Victorian Sex Work Review Blog

Get the inside story on all the legal and political developments of Victoria’s move to decriminalise sex work. 

Victorian Government Official Sex Work Review Website

Victoria’s last extensive review of sex work laws was in 1985: why a Review now?

SWLRV traces the events of 2021 back to their origins, over a decade ago in 2009.

Want to keep up to date with Victoria’s move to decriminalise sex work? Follow our blog here, and follow us on Twitter @SWLRV. Blog posts represent the personal opinions of the authors, all sex workers with SWLRV.

29 October 2021: Leaving the Nightclub

For around two weeks, four Upper House MP’s have been ...

27 October 2021: The Politics of Distraction

The coronavirus pandemic has loomed large over the campaign to ...

19 October 2021: 4 MP’s Suspended

Four MP’s in Victoria’s Upper House were just suspended for ...

15 October 2021: Suspended from Voting

Will Victoria’s sex work decriminalisation pass into law if key ...

13 October 2021: We Have a Bill

Yesterday, 12 October 2021, the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Melissa ...

13 September 2021: This is Morality Politics

Morality policies occur….. “(...) if policies are explicitly ideological, a ...
Liberal Party Leadership Spill

8 September 2021: Liberals Take Back Matthew Guy

Yesterday, 7 September 2021, the Victorian Liberal Party removed Michael ...

27 August 2021: Is this a Rushed Process?

Today, 27 August 2021, submissions to the new Department of ...

13 August 2021: It’s Happening

Today a Victorian Government press release announced the state would decriminalise ...
Coalition of Independent Women

5 December 2020: The Coalition of Independent Women

Fiona Patten and independent MP Ali Cupper have just announced ...
Melissa Horne, sex work decriminalisation

16 October 2020: Review now in Minister’s Hands

Melissa Horne takes over from Fiona Patten in a new ...
Review to make recommendations for the decriminalisation of sex work

14 October 2020: Fiona Patten’s Deadline

Today marks Fiona Patten’s deadline – the date by which ...

30 September 2020: A Ministerial Reshuffle Raises the Question: What is Sex Work?

Martin Foley is appointed Minister for Health following the resignation ...
Fiona Patten Crossbench Victorian Parliament

27 August 2020: Crossbench Flexes Its Muscles

The crossbenchers in the Upper House have flexed their muscles, ...

6 August 2020: The Domino Effect

What is the domino effect and how does that relate ...
Restrictions sex work

24 July 2020: Social Distancing and Sex Work

How to have a sex work booking AND practise social ...

7 July 2020: Does the law offer solutions?

Do criminal laws offer the best method of preventing violence ...

1 July, 2020: Welcoming the new Minister for Consumer Affairs

Whenever there’s a problem with sex industry regulation, the most ...

30 June 2020: Reflecting on Marlene Kairouz

In Victoria, the Minister for Consumer Affairs is responsible for ...

30 June 2020: Successful Chat with Community

Sex Workers’ Voices Victoria is a pop-up project led by ...

21 June 2020: It’s Complicated

Sex Work Has Been Decriminalised in New Zealand since 2003, ...

16 June 2020: Marlene Kairouz Resigns

Today Marlene Kairouz resigned as Minister for Consumer Affairs. Ms ...

15 June 2020: Adem Somyurek Sacked

Victoria’s Minister for Local Government is sacked from Cabinet by ...

3 June 2020: A Healthy Dose of Self-Criticism?

Sex workers often point to the police and the government ...

2 June 2020: Coronavirus and the Review

By now we’re all familiar with how coronavirus has impacted ...

1 June 2020: The issue of Discrimination

Will Fiona Patten consider the issue of discrimination against sex ...

26 April 2020: 35 Years After Marcia Neave’s Inquiry

Recently we heard someone describe Fiona Patten’s Sex Work Review ...
prostitution client client of sex workers businessman

24 April 2020: Will we hear from clients?

Who will make submissions to Fiona Patten’s Sex Work Review? ...

6 March 2020: Street-Based Sex Workers Consultation

Had a great chat to a group of seven street-based ...

4 March 2020: City of Port Phillip Supports Decrim

SWLRV attended a City of Port Phillip council meeting on ...

16 February 2020: Sex Work Review Website Launch

The Victorian Government launches a Sex Work Review website. The ...
Northern Metropolitan Region Fiona Patten Sex Work Review

5 December 2019: Fiona Patten Joins us on the Radio

Australia's only sex work radio show, Behind Closed Doors, on ...

27 November 2019: Labor Announces Sex Work Review

Hours after The Age publishes an article on sex work ...

27 November 2019: Further Pressure as Media Covers Issue of Violence

Investigative journalist with The Age, Farrah Tomazin, publishes an article, ...

26 November 2019: Victory in Northern Territory and Crossbencher Ramps Up Pressure

Northern Territory Decriminalises Sex Work Media announces a huge win ...

November 2019: Northern Territory Releases Sex Work Report

The Northern Territory releases a report, "Inquiry into the Sex ...

18 November 2019: Journalist Meets Sex Workers

The Age senior journalist and investigative reporter Farrah Tomazin meets ...

November 2019: Four Dozen MPs = ?

Exhausting! Between November 2018 and November 2019, we ran around ...

17 October 2019: Sex Workers Interview David Limbrick MP On Radio

The  team of sex workers at Behind Closed Doors, a ...

20 June 2019: Australian Conservatives Party Deregisters

After just over two years, the Australian Conservatives party deregisters, ...

18 May 2019: Coalition Shock Win in Federal Election

The Coalition is re-elected at the federal level, shocking many ...

April 2019: Sex Work Radio Launches in Melbourne

A group of three vivacious Melbourne sex workers team up ...

March 2019: Northern Territory Releases Discussion Paper

The Northern Territory government publishes a Discussion Paper "Reforming Regulation ...

11 December 2018: Fiona Patten Retains her Seat

After a nervous two week wait, Fiona Patten wins back ...

26 November 2018: Government Offers Fiona Patten a Job

With election results still being finalised, it becomes clear Fiona ...
Daniel Andrews Danslide Victorian Premier Election Win

24 November 2018: Victorian Election Result

Labor's Landslide The left leaning Victorian Labor Party wins the ...

October 2018: We Launch Our Website

After talking and planning for months, we finally launch our ...

October 2018: Victorian Election Campaign 2018

Labor's Campaign Labor campaigns in the looming 2018 Victorian election, ...

24 August 2018: Scott Morrison Becomes Prime Minister

In the Australian Federal Parliament, conservative MP Scott Morrison wins ...

25 July 2018: Labor Reveals Sex Work Platform

Labor reveals its Platform 2018, which outlines its priorities and goals for ...

January 2018: The Reason Party Forms

In 2009 Fiona Patten founded the Australian Sex Party. Eight ...

February 2017: Formation of the Australian Conservatives Party

At the federal level, former Liberal Party MP, Cory Bernadi ...

November 2014: 2014 Election Result

Labor Wins Government The left leaning Victorian Labor party wins ...

2009: Australian Sex Party Forms

Former sex worker and sex industry lobbyist Fiona Patten announces ...

Help us to fight for sex workers’ rights in Victoria. Our approach is yielding positive results. Every donation helps.

© Sex Work Law Reform Victoria 2021

Last updated: 19 October 2021