Introduction by Croakey: Cost-of-living, energy prices and youth crime are likely to be on the agenda for tonight’s first debate of the Queensland election campaign.
As campaigning hits full stride, Premier Steven Miles announced yesterday the Labor Party plans to create a new publicly owned energy retailer if re-elected, which he said “could save consumers up to six percent on their energy bills”.
Opposition Liberal National Party Leader David Crisafulli announced yesterday that an LNP Government would commit $95 million for a health sciences academy.
With just over three weeks until the 26 October election, latest polling indicates a change of government with a LNP win.
Below, Dr Mel Stoneham, Curtin University and Executive Committee member of the Queensland Branch of the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA), and Associate Professor Amie Steel, University of Technology Sydney and President of PHAA (Qld), outline the critical health issues at stake.
Mel Stoneham and Amie Steel write:
On 26 October 2024, the second Queensland election to have been held on a fixed date and to elect members across 93 electoral districts for a four-year term, will occur.
So, who is running, what are their policies – and what does public health have to do with it?
The existing Labor Premier Steven Miles will face LNP Opposition Leader David Crisafulli at the October 26 election. Seats will be contested by Labor, LNP, Greens, One Nation, Katter’s Australian Party, other parties and independent candidates.
The outcome of the Queensland election on 26 October will have wide-ranging implications for the community’s health, given the differences in key areas of policy affecting health.
The Public Health Association of Australia Queensland Branch is calling on all candidates to expand their election promises and policies to focus more on prevention.
In collaboration with the Australian Health Promotion Association Queensland Branch, we have developed five priority asks that will promote the public health of Queenslanders and put prevention at the centre of policy.
They are: Investing in Preventive Health; Protecting Women and Children; Acting Boldly on Climate Change; Supporting Self-Determination for First Nations’ Health and Building Our Public Health and Health Promotion Workforce. See more on these asks later in the article.
As a guide for how to cast your vote for public health, we have provided this policy report card for Queenslanders demonstrating how the two major party’s policy platforms perform on each of the five issues identified by the PHAA (Qld).
Election promises
Link to enlargeable version of policy priorities here.
The Miles Labor Government has made many election promises leading up to the election, targeting the four biggest policy issues which include the cost of living, youth crime, housing and health.
When it comes to health, the table shows that Labor’s public health policies are more focused on prevention, public health and community wellbeing, when compared with the LNP party.
It’s important to state that Labor policies also have a major focus on hospitals – promising a 10.6 percent funding increase which is likely to address issues such as hospital ramping.
Other promises that focus more on determinants of health include 50 cent fares on all public transport – which are currently on trial – and $200 vouchers to encourage children into sport.
The table indicates that the Opposition is light on health policy despite voters and journalists demanding detail beyond the LNP’s “parenthood” statements about reducing crime.
Smart advocacy
The PHAA (Qld) works to promote public health for all communities. We believe that the health and wellbeing of every individual in Queensland are crucial to the growth and prosperity of the state.
Incorporating health promotion and harm prevention across the community sector and healthcare services is essential to prevent chronic diseases.
Our manifesto represents advocacy asks from both the PHAA (Qld) and the AHPA (Qld).
Recognising the commonalities between our professional bodies created an opportunity for “smart advocacy”.
However, the real locus of power is increasingly that of public opinion and public pressure, which has been successful in bringing about change in many cases.
The table comparing the policies of both major parties was developed to enable informed votes to be cast and ensure that public pressure is applied to create a healthier Queensland.
Platform for public health
The following outlines some of the advocacy asks contained in the political manifesto.
One-third of the social and economic burden of chronic disease suffered by Queenslanders is preventable.
Incorporating health promotion and harm prevention across the health sector has the potential to reducing the burden on healthcare services, with health and societal savings as high as $14 for every $1 spent on preventive health.
Yet less than three percent of the current Queensland health budget is committed to preventive health. As such, the PHAA (Qld) is calling for:
- a minimum of five percent of state health expenditure to preventive health programs by 2030
- the Health and Wellbeing Qld Strategic Plan to prioritise a public health policy agenda and deliver community-based funding to create healthier environments
- a reinstatement to pre-2012 levels for health promotion services to keep our communities healthy and ensure health protection services can address disease outbreaks.
Quality and timely reproductive health and birthing services in parts of Queensland are becoming increasingly difficult for many women to access at the same time as there are increasing rates of domestic and interpersonal violence and large gaps in government-provided health information that mean women often rely on online information from unreliable sources.
In response, the PHAA (Qld) is calling for:
- comprehensive guidelines and care to be provided for miscarriage
- improvements in the available health information on reproductive life planning and menopause
- education and advertising campaigns to address interpersonal violence and coercive control.
Queenslanders are being affected by heatwaves, bushfires, floods and storms that contribute to the health burden of climate change, as do the associated infectious diseases, loss of infrastructure, food and water insecurity, displacement and mental illness.
With 2023 being the hottest year on record, there is an urgency to adopt community adaptation in conjunction with mitigation initiatives.
The PHAA (Qld) is calling for the Queensland Government to:
- build evaluation into all state-based climate-related guidelines and strategies
- develop tools for building personal and community resilience and increase support services to address disaster and climate-related trauma
- invest in research that addresses psychosocial impacts of climate change and translate these findings into effective policy and transdisciplinary action
- legislate for new construction to integrate greening mechanisms.
First Nations peoples have the right to determine how to best meet the needs and priorities within their own communities, including self-governance and provision of culturally safe and effective services and programs.
The PHAA (Qld) is calling for the Queensland Government to:
- implement commitments for the National Agreement to Closing the Gap
- adopt a ‘First Nations in All Policies’ approach
- develop a compulsory media policy that aims to reflect the cultural diversity of Australian society and promote positive narratives
- create opportunities for genuine inclusion of First Nations peoples’ voices.
Preventing disease helps people to lead their best possible life, all through their life. Despite this, health workforce strategies routinely fail to recognise the public health workforce, which is vital to prevent disease and reduce illness, and empower people with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to live healthy lives.
The PHAA (Qld) is calling for the Queensland Government to:
- implement a Public Health Officer Training Program in Queensland
- establish clear training and career pathways for the public health and health promotion workforce
- provide public health and emergency response training for the healthcare workforce
- strengthen linkages between the healthcare sector and public health units.
Collaboration and relationships
The two professional associations responsible for developing this political manifesto represent some of the most heard voices on the ground in the fields of public health and health promotion.
Professional associations play a critical role in influencing transformations in the public health system, by bringing forward practical solutions to government that reflect the needs of their members. This manifesto is one example of this potential influence.
However, this is just the beginning. When the new government is elected, the real work will start.
We will need to build relationships with the key decision makers. Although the manifesto identifies what we want, both associations will need to be available to provide advice on how to meet our advocacy asks in a cost-efficient manner, provide evidence-based information and mobilise our members to amplify our key messages.
This will be critical to influence policy to improve community health and wellbeing.
You can access the manifesto here.
About the authors
Dr Mel Stoneham is the Senior Advocacy Advisor with the Public Health Advocacy Institute based at Curtin University. She also leads the #endingtrachoma project that aims to prevent trachoma through healthy housing initiatives in remote WA communities. She has a PhD in public health policy and is on the Executive Committee of the Queensland Branch of the Public Health Association of Australia.
Amie Steel is Associate Professor in Public Health at the School of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow focused on preventive health, women’s health and traditional medicine. She is also President of the Queensland Branch of the Public Health Association of Australia.
See previous articles on #QLDVotesHealth
