Back in 2017, we announced the launch of a new Federal party called Reason Australia. This new party was born when members of the Australian Sex Party, merged with other like-minded political types, creating a new way to do politics. A few years later branches of the Voluntary Euthanasia Party joined with Reason. We’ve now got branches across the country.

Both in Parliament and at elections, we have strived to work with other like-minded parties and independents. You know, collaboratively and with common sense (no seriously, it really is a thing).

The Leader of our little democratic experiment is Victorian Upper House Member for Northern Metropolitan since 2014, Fiona Patten MP. You can read more about her here.

There is no argument - and it’s not us saying that but the media, academics and even other politicians - that Reason has been the most effective minor party force seen on the crossbench of any Parliament in the nation. Fiona Patten has been called “Australia’s most effective legislator” in the collaborative way she has been able to guide the government towards mutually beneficial outcomes and worked with other minor parties to create real political change.

We’re pretty damn proud of what the Reason team has achieved since being elected and we hope it excites you too.

With just one member of parliament we have:

• Initiated Voluntary Assisted Dying Laws in Victoria that has resulted in nearly every other state in Australia following suit.
• Decriminalised Sex Work in Victoria. Fiona chaired the Review into Sex Work Laws and the government is in the process of legislating all her recommendations (it was about time too).
• Successfully lobbied for Victoria’s first Medically Supervised Injecting Room in North Richmond. It is saving lives every day. The government has agreed to open a second one given the impact it has made.
• Led the Safe Access Zones campaign, passing laws to protect women's medical privacy in Victoria that has now been copied nationwide.
• Increased to 21 the age at which young people in care can receive support.
• Fought for the rights of drug users and to change our oppressive drug laws. Every year we make more and more inroads.
• Introduced Spent Convictions legislation, so that minor offences don’t appear on criminal records after seven years, improving employment prospects for people disproportionally represented in our justice system such as young people or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
• Chaired major Parliamentary Inquires into Homelessness, Cannabis Use, The Justice System, Spent Convictions, and Sex Offenders. As Chair of the Legislative Council’s powerful Legal and Social Issues Committee, Fiona is the only non-government, independent Chair of any committee in the Victorian Parliament (yeah...we know - pretty cool).
• Lead the charge (pun intended!) for the support of Electric Vehicle uptake including infrastructure investment and incentives for the public to buy EV’s.
• Successfully lobbied for thousands of extra social and public housing dwellings.
• Protected Abortion Rights against religious attacks.
• Reached a deal with the Government in Victoria to have “The Lord’s Prayer” eliminated from parliamentary proceedings.
• Helped create laws that protect Pets and our native wildlife.
• Led the charge to have Crown Casino and Resorts investigated.
• Fiona has been voted “Best Dressed Politician” three times (I mean that’s gotta count for something right?)

There’s loads of other stuff too. Check out our media section (link) for more.