Australian Sex Party
Encyclopedia
The Australian Sex Party is a Australia
n political party founded in 2009 in response to concerns over the influence of religion in politics. 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. Patten describes the party as a "civil libertarian alternative". Patten is a veteran campaigner on issues such as censorship, equality and discrimination.
and Bradfield
by-elections in November 2009, gaining over three percent of the primary vote in both seats, coming fourth of ten and third of twenty-two candidates respectively.
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. 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. The party "outpolled several more prominent minor parties and came within about 10,000 votes of Family First for the Senate in Victoria". After the party's first federal election contest, Patten claimed that the Sex Party was "now the major minor party in Australian politics":
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.
on 27 November. Labor, the Coalition, and the Greens all directed preferences to the ASP in the multimember proportional upper house.
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. The party is in favour of sexual rights for intellectually-disabled individuals.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n political party founded in 2009 in response to concerns over the influence of religion in politics. The party was born out of adult-industry lobby group, the Eros Association. Party leader, Fiona Patten
Fiona Patten
Fiona Patten is leader of the Australian Sex Party and a former sex worker . She is also the CEO of the Eros Association."Sex is deeply rooted in the lives of all Australians. It is relevant to hundreds of pieces of legislation made around the country....
, is CEO of Eros and the party's Registered Officer, Robert Swan, is Eros' Media Director. Patten describes the party as a "civil libertarian alternative". Patten is a veteran campaigner on issues such as censorship, equality and discrimination.
2009 federal by-elections
The party contested elections for the first time at the HigginsHiggins by-election, 2009
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Higgins on 5 December 2009. This was triggered as a result of the resignation of former Treasurer and former Liberal Party deputy leader Peter Costello...
and Bradfield
Bradfield by-election, 2009
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Bradfield on 5 December 2009. This was triggered as a result of the resignation of former minister and ex-Liberal Party leader Brendan Nelson...
by-elections in November 2009, gaining over three percent of the primary vote in both seats, coming fourth of ten and third of twenty-two candidates respectively.
2010 federal election
- See also: State-by-state upper house results
The party contested six of 150 House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
seats and all states and territories (except Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory) in the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
at the 2010 federal election. Receiving more than 250,000 first preferences, the party won 2.04 percent of the national Senate vote. After the major parties and the Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
, the Sex Party during the vote count were "neck and neck" with the Family First Party
Family First Party
The Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
for the fourth place in the national Senate vote. The party "outpolled several more prominent minor parties and came within about 10,000 votes of Family First for the Senate in Victoria". 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.
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.
2010 Victorian State election
The party contested seats at the 2010 Victorian state electionVictorian state election, 2010
The 2010 Victorian state election was held on 27 November. The incumbent centre-left Australian Labor Party government, led by John Brumby, was defeated by the centre-right Liberal/National Coalition opposition, led by Ted Baillieu....
on 27 November. Labor, the Coalition, and the Greens all directed preferences to the ASP in the multimember proportional upper house.
Policies
The Australian Sex Party's policy platform has been described as libertarian. 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 commissionRoyal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
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. The party is in favour of sexual rights for intellectually-disabled individuals.