ASP News & Updates
Fiona pissed off with Wikileaks
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- Published on Sunday, 16 March 2014 07:31
Okay I just have to get this off my chest. I am pissed off and disappointed.
Wikileaks, the party of transparency and accountability reneged on an arrangement we made for the WA senate election.
All parties running in the senate election must submit a group voting ticket (GVT). This is a list that simply shows the electoral commission where the party would like its vote to go if the party gets knocked out. You can see the GVTs for all 33 parties here http://www.aec.gov.au/wa-senate/voting.htm#sen
Naturally the Sex Party wants candidates with similar ideals to win a senate seat if we do not. Wikileaks is a civil libertarian party that we support.
It is also important to remember that small parties do not have the resources to promote themselves to the extent that they will win a quota in their own right. This means that they need to rely on other like minded parties to swap preferences.
In the days leading up to the close of nominations we discussed with Wikileaks that we would put them in 3rd place behind the secular party. They agreed to put us third behind the Hemp Party. We did just that. They did not.
According to their campaign director Greg Barns, a conversation was had between Scott Ludlam and Julian Assange on Friday and this caused them to change their order and go directly to Scott. Okay that is their prerogative.
But they should have let us know.
When you pull out of a mutual deal like this you must let the other party know. It is common courtesy but it is also about transparency and honesty.
The result is that we have preferenced the Wikileaks ticket at a place that if we are not successful our votes will flow to them. They have preferenced us in such a way that if they are not successful their vote will never make it to us.
The unfortunate consequence of their decision is that their vote will be held up and will open the field for a socially conservative party like the Shooters or Family First to win senate seat.
I know politics is dirty and I am not crying over spilt milk. It is a dishonest game but I expected better from Wikileaks and Julian Assange.
Fiona Patten
New Zealand Drug Regulation Leaves Australia For Dead
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- Published on Friday, 28 February 2014 03:37
New Zealand’s new drug laws are already showing a marked reduction in harm across the country according to one NZ MP. Labour’s Associate Health Spokesperson, Iain Lees-Galloway, told Channel 10’s The Project on Wednesday night, that, “The reports from the emergency departments are that fewer young people are experiencing harmful effects and that’s because our legislation has allowed us to get the harmful stuff off the shelves.”
New Zealand’s Psychoactive Substances Act passed with an overwhelming majority last year (119 of 120 MPs supporting it) and there are now 170 places in NZ where adults can buy 41 tested strains of “legal high”, mimicking the effects of marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy.
Read more: New Zealand Drug Regulation Leaves Australia For Dead
Sex Party Boss Reads in the Nude at Adelaide Fringe Festival
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- Published on Thursday, 20 February 2014 01:59
Sex Party President, Fiona Patten, will read the love letters of Anais Nin and Henry Miller, in the nude, at the Garden of Unearthly Delights, as part of this year’s Adelaide Fringe Festival. www.gardenofunearthlydelights.com.au
The readings are part of an international literary event called Naked Girls Reading nakedgirlsreading.com which has staged recent shows in London, Capetown, New York and Chicago.
Fiona said that she agreed to the invitation because clothing and nudity were hot button issues in society these days and often used as a pretext for censorship and intolerant behaviour. The Sex Party has strong policies on dress issues like the burqua and biker clothing, as well as nudity on the beach and in public performances.
She challenged female members of other political parties to join her on stage and recite some of their favourite letters and verse, in the nude. “It’s not for everyone but there are particular types of women who suit this form of artistic expression better than others. I’d like to see Julie Bishop reading D.H.Lawrence or Penny Wong reading some of Saphho’s poetry. Bronwyn Bishop would be interesting reciting the poems of Wilfred Owen."
She said that naked readings by sitting and prospective female MPs would create tremendous interest amongst the general public but not necessarily in a prurient way. "Stripped bare of the power suits and the postures of public office, alone with our cellulite and sagging breasts, people would get a rare glimpse of the real person behind the public figure”, she said. “A politician’s worst nightmare is to dream that they are naked in front of their constituents or the camera. This is because nudity (sadly) strips politicians of the mask or the persona that they put on to do their job these days. It leaves their egos vulnerable and with only their real Self to fall back on. Generally, they are uncomfortable with this amount of honesty. It’s got little to do with perceived morality.”
Burlesque performer and organiser, Frankie Valentine who will be reading nude with Patten, told AAP that the event would be held in the Campanile tent in a set designed ‘to recreate an intimate lounge room’. "It is a beautiful thing to look at a naked woman," she said. "And it's beautiful to be read to. Combining those things creates a wonderful experience."
Show plays Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd Feb.
Tickets $28
JMAC in Disco Fanny – Adelaide and Melbourne!
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- Published on Wednesday, 19 February 2014 04:11
This year JMAC breaks down barriers of the social-norm and isn’t afraid to talk taboo, with the power of the pussy as her main focus. This is conscious, observational, stand up comedy about finding yourself and in turn, touching others.
Get ready folks, this one’s is rated V for Vagina.
Adelaide: 13-15 and 17-22 February, Rhino Room, Frome St. 6.30pm slot
Melbourne: 4-6, 8-13 and 15-19 April, Paloma Bar, Collins St, 7.30 slot
ChillOut In Daylesford
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- Published on Wednesday, 19 February 2014 04:09
The Sex Party will once again celebrate the Labour Day weekend in Daylesford, Victoria this year to participate in the biggest and longest-running Country Queer Pride event in regional Australia.
The Sex Party would love to see on Sunday 9th of March for ChillOut’s annual parade and carnival day. This year’s theme is ‘Superheroes & Villians’ so show your support by marching with your civil liberties superhero to defend your rights!
For more information, go to our Facebook events page:
http://www.facebook.com/events/669495356446428/
and the ChillOut website: http://chilloutfestival.com.au/
NSW Registration
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- Published on Wednesday, 19 February 2014 04:06
The Sex Party endeavours to get registered for state elections in ACT, TAS and NSW this year, please help us by declaring your party membership to the electoral commission.
All ASXP members residing in NSW should have received a Declaration of Party Membership recently, it is not too late to return the completed form to us via fax, email or post. If you didn’t receive yours in the mail, here’s a copy for you to print, plus don’t forget to update your details by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Look out Tasmanian and ACT members as you will be receiving yours very soon!
Refer Cannabis Industry to Productivity Commission: Sex Party
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- Published on Tuesday, 18 February 2014 07:03
The Australian Sex Party wants the Productivity Commission to examine the total economic effect of legalising and regulating all forms of Cannabis, as well as the hemp industry.
Sex Party President, Fiona Patten said that apart from raising an estimated $1 - $2 billion a year from legalising and taxing marijuana, the potential bonanza from hemp products in the market place was not well understood in government.
The hemp industry last week announced their fight to have HEMP foods legally recognised. This industry already generates $13 million in trade for Australia. It is estimated that the demand for hemp food products will quadruple this year if they get approval. Hemp farming also uses much less water than cotton and could remove millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere.[1]
In the U.S., Colorado is expecting to bring in $578 million from its new legal cannabis industry, including $67 million in tax revenue.[2] Legal cannabis comes into effect later this year in Washington state. There are currently recreational legalisation Bills in 11 states, decriminalisation in five states and medical marijuana in three states.[3]
Ms Patten said that Australia had followed US drug policy for many years but was not keeping up with the current trends. ‘We risk losing a great economic advantage by not following the US and New Zealand in their approaches to drugs’, she said. ‘The various varieties of the cannabis plant have many uses, ranging from industrial to foodstuffs and from recreational to medicinal uses.’
The US has been the world’s number one proponent of marijuana prohibition since the 1920s but is now reforming its controls and moving to regulated or decriminalised markets. ‘It's the right time for Australia to get ahead of the curve, support these industries and become a leader in this area’, she said. ‘Recreational use of cannabis has been proven to be less harmful than alcohol, with U.S. President Barack Obama recently acknowledging this fact. The ABC’s Factchecker has been besieged with complaints over its decision to claim that Obama’s statement is ‘Unsubstantiated’. The national market for recreational marijuana is currently estimated at somewhere between $3 and $6 billion. If this industry were legalised, we would see a huge boom across the country with thousands of jobs created.’
One in three Australians have tried cannabis at some point in their lives and one in ten regularly enjoy cannabis safely as a recreational product. The medical use of marijuana is well documented and has helped many patients with a variety of conditions.
Fiona Patten
[1] http://medianet.com.au/releases/release-details.aspx?id=794691
[2] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-31/pot-shops-in-denver-open-door-to-578-million-in-sales.html
CLA rallies to protest TPP trade pact
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- Published on Sunday, 09 February 2014 02:10
CLA will – on Tuesday 11 Feb 2014 at 10.45am outside Parliament House, Canberra – help launch a series of protest rallies throughout Australia to question the direction that the federal government is taking Australia by agreeing to the TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.
Please come along and lend your support if you can.
MPs from all major parties have been invited: so far, only the now Deputy Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, Kelvin Thomson (Labor) and Peter Whish-Wilson, the Greens spokesperson on the issue, have confirmed they will attend and speak to the rally. Noted historian and social commentator Humphrey McQueen, a member of CLA, will also speak.
Civil Liberties Australia, along with many other groups in society, is calling for the Australian Parliament to allow ample time to debate the details of the TPP agreement – when they are finally released – and, if necessary, to hold a referendum on whether or not Australia should sign it.
The TPP has been negotiated in secrecy by 13 countries, including the USA and Japan, for more than five years: none of them, including Australia, will allow citizens to see the text of the secret agreement, which it is expected may have an impact on just about every aspect of life, such as:
Costing Australia more jobs, and promoting reduced wages and employee rights;
Restricting internet access, and limiting copyright;
Making medicines from the chemist more expensive, and cutting access to generics;
Dictating what farmers can and cannot produce, in relation to GM crops; and
Removing national control over social policy: for example, under a similar agreement, giant tobacco company Philip Morris is trying to get an international tribunal to rule that Australia, as a nation, is not permitted to have a policy of plain packaging for cigarettes…because it interferes with their marketing rights.
The rally will be in the protest area, about 100m down from the entrance to Parliament House Canberra, from 10.45am on Tuesday 11 Feb, the day parliament resumes for the first time in 2014. Other rallies are planned for all states and territories.
CLA is joined in this protest by groups such as AFTINET, Choice, GetUp and the like, all of whom are extremely concerned about the government forcing a secret agreement through parliament with virtually no time for public debate and no chance to un-sign what is negotiated and signed in secret, before it gets to parliament for endorsement.
Bill Rowlings, CEO, Civil Liberties Australia
Febfast
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- Published on Friday, 31 January 2014 08:10
This year the Australian Sex Party will be forming a team for Febfast. Alcohol is by far Australia's favourite drug, with 82.4% of us saying that we've consumed alcohol in the past 12 months and 41.7% of us consuming it weekly . We've seen article after article after article after article on the state of our nation's drinking culture and the violence associated with too much of it.
We at the Australian Sex Party strongly advocate personal responsibility and a large part of that is understanding your own mind and body. All drugs interact with your body and mind in different ways and there are many studies suggesting a causal link between alcohol and violence, “A number of meta-analytic reviews... have concluded that alcohol plays a causal role in the expression of aggressive behaviour.”
Alcohol related problems were estimated to have cost Australians $14.352 billion in 2010 and 31,133 Australians lost their lives over a ten year period due to their alcohol consumption. That equates to around eight Australians dead every day due to alcohol.
At this point I think it's best to step back from the statistics a little bit. They're kind of awful and most of us think we are relatively responsible with our alcohol consumption. Australians like alcohol!
Febfast seems like an excellent opportunity to reflect on our own alcohol consumption and have some time out after the festive season. It's also the shortest month in the year... heh.
Most importantly though, Febfast is an excellent opportunity for us to raise money for the vital work that the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AoD) industry does. These people are on the frontline when it comes to helping problematic consumers. You and I might be relatively ok with our alcohol consumption but there are some who do need real help. We want to help breakdown the stigma associated with all substance problems, especially alcohol. If people are able to address their problematic consumption before something awful happens to them then we are all better off.
The reasons for problematic consumption are many and often quite complex. This is the same whether we're talking about alcohol or other drugs. The Australian Sex Party strongly believe in your right to alter your consciousness how you wish. But we also don't want you to get hurt, sick or addicted. People don't generally take a substance like alcohol with the express goal of hurting themselves or becoming addicted.
This February, help us raise some money and awareness for the AoD folk and alcohol related issues in our country. Join the Australian Sex Party Febfast team and help us raise some donations.
JOIN OUR TEAM OR SPONSOR US
1 2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, page 48
2 “Alcohol, Young Persons and Violence”, Australian Institute of Criminology Research and Public Policy Series No. 35, p 164
3 The societal costs of alcohol misuse in Australia, Australian Institute of Criminology, April 2013
4 Australian Alcohol Indicators, 1990-2001 Patterns of alcohol use and related harms for Australian states and territories, National Drug Research Institute
National Dress Like a Biker Day
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- Published on Thursday, 30 January 2014 06:33
The Australian Sex Party is hosting "National Dress like a Biker Day", tomorrow, Friday January 31st as an organised protest against the Queensland government’s Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment (VLAD) laws.
Sex Party President, Fiona Patten, said she hoped that thousands of biker and non-biker Australians would dress in leather jackets, denim or insignia in public places around the country to peacefully protest these laws that restrict freedom of association.
Promotional images for National Dress Like a Biker Day have been shared nearly 4000 times on social media and the event grows bigger every day. Ms Patten will wear a 20 year old leather jacket she designed herself, with metal engravings of erotic themes. “We’re hoping to show governments how dangerous these laws are and how dress codes have been manipulated throughout history by political and religious leaders to marginalize and discriminate against people”, she said.
Incoming human rights commissioner, Tim Wilson, has called for Queensland's anti-bikie legislation to be repealed.
Bill Rowlings, CEO of Civil Liberties Australia has written how these laws criminalise anyone with a tattoo.
Terry Goldsworth, Assistant Professor at Bond University has analysed the operational results so far as part of Operation Resolute, and of the 817 charges laid against 384 people, only 28 – or 3.4% – can be considered “organised crime” type charges such as drug trafficking and extortion.
"In Queensland, 73,309 offences were reported in October and November 2013. Bikies accounted for only 1% of these offences."
Ms Patten said that there were better ways to address the problems associated with outlaw motorcycle gangs, their dealings in the illicit drug trade and the associated violence. “The Australian Sex Party has long campaigned for drug law reform that would take the profits out of the hands of criminals. This is the way to deal with criminal activity, not trying to shut it down through freedom of association laws which affect all Australians.”
Join with thousands of other Australians and supporters overseas, in protest:
Brisbane - 5pm Parliament House
Melbourne - 6pm GPO Elizabeth Street
Sydney - 6pm Taylor Square, Darlinghurst
Albury - 5pm Dean St and Kiewa St
Sunshine Coast - 5pm Park opposite Sunstate Motorcycles
76 Aerodrome Road Maroochydore
Townsville - 5pm Stokes St and Sturt St
Cairns - 5pm Shields St and Grafton St
Tweet #DressLikeaBiker - #VLAD and #qldpol
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