The Australian Sex Party was an Australian political party founded in 2009 in response to concerns over the purported increasing influence of religion in Australian politics.^[1][2] The party was born out of an adult-industry lobby group, the Eros Association. Its leader, Fiona Patten, was formerly the association's CEO.^[3]

Patten described the party as a "civil libertarian alternative".^[4] Patten is a veteran campaigner on issues such as censorship, equality, and discrimination.^[5][6] Patten was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council at the 2014 state election.

The party was briefly federally deregistered by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on 5 May 2015, after an audit found that it could not demonstrate that it met the statutory requirement of 500 members but was re-registered in July.^[7][8]

The Sex Party was registered at state level in Victoria, where it had parliamentary representation, as well as in the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. In 2017, the party merged with the Australian Cyclists Party to form Reason Australia.^[9][10]

This article needs to be updated. (July 2016)

The Australian Sex Party's policy platform has been described as libertarian and supporting equality, social justice, civil liberties and freedom of choice.^[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.

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, the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use along with the decriminalisation of all other drugs for recreational use.^[11]

However, although this said decriminalisation, or more specifically the removal of criminal sanction, is of interest to the party, they do recommend that this is dealt with by referring one found with illicit drugs to a corresponding treatment centre.^[12] Additionally, the party is also in favour of sexual rights for disabled individuals.^[13] Based on the science, the Sex Party supports vaccination to protect public health and reduce the spread of preventable diseases. In a 2016 response to the Australian Vaccination-Skeptics Network's Meryl Dorey, the Sex Party stated:^[14] "Choosing not to vaccinate your children amounts to medical neglect; this is a serious ethical issue".^[15]

In 2015, Patten put forth a Private Member's Bill calling for a 150-metre (490 ft) "Safe Access Zone" around hospitals, GP clinics and health services that perform abortions, where it will be an offence to engage in behaviour that harasses or intimidates women seeking to access an abortion.^[26] The Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (Safe Access Zone) Bill 2015 formally passed the Victorian Legislative Council without amendment.^[27]

Patten introduced another Private Member's Bill in 2016, calling for the regulation of ride-sharing apps such as Uber. The Ridesharing Bill 2016 gained support from both the Daniel Andrews Labor government and the opposition led by Matthew Guy.^[28][29]

In 2016, the Sex Party renewed its call for religious institutions to pay more state-based taxes, and to overturn long-standing exemptions.^[30]

The Australian Sex Party's close links with the adult industry lobby group, the Eros Association, led some people to see the party as its political wing.^[31][32]

The party had some involvement in the preferencing deals organised by Glenn Druery's Minor Party Alliance.^[33][34]