Fringe Factor: 3/10 Seats contesting: Legislative Council (upper house): Northern Metropolitan; Southern Metro; South-Eastern Metro; Western Metro; Western Victoria Legislative Assembly (lower house): Brunswick; Richmond; Albert Park; Bundoora; Melbourne; Pascoe Vale; Thomastown Previously known as the Sex Party, Reason is a small party seeking to extend its presence on the crossbench.

The Reason Party's Fiona Patten. Credit:Photo: Paul Jeffers The party’s only upper house MP Fiona Patten is running again and this election she is trying to increase her party’s influence in both houses. Ms Patten’s presence in the parliament has been important in the creation of Victoria’s assisted dying laws and the state's first safe injection room. Other key policies include legalising cannabis in Victoria, pill testing at music festivals and a trial for hydromorphone (an opioid analgesic) to assist in heroin addiction. It will be interesting to see how the party transitions after the change to a soberer name at the beginning of the year.

Victorian Socialists Fringe Factor: 8/10 Seats contesting: Legislative Council: Northern Metro; Western Victoria Region With a hammer and sickle in hand, Victorian Socialists are "for the poor against the rich, for workers against their bosses, for the powerless against the powerful".

Running five candidates, their goal is to get a socialist representative into the Legislative Council to advocate for the left wing. The Socialists’ main candidate Stephen Jolly, who is running for a Northern Metro upper house seat, has been a Yarra City councillor for the past 14 years. The Socialists are campaigning on reforms to workers’ rights, a return to public ownership of certain industries and an equal education system. Democratic Labour Party Fringe Factor: 6/10

Seats contesting: Legislative Council: Southern Metro; Western Metro; South-Eastern Metro; Eastern Victoria Region; Northern Victorian Region; Western Victorian Region Legislative Assembly: Cranbourne; Melton; Bentleigh; Narre Warren North; Mulgrave; Frankston; Carrum; Yan Yean; Macedon; Bendigo East; South West Coast; Ripon; Werribee The DLP see themselves as a party that isn’t corrupted by unions or big business. ‘Pro-life’ and proud, this Christian party is against abortion, voluntary euthanasia and same-sex marriage, and is here to support the values of what it describes as the "natural" family.

The DLP’s fundamental policy is to support a responsibly-elected government that promotes ‘‘social and economic justice, a fair and decent society for families’’. It is unlikely that the DLP will get a seat in the lower house, but as a non-aligned party, a vote for the DLP in the preferential voting system could affect which major party stands in government. The DLP is running candidates in the marginal seats of Bentleigh, Carrum and Frankston that have respective margins of 0.8, 0.7 and 0.5 per cent, and could be important on which way the seat swings. Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party Fringe Factor: 6/10

Seats contesting: Legislative Council: Western Victoria; Eastern Victoria; South Metro; Western Metro; Northern Victoria; Northern Metro; South-Eastern Metro; South East Region; Eastern Metro Former Radio 3AW and Channel Seven presenter Derryn Hinch and his Justice Party is putting forward 11 candidates for the upper house. They would like to see reform in the justice system including a tougher stance on sentencing, parole and bail. The party believes "courts are more concerned with the welfare of convicted criminals than their victims. We believe the punishment should fit the crime."

This is the first time the party has run in a Victorian election, so it is unclear how much support it might attract. Hinch's high profile as a federal senator for Victoria and former career as a broadcaster should help. Animal Justice Party Fringe Factor: 5/10 Seats contesting: Legislative Council: Northern Victoria; Northern Metro; Eastern Metro; Southern Metro; Western Metro; Western Victoria

Legislative Assembly: Bendigo West; Melbourne; Mornington; Croydon; Warrandyte; Keysborough; Mordialloc; Albert Park; Bentleigh; Brighton; Caulfield; Footscray; Kororoit; Bellarine; Buninyong; Geelong; Lara; Melton; Polwarth; Ripon; South Barwon; Wendouree Don’t underestimate these animal lovers. In the last state election their preferences helped the Greens win the seat of Prahran. AJP votes in this election could be just as important, particularly in tight seats such as Albert Park and Bentleigh, which have margins of 3 per cent and 0.8 per cent, respectively. The party believes all animals deserve fair representation in the political arena. AJP is calling for the abolishment of practices they consider cruel, including greyhound racing, live exporting and puppy farms.

Aussie Battler Party

Fringe Factor: 9/10 Seats contesting: Unclear

Just like Bill Heslop from Muriel’s Wedding, Stuart O’Neill is an ‘Aussie Battler’. On his candidate website, O’Neill profile says he is a divorced business and life coach whose "favourite shoes are thongs" and is "that bloke at the footy crying tears of joy when my team gets up". O’Neill’s newly formed Aussie Battler Party was created for people who are tired of politicians and governments 'wasting' taxpayers’ money, who have ‘forgotten what it is like to live in mainstream society'. O’Neill's campaign is based on tackling crime, lowering energy prices, decentralising urban development by promoting movement to regional centres and more incentives for small business enterprise. ABP would also like V/Line travel to be free on weekends to promote regional travel.

The party has said it will run 16 candidates. Health Australia Party Fringe Factor: 7/10 Seats Contesting:

Legislative Council: Southern Metro; Northern Metro; Western Metro; Eastern Victoria; Eastern Metro The Health Australia Party arose from the ashes from the Natural Medicine Party, which believes natural forms of medicine should be seen as equal to pharmaceuticals. With a holistic approach to politics, the Health Australia Party believes all aspects of Australian society should be in a ‘healthy’ state. This is the first time Health Australia Party will contest a Victorian state election. Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party

Fringe Factor: 6/10 Seats Contesting: Legislative Council: Eastern Victoria; Northern Victoria Legislative Assembly: Morwell The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party already has two MPs in the upper house who are seeking re-election.

Trading his car for a rifle, former Motoring Enthusiast Party's Ricky Muir has joined the party to contest the seat of Morwell. The party wants greater representation for farming rights, protection for recreational fishers, and to relax firearm laws. The party has no policies for the Victorian state election listed on its website, which directs you to the federal page. Sustainable Australia Fringe Factor: 6/10

Seats Contesting: Legislative Council: Eastern Metro; Eastern Victoria; Northern Metro; Northern Victoria; South-Eastern Metro; Southern Metro; Western Metro; Western Victoria Legislative Assembly: Albert Park Sustainable Australia is a centrist party attempting to slow population growth, create more affordable housing and better manage development. The party wants to "[reduce] permanent immigration from a record high 200,000+ per year back to the long term average of 70,000".

The party is against the over-development of suburbs and wants to give local communities greater power in planning decisions. The party is primarily aiming for a seat in the upper house and poster boy Dick Smith is bound to keep it in the mix. Vote 1 Local Jobs Fringe Factor: 5/10 Legislative Assembly: South-West Coast

Upper house MP James Purcell and his Vote 1 Local Jobs party is here for the one thing: to get more local jobs. But he is now seeking a switch to the lower house. The party wants greater investment in the local economy and to stop foreign companies and individuals from buying Australian agricultural land. It also supports decentralisation of government services to give country Victoria greater access. Australian Liberty Alliance Fringe Factor: 11/10