http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australian-sex-party-to-become-the-reason-party-20170821-gy185f.html
Australian Sex Party to become the Reason Party
August 22 2017, Benjamin Preiss
The Australian Sex Party will come to an end this week, with founder Fiona Patten set to deregister the party and unveil a new political party to reach more voters.
Ms Patten, who founded the Sex Party in 2009, is set to launch the Reason party on Tuesday, in an effort to appeal to a broader base ahead of state and federal elections.
The Sex Party originally had strong links to the Eros Foundation, which represents businesses in the adult film industry. But Ms Patten said the foundation played no official part in the new party and had already begun moving away from the Sex Party.
Ms Patten, who was outside Flinders Street Station on Monday handing out how to vote cards on same sex marriage, said the Reason Party would continue to advocate for key Sex Party policies, including legalisation of illicit drugs and euthanasia laws.
She intends to be the "voice of reason" in politics today, she said, with the party putting personal freedom and respect for human rights at the centre of its political philosophy.
"People are sick of irrational politics. Many are deeply concerned about the future of our country," she said.
The major parties are debilitated by factionalism, corruption and political deadlock. Now it's extremists who hold the balance of power," she said.
She said the party would draw inspiration from the recent French election in a bid to appeal to a broader base. She was particularly impressed by Mr Macron's performance against populist opponent Marine Le Pen.
"Macron really identified with that disaffected voter. Sadly our young voters are the most disaffected voters of all – they don't know a time when they were interested.
"He was kind of radical because he was so sensible."
Ms Patten has been regarded as a highly effective member of Victoria's upper house since being elected in 2014.
She successfully lobbied the Andrews government to introduce buffer zones against protesters around abortion clinics and fought hard to legalise ridesharing services including UberX.
Ms Patten has also campaigned to introduce euthanasia laws in Victoria.
Meredith Doig, who ran as a Senate candidate for the Sex Party at the 2016 federal election, has been appointed secretary.
The party has committed to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women and regional Australians. It also wants to "redress the inequality" where the majority of wealth in Australia is concentrated among a small number of extremely rich people.
