VANCOUVER, B.C. - The Sex Party, a political party in British Columbia that promotes sexual freedom, complained in Federal Court on Monday that it was being discriminated against by the country's postal service.
According to a recent report, the group — which fielded three candidates in the provincial general election and is seeking federal registration — is upset that Canada Post refused to distribute a flyer during the 2006 federal election that outlined the group's philosophy, after deeming some of its contents to be pornographic.
The unaddressed mail program is a vital part of the communication strategies of most political parties in Canada and has a long history as a medium of political expression.
“We are advocating for rights established for any citizen,” Sex Party leader John Ince told Reuters. Ince said the Sex Party does not oppose restrictions on mailing hardcore porn, but said postal officials have been inconsistent in applying their own rules.
The Party contends that the lack of any limitation on the power of postal officials to censor political information tendered as unaddressed mail gives rise to arbitrary and capricious decisions such as occurred in this case.
The Sex Party is of the view that before postal officials can censor a legitimate political leaflet they must show that it causes demonstrable harm or is illegal, and Canada Post has no evidence to show that in this case.
Canada Post will present its case later this week.
The leaflet can be viewed at www.thesexparty.ca/mailoutfederal.pdf.
