Sawing off the branch you're sitting on?

Jane Caro

Jane Caro, feminist social commentator, writer, and lecturer, is standing as a Senate candidate for the Reason Party in New South Wales. The Reason Party is an amalgamation of the Sex Party, a political party started by the Eros Foundation, which is an adult industry lobby group, with the Australian Cyclists Party, and the Voluntary Euthanasia Party. 

Now, bear in mind that I am just an obscure blogger, with no profile to speak of. Nor do I live in her state, so I am not eligible to vote for her. However, it is reasonable to ask her if she, as an avowed feminist, has any problem with being a member of a political party that was partially founded by the Eros Foundation. This foundation has links to the adult industry, which feminists such as herself usually oppose because it is based on the commodification and exploitation of women. 

Caro is also a domestic violence campaigner. Domestic violence prevention is part of her party's platform. A considerable body of peer reviewed research has clearly established the link between pornography use and domestic violence. This research is widely available to the public. Much of it is not behind paywalls. Yet, a cursory reading of the Reason Party website, which is vague on details, shows that it is against restricting the availability of such material to adult consumers. Is this a problem for Caro? Does her party really want to solve this problem, or perpetuate it?

These are the sorts of questions a journalist should be asking her, and that thinking voters should consider before casting their ballots on election day.