Leader of the Australian Sex Party and Member for Northern Metropolitan, Fiona Patten MP, is currently in the United States of America meeting with legislators, business people and lobbyists discussing a wide range of issues as they relate to dying with dignity and drug laws, in particular cannabis.
“We can learn a great deal from the experiences of law makers in the United States,” said Ms Patten. “I am privileged to be meeting key players who have made a real difference to people’s lives in this area and hopefully take some of their knowledge and apply that to how we can move the conversation forward in Victoria.”
Ms Patten has convened two major inquires by the Victoria Parliament in the last 12 months. The “End of Life Choices Inquiry”, which will report back by mid-2016, has so far received well over a thousand submissions and held dozens of public hearings with a major focus on the controversial topic of voluntary euthanasia. The recently formed inquiry into Illicit and Synthetic Drugs, will be one of the biggest inquires seen in Victoria looking at all the issues – social, economic, health and enforcement – as they relate to drug laws in Victoria.
“It is clear that the war on drugs has been lost, not just in Australia but worldwide, “said Ms Patten. “That’s why I am here in the U.S – to see the positive impacts a rethink of the laws have made to people in various states.”
Ms Patten’s political party, The Australian Sex Party, the first of its kind in the world, has received massive support in electorates across Australia culminating at the end of 2014 with her election to the state parliament. She now holds balance of power in the Upper House (senate) giving the party a huge amount of influence over policy. In 2015 Ms Patten helped pass laws relating to safe access zones around abortion clinics, same-sex adoption, gay marriage, medicinal cannabis and sex worker rights to name but a few.
“Our organisation has grown from one that has been primarily focused on freedom of speech to become a party that now influences a range of policy decisions in a number of areas from the largess of the state budget through to environmental concerns, “she said. “Our platform has been widely recognised as the most common sense approach to politics Australia has ever seen.”
TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW OR PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH MS PATTEN WHILST SHE IS IN THE UNITED STATES CONTACT HER DIRECT: 1 323 304 3291
or
Jorian Gardner
Chief of Staff
