Government argues in support of paid sex workers

[askandanswer]

 

This article appeared in the main daily newspaper in my jurisdiction last August. It was written by our local Minister for Health. In summary, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, which has the power to make legally enforceable decisions, has upheld the right of participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to receive tax payer funded support for sex therapy. The Minister for Health wants that coverage to include payment for the services offered by sex workers but the federal Minister is opposed to the idea and appealed the decision of the Tribunal to the Federal Court. I’ve copied the whole article here because I think its behind a pay wall.

AUGUST 13 2019 - 12:00AM

Attitudes towards sex therapy for people with disabilities are outdated

• Rachel Stephen-Smith

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal recently ruled that sex therapy should be considered a "reasonable and necessary support" for a National Disability Insurance Scheme participant. This is a good thing.

As Matthew Bowden, co-chief executive of People with Disability Australia has said, sex is "a very ordinary thing". The ACT government agrees.

Our view is that the tribunal's decision upholds human rights and is in line the fundamental objectives of the NDIS - to enable people with disability to live an "ordinary life" with choice and control over the reasonable and necessary supports to achieve their goals. We recognise that sex and intimacy are part of an "ordinary life" and reject the view that people with disability should not be entitled to enjoy this aspect of life.

In making his ruling, the deputy president of the tribunal, Brian Rayment, found that sexual release, to the extent the participant was able to achieve it, was "good for her mental wellbeing, her emotional wellbeing and her physical wellbeing". This reflects abundant research demonstrating the physical and psychological benefits of sex.

It is clear that the Commonwealth is taking a moral position, not one based on concerns about fiscal sustainability. 

However, people with disability have also noted that this AAT decision is limited in its application, as it explicitly considers only the services of a sex therapist, not the use of sex workers.

Canberrans were fortunate to have Jenni and David Heckendorf in our community for many years (they moved to sunny Queensland in 2018), raising awareness about the fact that people with disabilities sometimes need the help of a sex worker to support their intimacy needs. In their case, these services have supported their lives as a married couple, but single people have sexual needs too.

Unfortunately, the National Disability Insurance Agency continues to oppose the inclusion of sex therapy in the participant's plan, and the Minister for the NDIS, Stuart Robert, has stated that the AAT decision will be appealed to the Federal Court.

Minister Robert has justified this position on the basis that "these services are not in line with community expectations of what are reasonable and necessary supports".

It is clear that the Commonwealth is taking a moral position, not one based on concerns about fiscal sustainability. Last week I wrote to Minister Robert and my state and territory counterparts to let them know the ACT government disagrees with the Commonwealth's view. I also informed Minister Robert that the ACT would not support any move to amend the NDIS rules on participant supports to preclude support for sex therapy, sex work or services aimed at sexual release. These are known as Category A rules, so changing them requires the agreement of all states and territories.

The ACT government believes that suggestions the NDIS should not support sex therapy, sex work or services aimed at sexual release reflect an outdated attitude that sees people with disability as asexual and undeserving of sexual intimacy or release.

Any move to preclude funding of such services would result in further discrimination against people with disability and work against the objective of social inclusion by reinforcing negative stereotypes. That's not happening on my watch.

• Rachel Stephen-Smith is the ACT government's Minister for Disability

Two days ago the Federal Court rejected the appeal so now the federal Minister plans to change the legislation to prohibit tax payer funds from the NDIS being used to pay for people who deliver sex services. Several state government are opposed to the federal governments position. Here is the reaction of one of the tax payer funded media outlets of the federal Minister’s response to the Federal Court’s decision.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/disability-advocates-condemn-stuart-robert-s-crass-comments-about-ndis-access-to-prostitutes

I never thought I'd see the day when one level of government is arguing in favour of using tax dollars to pay for the service of sex workers. I suspect that the efforts of the federal Minister to prevent this will be unsuccessful as changing the rules would require the agreement of the State and Territory governments, and several of them seem to be in favour of the idea. 

@Jamie123 how does the NHS deal with situations like this?

 

 

 

[Jamie123]

9 hours ago, askandanswer said:

@Jamie123 how does the NHS deal with situations like this?

I've certainly never heard of anyone (disabled or not) getting free prostitutes on the NHS - though that's no guarantee of anything. If it ever did happen, I suspect the tabloids would have a lot of fun with it!

Tangential comment: This reminds me of a sci-fi story by C.S. Lewis called "Ministering Angels". It's set on a research station on Mars, manned entirely by male astronauts. The mission directors on Earth have decided that this is unhealthy, and have therefore sent women to satisfy the men's needs. However, only two women have volunteered: a rather prickly middle-aged academic who thinks only in terms of clinical necessity, and a very loving and compassionate career prostitute, a few years past her prime. It's a very short tale, but quite insightful.

Edited February 6, 2021 by Jamie123

[Vort]

2 hours ago, Jamie123 said:

I've certainly never heard of anyone (disabled or not) getting free prostitutes on the NHS - though that's no guarantee of anything. If it ever did happen, I suspect the tabloids would have a lot of fun with it!

Tangential comment: This reminds me of a sci-fi story by C.S. Lewis called "Ministering Angels". It's set on a research station on Mars, manned entirely by male astronauts. The mission directors on Earth have decided that this is unhealthy, and have therefore sent women to satisfy the men's needs. However, only two women have volunteered: a rather prickly middle-aged academic who thinks only in terms of clinical necessity, and a very loving and compassionate career prostitute, a few years past her prime. It's a very short tale, but quite insightful.

Is this it? https://archive.org/details/MinisteringAngels

[Jamie123]

59 minutes ago, Vort said:

Is this it? https://archive.org/details/MinisteringAngels

Yep that's it! Good to see it again - thanks!