Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Politics
Callum Godde

Prominent ex-Victorian MP rules out political comeback

Ex-Victorian MP Fiona Patten says she is "no chance" of running for state parliament in 2026. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

Prominent ex-Victorian MP Fiona Patten has officially called time on her political career after moving to wind up her party.

The Victorian Electoral Commission on Thursday confirmed it had received an application from Ms Patten's Reason Party to voluntarily deregister it.

It would mean a party with that name or something closely resembling it cannot re-register as a political party until after the 2026 state election.

Ms Patten confirmed she was "absolutely no chance" of running in 2026 in an attempt to make a comeback to state parliament.

"I will continue to encourage others," she told AAP.

"I actually said at the beginning that two terms was all I wanted and now hopefully (I'll be) using my skills to affect change outside parliament."

Ms Patten, a former independent fashion designer and sex worker, founded the Australian Sex Party in 2009 before changing its name to the Reason Party in 2017.

"It was energy to keep going," she said.

"We ran for 14 years and have a lot to be proud of."

Throughout her two terms in Victorian parliament, Ms Patten championed social reform including anti-vilification legislation and also led an inquiry into voluntary assisted dying laws.

She served as chair of the Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee and advocated for a medically supervised injecting centre in North Richmond.

She was first elected to Victorian parliament in 2014 and narrowly re-elected in 2018.

Ms Patten left parliament at the end of 2022 after losing her Northern Metropolitan Region seat to disgraced former Labor minister-turned-Democratic Labour Party hopeful Adem Somyurek.

Earlier that year, the former Reason Party leader was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery to remove one of her kidneys.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.