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Daily Planet is a collection of short news items -- one each weekday -- that evoke and illuminate the far corners of the world. To read previous items, visit the Daily Planet archive. Send all tips to DailyPlanet @salon.com.

A recent BBC report said Aussie whores, madams and pimps are very excited about the numbers of tourists coming to their country this year, and they're ready and willing to cater to their every need.

Prostitution, which was legalized in the state of New South Wales in 1995, has grown by leaps and bounds. Sydney madam Catherine O'Malley boasted to the BBC, "There are 24 pages advertising brothels and escort agencies in the Yellow Pages today."

In order to take full advantage of the 9 million potential customers who will be attending the games, brothels say they will launch huge advertising campaigns and are recruiting workers from overseas. Some love shacks are already booked by unnamed corporations that wish to show their clients (and themselves, no doubt) a very good time. One 39-year-old gigolo named Saul told the BBC he has set up a Web site advertising his services and has already taken orders for September.

The Australian government wants all this nookie to be safe, of course, and is busy printing leaflets and producing sex-education videos. Bernadette Keefe, spokeswoman for the AIDS Council of New South Wales, said, "We'll push the message home through the gay press and make sure pubs, clubs and brothels are well stocked with condoms, lubricants and rubber gloves."

Maria McMahon, manager of the Sydney-based Sex Workers Outreach Project, also said she wants visitors to enjoy themselves safely. She added, "I'm sure they will. Sydney's got some of the world's best prostitutes!"

Let the games begin.
salon.com | March 9, 2000

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