They seem so bright, youthful and groovy, with progressive policies like legalising same-sex marriage and marijuana, so it’s no wonder lots of people, especially gay men and lesbians, have decided to give the Australian Sex Party their vote this year. But if you’re one of those who did, you might be a bit surprised to know where your vote ended up.
In three states, above-the-line votes from the Sex Party were instrumental in getting candidates from right-wing microparties elected: the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party in Victoria, the Liberal Democratic Party in NSW, and the Australian Sports Party in WA were the ultimate recipients of the Sex Party’s votes in those states.
Elsewhere, votes for the Sex Party ultimately ended up with the Liberal Party (in Tasmania), the ALP (in NT), Nick Xenophon (in SA) and the Greens (in SA, Queensland and the ACT). Sex Party votes did help reelect SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young.
Many of the people I have met who supported the Sex Party would consider themselves vaguely left-wing, progressive voters. Most of those would be surprised to discover where their Senate vote ended up.
The full details of how Sex Party Senate votes were distributed in each state are below (these numbers are progressive, as the count is still proceeding, and only include above-the-line votes).
I doubt many of those who voted for the Sex Party would be happy to know their vote ended up electing a gun nut (in NSW), a car nut (in Vic) or sports nut (nobody seems to know what the Australian Sports Party’s policies are, except they seem to like sport) in WA. The fact that they did shows the urgent need for reform of the above-the-line voting system in the Senate.
(States are listed below in order of the size of the Sex Party vote)
Victoria
There were 43,744 votes for the Sex Party in Victoria. Every one of those votes went to their 42nd preference, the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party, enough to get Ricky Muir elected to the Senate for the next six years.
NSW
There were 32,599 votes for the Sex Party in NSW. All but 118 of those votes went to their 18th preference, the gun-toting Liberal Democrats, pushing David Leyonhjelm over the line and into the upper house until at least mid-2020. The remaining 188 votes went to the Shooters and Fishers Party, via preference 48.
Queensland
There were 20,592 votes for the Sex Party in the Sunshine State. These were distributed first to the HEMP Party via preference 5, and then to the Greens via preference 42.
Western Australia
There were 12,376 votes for the Sex Party in WA. Of those 12,338 went to their 11th preference, the Australian Sports Party, pushing Wayne Dropulich across the line and onto the comfy red leather benches for the next six years. The remaining 38 votes went to the Greens.
South Australia
There were 7610 votes for the Sex Party in SA. These were initially distributed to the No Carbon Tax Climate Sceptics (preference 11), then to the Greens (preference 41), where they helped reelect Sarah Hanson-Young, before coming to rest with Nick Xenophon (preference 45).
ACT
There were 5966 votes for the Sex Party in the traditionally porno-loving national capital. These were distributed first to the Bullet Train For Australia Party (preference 9) and then to Simon Sheikh of the Greens (preference 15).
Tasmania
There were 4112 votes for the Sex Party. These went to the Liberal Democratic Party (preference 21) and then on to the Liberal Party (preference 34).
NT
There were 1410 votes for the Sex Party in the Territory. These went briefly to the Shooters and Fishers (preference 3) before helping elect Nova Peris for the ALP (preference 12).
Source: ABC elections website, accessed 9 September 2013.
Image: Fiona Patten (CC-licensed image from Wikimedia Commons)
Did you vote for the @aussexparty? You might be surprised to discover where your vote ended up. http://t.co/VwgC9Tvknt
Did you vote above the line for those freedom-loving funsters @AusSexParty? @paulkidd shows where your vote went… http://t.co/VPRcnnPDZ6
Just because the Sex Party appears to be a left-leaning party, none of their policies suggest that at all. They are a middle-libertarian party with policies focused on reducing government intervention into a number of personal liberties. It just so happens that their main focus is on same-sex marriage and censorship rather than guns, cars or sport.
If you look at it like that, it makes sense that they would preference other libertarian parties.
RT @John_Hanna: The @aussexparty has an odd idea about good sex…
@paulkidd explains: http://t.co/hDswF137K2
this is why I voted below the line so no party could control the preferences… I think we need to outlaw above… http://t.co/D2mhLhiBqp
Nice summary of where all those above-the-line Sex Party votes went: http://t.co/gRqxZ6sOiv
At the time the Sex Party was eliminated, the only 3 directions the Sex Party’s vote could have gone were Motoring Enthusiasts, LNP or Palmer…
Every other party had been eliminated.
Not exactly like there was a good option.
Why didn’t my vote go where I wanted I said sex party not other party or other micro party’s
Maybe you should learn how Australia’s preferential voting system works before voting next time
Just goes to show that if you’re aware enough to read this article, you should be voting below the line.
@annakissed36 @onekind @aussexparty @paulkidd Ever since FF elected on ALP prefs, smart ppl have voted belowtheline, but not for everyone
F***k!43,744 votes for the Sex Party in Victoria. Every one of those went to the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party http://t.co/tbLvKdquqn
@annakissed36 @paulkidd Cite that assertion, go on, I dare you to try.
Great write-up!
You’ve prompted me to do some further reading (and start a blog, actually). Your facts are completely right of course, but I disagree with your conclusions – I actually think the Sex Party’s reasons were (mostly?) legit and in most cases worked out pretty well. I’ve focussed on Victoria in detail and written a reply to the quite valid concerns you’ve raised:
http://wesgardner.wordpress.com/2013/09/09/sex-party-preferences-how-the-fuck-did-the-australian-motoring-enthusiasts-party-get-elected-in-victoria/
Precisely why as soon as their preference deals were announced I resigned my membership of the ASP and then voted Green in both houses.
This is very misleading! Especially for VIC.
You say “There were 43,744 votes for the Sex Party in Victoria. Every one of those votes went to their 42nd preference, the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party, enough to get Ricky Muir elected to the Senate for the next six years.”
If you look at how it happened, it’s much more Palmer United’s fault. The sex party preferences weren’t handed over until there was only a liberal and this motoring guy. I’m not glad the motoring guy got in, but I’m glad that the liberal didn’t..
It’s only fair to say that the sex party took it from a liberal candidate.. i.e. they helped stop abbot getting a majority in the senate!
Go to the bottom of this page to see the evidence.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/federal-election-2013/results/senate/vic/
Well all of this is hardly surprising. People should do some research before putting their hopes in a big business party, that just happens to masquerade as a ‘free love’ outfit. And that would be businesses run by sleazebag men who live off the earnings and exploitation of women. Sexist Party would be more apt. Wake up people.
buddhagirl, you are blinded by your prejudices. The Sex Party wants to help women in the adult industry. Women who chose, and choose to be in the industry that they’re in.
Unfortunately, many people with a strong bias will never see the reality no matter how many facts are shown to them simply because of their jaded view.
Hey Jesse, pls show us the evidence of Sex Party’s pro-active stance towards women in the industry.
I really don’t think how the preferences ended up in this case is any indication of conspiracy – at most it’s incompetence. If you look at the preference number they are hardly putting these groups close to 1. e.g. 42nd preference for motoring enthusiasts in Victoria.
In Victoria it came down down to 3 parties for the last senate seat (provisional).
And the last round, after preferences:
The Liberals had: 284,798
The Australian Motoring Enthusiasts had: 252,158
And the Sex Party had: 143,300
There were only 2 ways the sex party votes could then have gone, to either the liberals or the AME. They went to the AME, which then gave the party enough to reach the provisional quota.
If the Palmer United Party gave preference to the Sex Party ahead of the AME, the sex party would have had a seat in the senate (provisional).
Yet another article flippantly describing the LDP as right-wing and pro-gun, both of which are absolutely wrong. The LDP is libertarian, and couldn’t give a fuck if you have a gun or not, so long as you don’t go around shooting people.
“flippantly describing the LDP as …. pro-gun ….. The LDP ….. couldn’t give a fuck if you have a gun or not, so long as you don’t go around shooting people.”
Well that always works well. Always. Everywhere.
Leyonhjelm is very pro-gun, that’s the reason he left the Liberals. He wants people to be able to have concealed firearms in public and to have unregistered firearms. He also wants to abolish public education and Medicare. That is the very definition of right-wing, regardless of his opinion on marriage equality and legalized cannabis.
More people have read my post on where @aussexparty prefs went than voted for the party in SA, ACT, Tas & NT combined http://t.co/U8g5dZMsdK
Spot on! The Sex Industry Party is not the GLTBI community’s greatest friend.
The only place where Sex Party votes could have helped elect a progressive Senator but didn’t was in Western Australia, where they went to the Sports Party. If they had preferenced Labor over Sports, Labor would have taken that seat. Of course, it’s hard to know if the Sports guy is progressive, conservative, or what.
In NSW, even if the Sex Party had given the Greens 2nd preferences, the result still would have been the same: 3 Coalition, 2 Labor, 1 Lib Dem