Nominated by MISSives Guest Editor, Brea Dorsett
Fiona Patten, a former sex worker and fashion designer, was the first woman to establish her own political party, run and be elected. In November 2014, Fiona was elected a Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for the Northern Metropolitan region. She was one of a number of crossbenchers who held the balance of power in Victoria’s Upper House during her term. Fiona is the founder and leader of Reason Australia (formerly known as the Australian Sex Party), a future-focused, evidence-based movement committed to delivering equality, sustainability and freedom through new methods of political engagement and pragmatic consultation.
During her term, Fiona successfully instigated landmark parliamentary inquiries and legislation, including Australia’s largest public inquiry into drug law reform, voluntary assisted dying laws, the legalisation of ridesharing, safe access zones for abortion clinics and the introduction of a bill for a medically supervised injecting centre.
