Know supporter of Gay rights and Marriage Fiona Patten came third in last weekend’s Higgins and Bradfield by-elections

Labor’s failure to field candidates in last weekend’s Higgins and Bradfield by-elections had unexpectedly pleasurable consequences for psephological observers: they witnessed the bold entry of the Australian Sex Party into the political sphere.

In Higgins, ASP leader and Eros Association CEO Fiona Patten came third with 1986 votes, or 3.3% of the vote. In Bradfield, pole dancer-cum-human rights lawyer Zahra Stardust also achieved 3.3% (2165 votes), although she came fourth behind the Liberals, Greens and the DLP.

This is just short of the 4% of primary votes needed to secure federal funding. But considering that 10 candidates were contesting Higgins, and 22 candidates Bradfield, it’s a strong debut showing for the fledgling party.

The other thing to remember about the ASP is that the Bradfield and Higgins by-elections were unavoidably influenced by ETS wrangling and Liberal party leadership issues. Were the by-elections contested at a time when the ASP’s policy platforms were once again hot-button issues, its showing might well have been higher.

Oddly enough, the ASP isn’t just about sex. Its policy interests are more broadly related to censorship and civil liberties. Claiming to have “nearly 2000 members”, the ASP posits itself as a commonsensical, secular alternative to government over-regulation of citizens’ private behaviour.

Its policies include the establishment of a truly national classification scheme for non-violent erotica across all media — including the internet and computer games — and to overturn mandatory ISP filtering of the internet.

More at Source: http://www.crikey.com.au

“The Greens on Saturday enjoyed the biggest share of the vote they have ever enjoyed. So did the Australian Sex Party.

….the Liberals suffered only modest swings against them in the by elections. So the Liberals and the Greens can plausibly claim success. And so can the Australian Sex Party. Labor can claim only it didn't suffer a loss”.

Peter Hartcher: Chief Political Editor, Sydney Morning Herald - The National Times, 7.12.09