ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a critical account of neo-abolitionist activism within human trafficking policy-making in Australia over the last 15 years. It argues that neo-abolitionist activism in Australia is reactive to the status of sex work in Australia, where the trend is towards liberalisation of sex work laws. The chapter discusses the policy environment in which neo-abolitionist activists lobby. It highlights the intricacies of debating sex work policy in a federal system of government where power to make laws pertaining to sex work is delegated to regional governments. It then charts neo-abolitionist activism across two key parliamentary inquiries that have influenced Australia's legislative responses to human trafficking, identifying the key assumptions embedded within this activism. Finally, the chapter considers some of the reasons behind the failure of neo-abolitionist activism, despite the existence of some key intersections between neo-abolitionist ideology and the Australian government's current neo-liberal approaches to border security.
