Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — My question is for the Minister for Families and Children, Ms Mikakos. I have been contacted by a number of sex workers in my region and their sex worker organisations because they are greatly concerned about the $300 000 awarded to Project Respect to visit licensed brothels — where Project Respect is not welcome — to try to build relationships with family violence organisations. This is an organisation that believes that sex work itself is a form of violence and which calls for the outlawing of sex work in Victoria, promoting what is known as the Swedish model — a model that is opposed by groups such as Amnesty International, the World Health Organisation and the Australian Federation of AIDS organisations. In fact Project Respect’s position increases stigma and discrimination against sex workers, which is the cause of violence. Submissions made to the Royal Commission into Family Violence by sex workers and sex worker organisations strongly opposed any funding of Project Respect. My question is: why did the minister so generously fund this organisation that is not supported by sex workers or the industry?
