As the countdown continues to the federal election, health and social justice advocacy groups are releasing scorecards summarising their assessments of the major parties’ policy commitments on issues important to them.
To assist readers’ decision making at the ballot box, Croakey is collating the assessments from these scorecards in key areas of interest into a rolling post (see below).
Croakey encourages all readers to inform themselves of the various policy and funding commitments made in the health and social justice areas and to take these into account, along with the past performance of the three major parties, when casting their votes.
We will continue to add to this post as scorecards are released, so please feel free to forward any we may have missed so we can include them.
This compilation will also be a handy reference for holding the next Government to account on their policy promises.
1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
ANTaR’s detailed scorecard examines Closing the Gap in health, addressing justice and incarceration, and Constitutional reform.
The Public Health Association of Australia scorecard:
The National Rural Health Alliance assessment:
Consumers Health Forum of Australia:
Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association:
2. Climate change and environmental health
The Public Health Association of Australia scorecard:
A volunteer-run detailed scorecard of climate change and related policies, along with information on individual candidates’ positions is available at www.environment.vote
Australian Youth Climate Coalition:
The Australian Conservation Foundation:
ACF has an interactive quiz which you can take to determine how your views on key environmental issues compare with those of the major parties.
Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association:
3. Health in all policies
ACOSS election policy tracker has a big overview of wider policies affecting health.
Early childhood education advocacy group Launch into Learning has released the following scorecard rating the parties on early childhood education policies.
The Women’s Electoral Lobby scorecard:
Everybody’s Home, overview of policies to address homelessness
Shelter also has an extremely detailed scorecard rating the major parties on a number of housing-related issues.
Fair Agenda has released a scorecard on four key issues affecting women: domestic violence; sexual violence; workplace sexual harassment; and the ParentNext program.
Consumers Health Forum of Australia:
4. Public health and prevention
The Public Health Association of Australia scorecard:
Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association:
5. Healthcare reform
Australian Healthcare Reform Alliance (AHCRA)
Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association
Consumers Health Forum of Australia:
6. Rural and remote health
The National Rural Health Alliance assessment:
Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association:
7. Human rights
Consumers Health Forum of Australia:
8. Foreign aid, asylum seeker and refugee health
From Asylum Insight
9. Other health issues
The advocacy body Emerge, which focusses on promoting awareness and action on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, (also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) has released an election scorecard on its key policy proposals.
For those who make their decisions based upon assessments of the leaders, see these in-depth profiles of Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten, published by The Conversation.
