Australian Sports Party's topless jogger stunt generates publicity

A Facebook stunt by the Australian Sports Party ahead of the Western Australian Senate election re-run has succeeded in generating publicity for the single issue party.

The Facebook post featured an image of the back of a topless young woman jogging, accompanied by a caption saying "If you catch me, you can have me".

Wayne Dropulich of the Australian Sports Party (ASP) was elected to the Senate in last September's Federal election, before the Western Australian count was declared void due to missing ballots.

The party is fielding candidates, including Dropulich, in the re-run of the WA Senate election on 5th April.

Predictably, and as the ASP would probably have hoped, the post was condemned by women's groups.

The ABC reported Fair Agenda Director Rebecca Wilson as saying that the ASP's Facebook campaign material is a troubling sign.

Wilson stated "it's just not cricket for parties aiming to represent us in the Senate having these kind of attitudes towards women.

"No-one wants to see naked women in their Facebook feed when they're looking to learn about politics.

"(It is) a bit silly and gross and just a bit backwards to be honest."

The Facebook post describes a man successfully losing weight by chasing two women wearing the signs, one of whom is described as a "voluptuous, athletic 19-year-old babe dressed in nothing but a pair of running shoes".

It digs up the old, old joke of how a man loses a dramatic amount of weight when he is ultimately pursued by a "huge muscular guy ... wearing nothing but pink running shoes and a sign around his neck that reads, 'If I catch you, you are mine'."

The ASP's policies advocate lots of sport, with the party saying it is "focussed on helping Australians live a healthy well balanced lifestyle through sport and recreation, which provides enjoyment and creates strong communities." 

9th September 2013 - SPORT AND LIFESTYLE PARTIES SET TO INFLUENCE ‘HUNG’ SENATE