Australian Sex Party
| Australian Sex Party | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Leader | Fiona Patten |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Headquarters | 10 Ipswich St Fyshwick ACT 2609 |
| Ideology | Sex-positive, Social progressivism |
| Official colours | Yellow |
| Website | |
| sexparty.org.au | |
| Politics of Australia Political parties Elections |
|
The Australian Sex Party is a Australian political party founded in 2009 in response to concerns over the influence of religion in politics.[1][2] The party was born out of adult-industry lobby group, the Eros Association. Party leader, Fiona Patten, is CEO of Eros and the party's Registered Officer, Robert Swan, is Eros' Media Director.[3] Patten describes the party as a "civil libertarian alternative".[4] Patten is a veteran campaigner on issues such as censorship, equality and discrimination.[5][6]
Contents |
[edit] Election results
[edit] 2009 federal by-elections
The party contested elections for the first time at the Higgins[7] and Bradfield[8] by-elections in November 2009, gaining over three percent of the primary vote in both seats, coming fourth of ten[9] and third of twenty-two[10] candidates respectively.
[edit] 2010 federal election
The party contested six of 150 House of Representatives seats and all states and territories (except Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory) in the Senate at the 2010 federal election. Receiving more than 250,000 first preferences, the party won 2.04 percent of the national Senate vote.[11] After the major parties and the Australian Greens, the Sex Party during the vote count were "neck and neck" with the Family First Party for the fourth place in the national Senate vote.[12] The party "outpolled several more prominent minor parties and came within about 10,000 votes of Family First for the Senate in Victoria".[13] After the party's first federal election contest, Patten claimed that the Sex Party was "now the major minor party in Australian politics":
We’ve polled better than the Greens did in their first federal election and believe that our vision of Australia as the most socially progressive country in the world is equal to the Greens environmental messages of 20 years ago.[14]
Whilst the Sex Party did not win any seats, their preferences were substantially beneficial to the Greens who won a Senate seat in every state for the first time.[15][16]
[edit] 2010 Victorian State election
The party contested seats at the 2010 Victorian state election on 27 November.[17] Labor, the Coalition, and the Greens all directed preferences to the ASP in the multimember proportional upper house.[18][19]
[edit] Policies
The Australian Sex Party's policy platform has been described as libertarian.[6] It is opposed to mandatory internet censorship, and supports the introduction of a national media classification scheme, including a rating for non-violent sexual content and an R18 rating for computer games. The ASP also supports a royal commission into the sexual abuse of children in Australian religious institutions, and is in favour of legalised abortion, gay rights, voluntary euthanasia and the decriminalisation of all drugs for recreational use.[20] The party is in favour of sexual rights for intellectually-disabled individuals.[21]
[edit] References
- ^ Bennett, Lucy (17 November 2008). "Australian Sex Party launches on Thursday". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24662905-12377,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ Sex flirts with politics: Herald Sun 16 November 2008
- ^ Eros Association - About Us
- ^ Gardiner, Ashley (15 November 2010). "Sex Party hopes to make history and win an Upper House seat in state election". Herald Sun. http://www.news.com.au/sex-party-hopes-to-make-history-and-win-an-upper-house-seat-in-state-election/story-e6frf7kx-1225953485306.
- ^ "People Trafficking, Human Security and Development". Australian National University. 29 August 2004. http://devnet.anu.edu.au/Trafficking_abstracts_bios.doc. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
- ^ a b Syvret, Paul (8 December 2009). "Australian Sex Party a dark horse in federal politics". The Courier-Mail. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/australian-sex-party-a-dark-horse-in-federal-politics/story-e6frerg6-1225807862416. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
- ^ Parliament 'needs a sex party': The Australian 6 November 2009
- ^ Pole dancer aims for Nelson's old seat. News.smh.com.au (2009-10-28). Retrieved on 2010-10-15.
- ^ Virtual Tally Room. results.aec.gov.au. Retrieved on 2010-10-21.
- ^ Virtual Tally Room. results.aec.gov.au. Retrieved on 2010-10-21.
- ^ First Preferences for the Senate - 2010 federal election: AEC
- ^ Australian Sex Party does well: AustralianNews.net 24 August 2010
- ^ Australian Sex Party picks up votes: Herald Sun 24 August 2010
- ^ Sex Party Now The Major Minor Party in Australian Politics: Sex Party website 23 August 2010
- ^ Greens win seats in every state: SMH 23 August 2010
- ^ 2010 election Senate preference flow results: ABC
- ^ Sex party turns up heat in Vic politics
- ^ Sex Party set to sway voters in Victorian election and may take first seat: Herald Sun 23 November 2010
- ^ Sex Party hoping to get lucky in Victoria: SMH 25 November 2010
- ^ "Australian Sex Party Federal Policies". Australian Sex Party. http://www.sexparty.org.au/index.php/policies. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ "The Australian Sex Party Sexual Rights for Seniors and People with a Disability". ASP. http://www.sexparty.org.au/index.php/news/asp-news-a-updates/873. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
 |
Wikinews has related news: Australian Sex Party to run independents in Queensland election |
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Australian Sex Party |
