So what’s the difference between the Greens and the Australian Sex Party? (hereafter ASP). A question was asked by a friend. Without a doubt, the Greens have a much more broad spectrum platform. ASP is basically libertarian on social issues, without significant comment on other areas. So to make this easy, I’m going to talk about the policies of ASP and then specify where they differ with The Greens.

The tl;dr of this is that the ASP generally holds a much more left-wing perspective on every policy The Greens do, but that their policy spectrum generally comprises a much smaller aegis than that of The Greens and agrees with them in pretty much every area where there is overlap.

Censorship

• Bring about the establishment of a truly national classification scheme which includes a uniform non-violent erotica rating for explicit adult material for all jurisdictions and through all media including the Internet and computer games. (Greens: Make OFLC more transparent)

• Introduce an R and X rating for computer games (Greens: no reference to game classification in their policy document, but they have made statements in favour of an R18+ classification of games)

• To overturn mandatory ISP filtering of the Internet and return Internet censorship to parents and individuals. (Greens: “ensure that regulation of the internet is transparent, accountable and protects freedom of speech, expression and access to information”, and have made numerous public statements against internet censorship in Australia)

• We oppose the mandatory retention of all Australian users’ internet browsing history and emails by ISPs for at-will inspection by law enforcement agencies, and support strong judicial oversight over the ability of law enforcement to access individuals’ internet and email data. (Greens: No specific policy comment on data retention, but they have expressed cautious public skepticism of the need for OzLog)

Education

• To bring about the development of a national sex education curriculum as a first step in preventing the sexualisation of children (Greens: “the education system to provide age-appropriate information about the diversity of sexuality”)

• Development of a national internet education scheme for parents (Greens: No specific policy comment on Internet education for parents)

Equality

• To enact national anti discrimination laws which make it illegal to unfairly discriminate against people or companies on the basis of job, occupation, profession or calling (The Greens will “legislate to remove sources of discrimination against women” and “end the criminalisation of consensual adult sex work”)

• To bring about equal numbers of women in the Parliament through enabling the Federal Discrimination Act to have jurisdiction extending to political parties. (The Greens: “legislate to remove sources of discrimination against women”, no specific reference to political parties)

• To create total equal rights in all areas of the law including same sex marriage (The Greens: “the legalisation of marriage between two consenting adults regardless of sexuality or gender identity.”)

• Overturn racist laws that ban adults living in and visiting aboriginal communities in the NT from possessing erotic and sexual media (The Greens have a broad statement on: “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should have the same life expectancy and living standards as other Australians”)

• Ensure the sexual rights and freedoms of people with a disability and the elderly (The Greens “remove GST and import duty from specialist aids, devices, appliances and services for people with disability” and are generally pro-disability rights)

Health

• To enact national pregnancy termination laws along the same lines as divorce law — which allow for legal, no-fault and guilt-free processes for women seeking termination (The Greens: “ensure that all women have access to legal, free and safe pregnancy termination services including unbiased counselling.”)

• The listing of Viagra, Cialis and other drugs used to treat sexual dysfunction, on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (The Greens have no comment)

• Overturn restrictions on aid to overseas family planning organisations that reference abortion. (As above, The Greens: “ensure that all women have access to legal, free and safe pregnancy termination services including unbiased counselling.”)

Protection of Children

• Convene a Royal Commission into child sex abuse in the nation’s religious institutions (The Greens will: “support and fund high quality services for child survivors of abuse and neglect”, but no specifically call for a Royal Commission)

• Develop global approaches to tackling child pornography which focus on detection and apprehension of the producers of the material (The Greens believe that “children and young people have a right to a loving and nurturing environment which is free of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination”, but don’t have specific views on enforcement and investigation)

Workplace Relations

• Ensure that the introduction of paid parental leave is fair and equitable for small businesses (The Greens will “fully fund paid parental leave”)

• Abolish sex slavery and sexual servitude by introducing non morality-based immigration policies that allow bona-fide sex workers to work legally in Australia (The Greens: “ensure that potential immigrants are not unfairly discriminated against on any grounds” and “immigration must be non-discriminatory on the grounds of nationality, ethnic origin, religion, language, gender, disability, sexuality, age or socioeconomic background”)

Religion / Ethical Issues

• Establishment of a Royal Commission into child sex abuse in religious institutions (The Greens will: “support and fund high quality services for child survivors of abuse and neglect”)

• The public education system should be secular in nature and not provide for any religious instruction whatsoever (The Greens: “teachers, academics, student unions and parent organisations should have a significant role in setting directions, priorities, and curricula and in the administration of the public education system.”)

• An Ethics course along the lines of the current NSW trial, developed by the St James Ethics Centre, to be incorporated into the national curriculum (The Greens: “promote the inclusion of corporate ethics and responsibilities in all business and commerce course curricula at secondary and tertiary institutions.”)

• Ending the tax exempt status for religions (The Greens have no comment on this)

• Cessation of tax-exempt status on all but the charitable work of religious institutions (The Greens have no comment on this)

• Supports stem cell research, including embryonic stem cell research, and maintains it is a vital medical issue, not a religious issue. (The Greens: “increase funding to the Australian Research Council and abolish the capacity for the Minister to veto board decisions.”)

• Supports women’s rights to have an abortion if they so choose (As above, The Greens: “ensure that all women have access to legal, free and safe pregnancy termination services including unbiased counselling.”)

• Calls for uniform state abortion laws and amendments to the Therapeutic Goods Act to allow milepristone (RU486) to be imported and distributed widely in place of the highly restrictive and cumbersome Authorised Prescriber process which resulted from the “Harradine Amendments” to the Therapeutic Goods Amendment Bill 1996 (As above, The Greens: “ensure that all women have access to legal, free and safe pregnancy termination services including unbiased counselling.”)

• Opposes a blanket ban on women wearing the burqa conditional upon it being the woman’s choice (The Greens want “women to be able to live their lives free from violence”, but have no specific comment on a speculative Burqa ban)

Drugs

• Decriminalisation, not legalisation, of purchase, possession and consumption of all drugs for personal use, such quantity to be defined as an amount equal or less than 14 day’s supply for one person (The Greens want “the regulation of personal use of currently illegal drugs is best addressed primarily within a health and social framework, with legal support” and “imprisonment for personal use of illicit drugs, when not associated with other crimes, is not an appropriate solution to drug dependence.”)

• Infractions are to be treated in an administrative framework and not in the criminal justice system (As above, The Greens do acknowledge a minor place for the legal system in dealing with this issue)

• Immediate cessation of the use of drug sniffer dogs in public (The Greens have no comment on this specific issue)

• Legalise and regulate cannabis for specified medical uses (The Greens want to “introduce the regulated use of cannabis for specified medical purposes, such as intractable pain.”)

• Trafficking and dealing in drugs to remain a criminal offence (The Greens “support criminal penalties for drug dealers.”)

• Supply of any drugs to a minor is to be a criminal offence (The Greens “support criminal penalties for drug dealers.”)

• Laboratory quality drug testing stations to be provided at all music festivals and the like. (The Greens: “a harm minimisation approach is the best way to reduce the negative effects of drug use and drug regulation.”)

• Subsidised and high quality drug testing kits to be made available through pharmacies, age restricted premises and mobile distribution centre (The Greens: “a harm minimisation approach is the best way to reduce the negative effects of drug use and drug regulation.”)

• Legalise and increase the number of medically supervised injecting rooms (The Greens will “increase the availability of harm reduction programs, including needle and syringe exchanges and medically supervised injecting rooms and implement a rigorous scientific trial of prescribed heroin to registered users in line with the proposed 1996 ACT government heroin trial.”)

• Legalise the prescription of heroin to registered and habitual users (The Greens will: “make drug substitution treatments available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and compensate pharmacists for costs of dispensing treatment” .. so not 100%)

Euthanasia

• Voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide for patients with a terminal illness and suffering severe pain to be decriminalised (While The Greens clearly support the right to Euthanasia, also recently, it is not mentioned in their current policy document)

• In addition to the patient’s primary medical practitioner a second and independent practitioner would be required to confirm his / her agreement with the diagnosis and prognosis (Information available does not allow The Greens position on this to be analysed)

• Information about palliative care options must be given to the patient and having been given this information the patient must confirm to the primary medical practitioner that all other options are not acceptable and that he or she wants assistance (Information available does not allow The Greens position on this to be analysed)

• A seven day cooling off period must then be allowed for before assistance can be provided (Information available does not allow The Greens position on this to be analysed)

Abortion

• Uniform abortion laws across Australia (As above, The Greens: “ensure that all women have access to legal, free and safe pregnancy termination services including unbiased counselling.”)

• Full decriminalisation of abortion – removal from criminal statutes (As above, The Greens: “ensure that all women have access to legal, free and safe pregnancy termination services including unbiased counselling.”)

• Abortion to be treated as a medical matter not a criminal matter (As above, The Greens: “ensure that all women have access to legal, free and safe pregnancy termination services including unbiased counselling.”)

• All abortion providers to have authority to prescribe Mifepristone (RU486) (The Greens have no specific policy on RU486, but want to “ensure that all women have access to legal, free and safe pregnancy termination services including unbiased counselling.”)

• Medicare funding for abortion at all stages of pregnancy.

• An abortion may be performed at any time with the consent of the woman and if a medical practitioner certifies that it is appropriate under the circumstances (As above, The Greens: “ensure that all women have access to legal, free and safe pregnancy termination services including unbiased counselling.”)

• Minors (under the age of 16) may obtain an abortion without the consent of a parent/guardian.

• Ensure abortion is a part of sex education in schools (The Greens want “the education system to provide age-appropriate information about the diversity of sexuality”)