Motel guilty of discrimination for banning prostitute from its rooms
10 August 2012
A motel which was found guilty of discrimination after refusing to let a prostitute work out of one of its rooms has launched an appeal. And it's got the support of the Attorney-General.

The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled that the motel owners had breached the Anti-Discrimination Act when they denied a sex worker a room. The Gold Coast sex worker had used the motel 17 times in two years to see clients before she got rumbled in 2010, according to a Brisbane Times report. They banned her and she sued for discrimination. She lost her case in 2011 but won an appeal this month after her lawyer persuaded the tribunal with the argument that many people use the telephone or internet at a motel to conduct business. A bed, he said, was no different.

Business time

The motel is now appealing the decision and has harnessed the support of the Attorney General, who has stated "The government stands on the side of business owners and supports their ability to make decisions about what does or does not occur on their premises."

If the motel's appeal fails, the decision will have ramifications for accommodation providers across Australia. And perhaps employers across the country, too.