myspace / Facebook / Twitter. To audition, they were required to upload a 40-second audition clip of them singing a pre-approved song. The internet auditioners, including Karen Rodriguez, were called back to Los Angeles to audition in front of the judges.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: The Hollywood week phase of the competition was held in the Pasadena Civic Center. There were a record-number 327 contestants in the first round, which lasted over two days, exceeding the second season's record of 234. The contestants emerged in groups of ten and each performed individually "a cappella". After the whole group had finished their performances, those who failed were cut immediately. 168 advanced to the next round, where the contestants performed in groups; out of the 168, only 100 advanced to the next round. In the next round, the contestants performed solo, accompanied by a band or an instrument. The contestants were then separated into four rooms, with two of the four rooms containing eliminated contestants and the other two containing contestants who made it into the next round. Only 61 of the 100 remaining advanced.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: This year, due to the large number of contestants, two more rounds were added. The 61 remaining contestants proceeded to Las Vegas where they performed songs from the Beatles as duos and trios in the Love theatre at The Mirage for this newly added 'Las Vegas' round. After that, 41 advanced to the final "Sing For Your Life" round back in Los Angeles. In that round, each contestant performed a song of their own choosing at Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose aircraft hangar. The Top 24 were then selected from the remaining 41 for the semifinals.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: The semi-final round began on Tuesday, March 1, 2011. Below are the two semi-final groups (males and females) with contestants listed in their performance order. The top five males and top five females, along with the three wild card choices by the judges, advanced to the finals. The males started the semifinal round, and the females continued on following night's episode, and the contestants perform songs of their choice.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Following those ten singers advancing on Thursday, March 3, six of the remaining 14 semi-finalists were selected by the judges to compete in the Wild Card round. The Wild Card round immediately began, following the announcement of the ten finalists. Following another performance by each Wild Card contender, the judges then selected three contestants to advance to the final group of 13.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Scotty McCreery (born October 9, 1993) is from Garner, North Carolina, and was 17 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with Josh Turner's "Your Man" and Travis Tritt's "Put Some Drive in Your Country". He reprised "Your Man" in the Hollywood rounds but forgot the words to Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance". He also performed "Get Ready" with the group "The Guaps" and became involved in the drama when Clint Jun Gamboa ousted young Jacee Badeaux from their group. For his final solo he performed Josh Turner's "Long Black Train". McCreery was announced as the winner on May 25, and was signed to 19/Interscope/Mercury Nashville. His debut album, "Clear as Day", was released on October 4, 2011.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Lauren Alaina (born November 8, 1994) is from Rossville, Georgia, and 16 years old at the time of the show. She auditioned in Nashville, Tennessee, with Faith Hill's "Like We Never Loved At All" and Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" which she also reprised for the Hollywood rounds. She also performed "Unchained Melody" twice, once for the first solo in the Hollywood rounds and again for the final solo. She also performed Soul Brothers Six's "Some Kind of Wonderful" in a girl group which was notable for getting Steven Tyler to sit on the chair while they performed around him. She performed "Hello, Goodbye" for the Las Vegas' Beatles round with Scotty McCreery and Denise Jackson. Alaina was announced as the runner-up and was signed to 19/Interscope/Mercury Nashville, and her debut album, "Wildflower", was released on October 11, 2011.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Haley Reinhart (born September 9, 1990) is from Wheeling, Illinois, and 20 years old at the time of the show. She originally auditioned in Chicago in the ninth season and did not advance to the Hollywood round. She auditioned in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with The Beatles' "Oh! Darling". She performed Corinne Bailey Rae's "Breathless" in the first solo round. In the group round she forgot her words of the song but still made it through, and in the Hollywood rounds she performed Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child". In the Las Vegas group round, she performed The Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road" with Naima Adedapo and Jacob Lusk. For her final solo she performed The Shirelles' song "Baby It's You". Reinhart was eliminated on May 19, coming in 3rd place. Reinhart was signed to Interscope Records after the show. Her first single, "Free", was released on March 20, 2012, and her debut album, "Listen Up!", was released on May 22.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: James Durbin (born January 6, 1989) is from Santa Cruz, California, and 22 years old at the time of the show. He originally auditioned in the eighth season and was not selected. He auditioned in San Francisco, California, with Muddy Waters's "You Shook Me" and Aerosmith's "Dream On". He performed The Beatles' "Oh! Darling" for his solo in the Hollywood round, Queen's "Somebody to Love" with the group "Deep Vees" in the group round and Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" for his final solo. He was the lead singer with a band The Hollywood Scars prior to "Idol". He has Tourette and Asperger's syndromes. Durbin was eliminated on May 12, coming in 4th place. He was signed to Wind-up Records in with an album, "Memories of a Beautiful Disaster" released on November 21, 2011.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Jacob Lusk (born June 23, 1987) is from Compton, California, and 23 years old at the time of the show. Before "American Idol", he worked as a spa concierge. He auditioned in Los Angeles, California. He was first shown in the group stage of the competition where he performed with fellow finalist Naima Adedapo, Vegas contestant Sophia Shorai, and Matthew Nuss, and Da'Quela Payne. Randy Jackson considered his performance of Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child" during the Hollywood rounds the best ever seen on Idol. He also performed The Temptations' "Get Ready" with Naima Adedapo in the group "Ebony, Ivory, and Every", and Leon Russell's "A Song for You" for his final solo. In the Top 24 round, he earned standing ovation for his performance of "A House Is Not a Home" by Luther Vandross. After singing "No Air" by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown and "Love Hurts" by The Everly Brothers, Lusk was eliminated on May 5, coming in 5th place. Lusk would go on to front the gospel-soul trio Gabriels.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Casey Abrams (born February 12, 1991) is from Idyllwild, California, and 20 years old at the time of show. He auditioned in Austin, Texas, with Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor". He impressed the judges with his performance of "Georgia on My Mind" in Hollywood week. He also performed Ella Fitzgerald's "Lullaby of Birdland", The Temptations' "Get Ready" with the group "Night Owls" in the Hollywood rounds, "A Hard Day's Night" with Chris Medina in the Las Vegas's Beatles round, and Kansas Joe McCoy's "Why Don't You Do Right?" for his final solo. He played the double bass and melodica on the show. He suffers from ulcerative colitis which resulted in him missing the Top 13 result show. He got the one judges' save of the season on the Top 11 show. Abrams was eliminated on April 28, coming in 6th place. Abrams was signed to Concord Music Group after the show.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Stefano Langone (born February 27, 1989) is from Kent, Washington, and 22 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in San Francisco, California, with Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". He performed Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" in the Hollywood week, "Get Back" for the Las Vegas round with James Durbin, and his own composition "Come Home" for his final solo. He survived a near-fatal car accident in 2009 being hit by a drunk driver. Langone was chosen by the judges as one of the Wild Cards to join the Top 13 finalists. Langone was eliminated on April 21, coming in 7th place. Langone was signed to Hollywood Records after the show. He released his debut single "I'm on a Roll" featuring New Boyz and Rock Mafia on April 24, 2012.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Paul McDonald (born August 29, 1984) is from Huntsville, Alabama, and 26 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in Nashville, Tennessee, with Rod Stewart's "Maggie May". Prior to "Idol", he was the lead singer of the band Hightide Blues formed in 2005 and renamed The Grand Magnolias in 2010. He performed Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" and his own composition "American Dreams" for his final solo. McDonald was eliminated on April 14, coming in 8th place.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Pia Toscano (born October 14, 1988) is from Howard Beach, New York, and 22 years old at the time of the show. She had auditioned for "Idol" four times before and made it through Hollywood in the sixth season and did not continue further. She auditioned in Jersey City, New Jersey, and was a make-up artist. She sang the national anthem at a Mets game. Pia Toscano and Karen Rodriguez get together to duet The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" on Las Vegas, they also went to New York's LaGuardia Arts School together. She also performed Bruno Mars's "Grenade" for the group round in Hollywood and Alicia Keys's "Doesn't Mean Anything" for her final solo. Toscano was eliminated on April 7, coming in 9th place. Toscano was signed to Interscope Records after the show, releasing her debut single "This Time" on July 11, 2011. Pia auditioned five times.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Naima Adedapo (born October 5, 1984) is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and 26 years old at the time of the show. She auditioned in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with Donny Hathaway's version of "For All We Know". She was doing janitorial duties at the Summerfest in Milwaukee before she auditioned on Idol. She performed Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road" together with Jacob Lusk and Haley Reinhart during the Las Vegas round, and Corinne Bailey Rae's "Put Your Records On" for her final solo. Adedapo was chosen by the judges to join the competition during the Wild Card round. Adedapo was eliminated on March 31, coming in 10th with Thia Megia.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Thia Megia (born January 30, 1995) is from Mountain House, San Joaquin County, California, and 16 years old at the time of the show. She auditioned in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with Adele's "Chasing Pavements" and she turned 16 at the time of the show. Before her stint on "American Idol", she previously competed on the fourth season of "America's Got Talent", making it to the quarterfinals. She also participated in the YouTube edition of "We Are the World" along with 56 other YouTube artists, including "American Idol" eleventh season runner-up Jessica Sanchez. She performed "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" in the Hollywood rounds, "Here Comes the Sun" for the Las Vegas round with Melinda Ademi, and Secret Garden's "You Raise Me Up" for her final solo. At 16 years and 1-month, she was the youngest contestant to reach the finals. Megia was eliminated on March 31, coming in a joint 10th place with Naima Adedapo.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Karen Rodriguez (born March 22, 1989) is from New York City and 21 years old at the time of show. She turned 22 years old soon after she got voted off. She was one of the Myspace auditioners and then auditioned in front of the judges in Los Angeles, California, with Whitney Houston's "You Give Good Love". She performed Jennifer Lopez's "If You Had My Love", Bruno Mars's "Just the Way You Are" with Jovany Baretto in the group "Spanglish" for the Hollywood rounds, and Selena's "No me queda más" in the final round. She had previously appeared in the fifth season of a Puerto Rican talent show "Objetivo Fama". Rodriguez was eliminated on March 17, coming in 12th place.


title: American Idol (season 10)

text: Ashthon Jones (born February 27, 1986) is from Goodlettsville, Tennessee, and 24 years old when she auditioned and turned 25 at the time of show. She auditioned in Nashville, Tennessee. She sang "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls, Blu Cantrell's Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!) with the group "The Hits" in the Hollywood rounds and Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" for her final solo. Jones was chosen by the judges as one of the Wild Card finalists. She was eliminated on March 10, coming in 13th place.