Accommodation business owners are meeting in Brisbane today to discuss anti-discrimination issues involving sex workers.
The special meeting that started at 3pm follows the judgment by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) that a motel in Moranbah in central Queensland breached the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act by informing a sex worker that she would not be able to stay at the premises in the future.
Accommodation Association of Australia chief executive officer Richard Munro said the meeting was called to address business concerns.
“Understandably, operators of accommodation businesses are concerned about what the ruling means for them and that’s why the Accommodation Association is holding this meeting,” he said.
“Through the information we are providing to operators, the Accommodation Association is attempting to provide them with a degree of certainty in what is a very uncertain environment.”
Munro said the industry is “heartened” by the announcement that, should it be necessary, the Newman Government will move to change the law to uphold the rights of accommodation operators to decide what takes place in their businesses.
“The industry’s clear position is that the responsibility for making the decision about who is able to stay in tourism accommodation businesses should rest with the owner, operator, licensee or manager of the business.
