A politician opposed to the decriminalisation of sex work in the Northern Territory has claimed he has been "censored" by a parliamentary scrutiny committee which agreed to accept evidence from sex workers behind closed doors because of concerns about stigma and discrimination.

Key points: The scrutiny committee heard from current and former sex workers, faith-based groups and industry advocates

The scrutiny committee heard from current and former sex workers, faith-based groups and industry advocates Independent Gerry Wood said his opposition to the NT government's sex work reforms has been censored

Independent Gerry Wood said his opposition to the NT government's sex work reforms has been censored The MLA was denied access to closed evidence given by sex workers to a scrutiny committee hearing on the bill

The committee voted to close parts of the hearing to the public and all non-committee members at the request of sex workers wanting to give evidence.

Independent Gerry Wood, who opposes the Government's proposed changes and is not on the committee, sat outside Parliament in protest on Tuesday instead of attending open sections of the hearing.

Inside Parliament, the scrutiny committee heard impassioned arguments against the reforms from two former sex workers appearing alongside faith-based groups including the Australian Christian Lobby.

But the proposed changes have the strong support of the Northern Territory's sex work community and local legal groups, who say decriminalising and regulating the industry will help make sex workers' work safer and create access to employment rights and protections.

Independent MLA Gerry Wood wanted to be able to appear at the closed committee meeting ( ABC News: Jacqueline Breen )

The closed sessions were requested for sex workers to share their experience of problems with the current regulatory framework, according to spokeswoman for the Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council's Sex Worker Outreach Program Leanne Melling.

"We requested closed sessions for sex workers to have a space to provide evidence privately so that people didn't feel intimidated by stigma and discrimination and the committee responded respectfully," she said.

"It's really important to enable sex workers to come to the table and to speak."

'Extreme barriers' for sex workers

Labor said decriminalisation would allow the industry to operate in line with laws applying to all other individuals and businesses.

Scarlett Alliance spokeswoman Jules Kim told the scrutiny committee that the removal of criminal sanctions made sex workers free to report mistreatment or abuse to workplace regulators or police.

"To decriminalise sex work, to remove the criminality of sex workers' status and to be able to access different mechanisms — which, currently, there is an extreme barrier for sex workers to do that — will be a significant step forward," she said.

Outreach worker Leanne Melling and Jules Kim from the Scarlet Alliance spoke in support of the reforms. ( ABC News: Jacqueline Breen )

She raised questions about the suitability certificates that will be required by operators of sex services businesses under the new laws and argued against restrictions on sex work advertising that go beyond general advertising standards.

She also called on Labor to include a mechanism in the bill to wipe convictions that become void when the conduct they relate to is no longer a criminal offence.

The Australian Christian Lobby's Northern Territory director Wendy Francis urged the committee to call for a longer inquiry into the bill and warned it would have "unintended consequences" for vulnerable groups and for town planning and zoning.

"I think any legislative change in the area of prostitution should actually address the reasons that drive women into the industry, and it is largely women, and also the culture that normalises women's bodies being for sale," she said.

A former sex worker from New Zealand, Ally-Marie Diamond, gave evidence of traumatic experience in the industry.

She said sex workers advocating for decriminalisation did not represent the most vulnerable women in sex work.

Sex workers in the NT are calling for the full decriminalisation of the industry. ( Reuters )

'Complete contempt for the democratic process'

Outside Parliament, Gerry Wood called on the Government to withdraw the bill and hold a full-scale inquiry into regulatory alternatives such as the Nordic model, which criminalises sex work customers.

"Here we have an opportunity to look at alternatives that don't encourage prostitution, that actually reduce prostitution," he said.

Opposition leader and scrutiny committee member Gary Higgins of the Country Liberals issued a media release saying Labor was showing "complete contempt for the democratic process" and denying Mr Wood the right to represent his electorate in parliament.

"If a Member of Parliament is denied access to a Parliamentary process, the question must be asked — is this a dictatorship, or a democracy?" Mr Higgins said.

Committee chair Tony Sievers said closed sessions were a standard option to receive sensitive testimony and said Mr Woods could have asked questions in the four hours of open hearings.

Ms Melling said the Sex Worker Outreach Program appreciated the sensitivity shown by the committee in allowing sex workers to appear in closed hearings and anonymously.

"This is due to stigma and discrimination and the current criminal status for the majority of sex workers in the NT.

"For these reasons, sex workers must be able to testify confidentially and be able to present with confidence the actual picture of sex work in the NT, without fear of negative consequences," she said.

Sex workers have long been campaigning for the full decriminalisation of sex work in the NT to enable access to rights, health and safety at work."

The current legislation in the NT provides no protections for sex workers and advocates have raised concerns that this has put sex workers at risk.