By MEGAN OGLE
LOCAL architect and equal rights activist Robin Bristow can now add politician to his list of credentials, as he announces his candidature for federal government.
Under the banner of the Australian Sex Party, Mr Bristow will enter the election race for the coming double dissolution set to take place on Saturday 2 July.
“I am pleased to announce that I will be running for Queensland Senate for the Australian Sex Party in the upcoming Federal Elections,” Mr Bristow said.
“Queensland voters are sick and tired of being lectured to when it comes to issues such as abortion rights, nude beaches, lockout laws and drug law reform.
“All of the major parties seem to be under the control of right-wing religious fanatics and we want to send a clear message to Canberra that this incestuous relationship must end.”
Mr Bristow, originally from South Africa, said his passion for politics grew after he migrated to Australia in 2007 having experienced the end of apartheid in his homeland.
“When the smoke eventually cleared in South Africa, the end of apartheid presented a bright future for the country with the promise of Nelson Mandela leading the country towards reconciliation,” he said.
“It was an exciting time to live in South Africa – every day you woke up to change. Rapid change was the norm and the rest of the world seemed a boring place in comparison.
“It was with this world view that I arrived in Australia in 2007 for an adventure. Australia, and in particular Sydney, was an exciting place. But I realised after a while that there was much to learn about the underbelly of Australian politics.”
Mr Bristow said former Prime Ministers and State Premiers had left him “disheartened” and he felt he could no longer stay silent.
“I looked around for a political home and the time I first read the policies of the Australian Sex Party I knew I need not look any further,” he said.
“It was the first time I had ever joined a political party – every policy resonated strongly with me. The Australian Sex Party – even the name was radical and transgressive.
“The lack of marriage equality and the school chaplains’ program became some of my driving passions. One of my first political acts was to organise a protest in Noosa when Tony Abbott and Warren Truss came to have lunch at a local restaurant.
“Other political actions followed which have brought me to this point today where I have put up my hand to run as the Australian Sex Party’s Queensland Senate candidate in the 2016 election.”
