The Sex Party have targeted improved rights for sex workers and the decriminalisation of drugs in the prelude to the City of Sydney elections on September 8.

Having already run for the Bradfield by-election in 2009, Sex Party Lord Mayoral candidate Zahra Stardust believes their ethos can be brought to the betterment of the City of Sydney.

“The Sex Party is fundamentally a human rights, social justice and civil liberties party,” Ms Stardust said. “At a local government level our policies translate to things like supporting a diverse vibrant city that has 24 hour public transport and better street lighting, and no blanket lockouts or curfews.

“We want to extend drug injecting rooms beyond Kings Cross, see no sniffer dogs on public streets and we want personal drug use to be decriminalised.”

A large part of the Party’s local policy is focused on fair treatment for sex workers and sex work venues.

“At the moment, a range of different local councils apply really discriminatory policies or measures against sex industry businesses; often there are planning requirements upon sex industry businesses that don’t apply to other commercial businesses.

“Some councils have forced sex industry businesses to relocate into industrial zones and this has been shown to isolate sex workers. Often it segregates those people into poorly lit or under resourced or unsafe areas.