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Tag: Election

  • MEDIA RELEASE: Disability groups flag health priorities ahead of ACT election forum

    MEDIA RELEASE: Disability groups flag health priorities ahead of ACT election forum

    A united front of ACT disability groups is flagging access to health care as a key priority for the 1 in 5 Canberra voters with a disability a day out from an ACT Disability Town Hall event kicking off tomorrow from 12 noon.

    ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability, Women with Disabilities ACT, Mental Health Community Coalition ACT and Advocacy for Inclusion have come together to say access to critical acute,primary and preventative health care is a key priority as we approach the October voting period. 

    They point to data which reveals 1 in 4 people with disability find it difficult to access a GP while 1 in 3 find it challenging to access specialist health services. In addition, Bulk-billing rates in the ACT have long been declining but there have is further deteriorations with only 3.8 per cent of clinics bulk-billing all patients at the end of 2023.

    With the ACT taking on new responsibilities for Foundational Supports following the NDIS review the groups call for prompt implementation of the ACT Disability Health Strategy and a focus on other services, programs and upgrades to improve access. 

    You can read the media release below.

    Election comment authorised by Kat Reed for Women with Disabilities ACT

    Health Election PrioritiesDownload

  • Join us for our election event!

    Join us for our election event!

    Disability is shaping up as a major issue in the approaching ACT Election.

    In the lead up to the election Women with Disabilities ACT, in partnership with Advocacy for Inclusion, ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability, and the Mental Health Community Coalition ACT, is offering a town hall style event with a difference.

    Local candidates and voters are invited to hear about a range of disability priorities and issues across portfolios and affecting individual electorates. Our MC will be ABC journalist Emmy Groves.

    This is not a traditional election debate but more an opportunity to hear, learn and reflect. We are hoping you can join us to hear about the issues affecting Canberrans with disability, and for candidates to share with us their election priorities that support people with disability.

    When: Thursday 26 September 2024, 12pm – 2pm

    Register to attend here

    Authorised by Kat Reed for Women with Disabilities ACT

  • #WhatWomensServicesNeed: 2024 ACT Election Platform

    #WhatWomensServicesNeed: 2024 ACT Election Platform

    Women with Disabilities ACT has come together with Women’s Health Matters and other ACT women’s services to show our joint election priorities.

    In a city like Canberra, everyone should be safe from violence, have access to health services, and supportive and equitable jobs and communities.

    While there have been steps in the right direction, slow action on domestic, family and sexual violence and women’s health and wellbeing and an under-resourced and overwhelmed women’s sector means that gender equity is still out of reach for ACT women.

    Canberra women services need better. This election, ACT women’s services across the sector call for action from the future Government to:

    📣Prioritise ending domestic, family and sexual violence

    📣Recognise and resource specialist approaches to end sexual violence

    📣Promote women’s health and wellbeing

    📣Resource women’s policy

    📣Value women’s work.

    You can read our joint platform below.

    Joint Women’s ACT Election PlatformDownload

    Authorised by Kat Reed for Women with Disabilities ACT

  • Shared Election Priorities

    The ACT Election is scheduled for 19 October 2024 and Disabled Peoples and Representative Organisations offer these priorities for voters and candidates in the lead up to the poll.  We are non-partisan organisations which represent people with a range of disabilities.  Our work and priorities are informed by the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disability. 

    These priorities are the result of consultation, policy and advocacy work from our organisations and will be reinforced by Shared Election Platforms containing more detail in some key areas to be released between now the election.  

    In the next ACT Legislative Assembly, we want the Government and members to work towards an inclusive and welcoming Canberra which delivers the promise of a Human Rights Jurisdiction for the 1 in 5 Canberrans with disability. 

    We ask candidates to commit to actions that:

    • Ensure Canberrans with disability have access to timely and adequate disability supports including non-specialist supports outside of the NDIS
    • Ensure Canberrans with disability have timely access to quality individual and systemic advocacy
    • Ensure Canberrans with disability have access to critical acute, primary and preventative health care 
    • Address the over-representation of people with disability in the ACT Justice system
    • Work towards genuine inclusion of students with disability in mainstream classrooms 
    • Put an end to gender-based violence against people with disability
    • Ensure that the appropriate systems and infrastructure are in place to enable people with different kinds of impairment and disabilities to engage with, live and move around Canberra
    • Ensure that people with disability can find and secure accessible and affordable housing in the community

    Issued by ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability, Women with Disabilities ACT, Mental Health Community Coalition ACT and Advocacy for Inclusion.  Authorised by Kat Reed for Women with Disabilities ACT.

    You can view our shared election priorities below.

    Shared election prioritiesDownload

  • Media Release: Disability IS an election issue – groups launch campaign calling for whole of government push

    On the eve of next Tuesday’s ACT Budget, ACT disability organisations are asking the Government along with candidates in the coming ACT election to focus on key priorities across health, housing, education, gendered violence, families and planning as well as calling for a boost for struggling disability advocacy.

    You can read the full media release below.

    Media Release – combined election prioritiesDownload

    Election content is authorised by Kat Reed for Women with Disabilities ACT

  • WWDACT ACT Election Platform 2020

    WWDACT is the representative body for women, girls, non-binary and feminine identifying people with disabilities in the ACT. With the ACT election coming up in October 2020, we are seeking commitments from the candidates in the 5 areas of our strategic plan to support access and inclusion in the ACT community.

    WWDACT calls on all parties to commit to:

    Representation

    • Maintain and increase funding for Disabled People’s Organisations, aligned with the increase in population and need for representation.
    • Ensure all directorates have access and inclusion plans, informed by people with disabilities.
    • Consider a gendered, intersectional lens on all policies relating to disability.
    • Promote women’s leadership through funded inclusive programs.

    Health

    • Develop and implement a Disability Health Strategy, co-designed with people with disabilities.
    • Fund Disability Liaison Officers in Hospitals, particularly for Maternity Services and spinal cord injuries.
    • Implement the recommendations of the report from the Inquiry into Maternity Services.
    • Ensure Women’s Health Services are resourced to cater for women with disabilities, including counselling.

    Violence Prevention

    • Improve the accessibility of crisis shelters in the ACT.
    • Fully implement of the Disability Justice Strategy including a gendered approach to justice issues.
    • Strengthen the role of the Family Safety Hub.
    • Continue funding of Official Visitors.
    • Streamline complaints processes at ACT Human Rights Commission.

    Housing

    • Increase the quantum and availability of public housing.
    • Introduce measures to promote affordable, accessible housing in the private rental market.
    • Implement minimum accessibility features as standard for all new housing.

    Urban Planning and Safety

    • Implement disability conscious emergency planning in all directorates, using the Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness Framework and the Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Framework.
    • Ensure walkability and safety are incorporated in all town planning.

    Ask your local candidates to commit to these initiatives! Send them a letter and attach our platform!

  • WWDACT’s Guide to the 2019 Federal Election

    WWDACT’s Guide to the 2019 Federal Election

    UPDATE 14/05: With the Election drawing close, you can find our your local candidates and the order of the ballot paper using this chat bot from the AEC. We’ve also prepared simple lists in ballot order so you can plan your vote before you head to the polls

     

    WWDACT has read the major party policy papers to help you understand what they say on key issues – including gender, people with disabilities and violence prevention. We will be updating this post as the election gets closer with ACT-specific information, including information from independents and smaller parties. If you’d like to see more information on a certain topic, send us feedback at info@wwdact.org.au.

     

    Voting – Accessibility

    Advocacy for Inclusion has recently updated their Easy-Read voting kit and you can download it here.

    The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has Easy-Read information about voting, and information about accessible ways to vote here.

    Braille, audio and large print guides to voting and the candidates will be published by the AEC.

     

    Electorates in the ACT

    Since the last election, the electorates for the House of Representatives of the ACT have changed. One person from each area will be elected to represent that area. you can check you electorate and enrolment here.

    • Fenner now takes up the northern part of the ACT, including Belconnen north and west of the town centre, Gungahlin and Jervis Bay.
    • Canberra now takes up the central part of the ACT, including the Inner North, eastern and southern Belconnen and the Inner South down to the Woden town centre.
    • Bean now takes up the Molonglo Valley, Weston Creek, Woden Valley south of the town centre, Tuggeranong and all areas in the southern ACT.
    • You can view a detailed map here. You can see more information about the political alignment of the electorates on the ABC’s Australia Votes website here.

    Everyone in the ACT votes for the same Senate candidates, and two will be elected to represent us.

     

    Policy Breakdown

    We’ve looked for important policies about women, people with disabilities and violence prevention. The Parties are listed in alphabetical order, with independents and microparties at the bottom. You can see which candidates are in each area under the party name.

     

    Australian Labor Party

    Senate Candidates: Katy Gallagher and Nancy Waites | House of Representatives Candidates: Dr Andrew Leigh (Fenner), Alicia Payne (Canberra), David Smith (Bean)

    Women

    1. Commitment to make abortions safe, accessible, legal and free.
    2. Will remove the Medicare rebate freeze, which disproportionately affects women

    People with Disabilities

    1. Committed to delivering the Royal Commission into the abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation of people with disabilities and will review commissioners with conflicts of interest.
    2. Committed to lifting the staffing cap on the NDIA.
    3. Will work with people with disability to improve employment opportunities and job readiness.
    4. Increase the proportion of people with a disability employed in the APS, ensuring they have access to meaningful career development.
    5. Deliver needs-based school funding so our schools and teachers are equipped to meet the needs of students with disability.
    6. Will support women’s ability to have control over their own fertility, including women with disability, by ensuring women and girls have access to the sexual and reproductive health services they require across the life course.
    7. Will implement the ‘National Decision-Making Principles’ published in the Australian Law Reform Commission’s (ALRC) 2014 report, Equality, Capacity and Disability in Commonwealth Laws.
    8. Wants to end the demonisation of welfare recipients
    9. Will establish an NDIS Future Fund to maintain the security of NDIS funding.

    And much more – search ‘disability’ within the National Platform document here.

    Violence

    1. Will legislate for 10 days paid Family and Domestic Violence leave.
    2. Invest $88 million in more crisis and transitional housing for women and their children escaping violence.
    3. Will match the Liberal party commitment to the  4th Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children.
    4. Aware of the need for accessible crisis accommodation for women fleeing Domestic Violence in the ACT

     

    Australian Progressives

    Senate Candidates: None | House of Representatives Candidates: Kagiso Ratlhagane (Fenner), Robert Knight (Canberra), Therese Faulkner (Bean)

    Women

    1.  Committed to advocate for fairness for women wherever there are systemic discriminatory practices; including equal pay, maternity leave and childcare.
    2. Want to tackle systemic issues related to access to services for women.

    People with Disabilities

    1. Committed to raise social security payments such as the DSP.
    2. Committed to remove eligibility barriers to support payments.
    3. Want to fix the NDIS so that it better serves the community.

    Violence

    1. Supports all the recommendations to increase funding and services as outlined in the final report from the Victorian Royal Commission into Domestic Violence.

     

    The Greens

    Senate Candidates: Dr Penny Kyburz and Emma Davidson | House of Representatives Candidates: Andrew Braddock (Fenner), Tim Hollo (Canberra), Jonathon Davis (Bean)

    Women

    1. Committed to make abortions safe, accessible, legal and free.
    2. Legislate to protect the right to request family friendly, flexible workplaces;
    3. Value the work of carers through extended paid parental leave, with superannuation;
    4. Reform superannuation for fairer retirement.

    And more – policy platform available here

    People with Disabilities

    1. Committed to delivering the Royal Commission into the abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation of people with disabilities.
    2. Committed to fully fund the NDIS and remove the NDIA staffing cap.
    3. Will invest $400 million over 5 years to improve access to public transport.
    4. Will construct 500,000 fully accessible public and community homes and establish a National Housing Trust.
    5. Set an Australian Public Service goal of $15% disabled employees by 2030.
    6. Committed to increased funding to advocacy organisations by $11.3 million
    7. Establish a National Disability Telecommunications Service.
    8. Aware of the gender imbalance in access to the NDIS.

    And much more – policy platform available here

    Violence

    1. Will legislate for 10 days paid Family and Domestic Violence leave
    2. Will create a new ten-year, $5.3 billion National Partnership Agreement on Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women between state and federal governments. The Greens’ plan would provide 10-year funding certainty for frontline response services
    3. Will increase and provide long-term secure funding support for Our Watch and ANROWS
    4. Committed an additional $200 million over four years to a Survivor Grant fund, which would give up to 50,000 FDV survivors grants of up to $4000.

     

    Liberal Party of Australia

    Senate Candidates: Zed Seselja and Robert Gunning | House of Representatives Candidates: Leanne Castley (Fenner), Mina Zaki (Canberra), Ed Cocks (Bean)

    Women

    1. The recent Budget will fund a Single National Mechanism for Commonwealth Legal Assistance, providing $1.2 billion over three years for legal assistance services.
    2. Listing new diagnostic imaging services on the Medicare Benefits Schedule used in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
    3. Prioritising perinatal mental health with $26.3 million over five years.
    4. increasing flexibility in the Paid Parental Leave system and expanding access through changes to the work test

    People with Disabilities

    1. $527.9M funding for the Royal Commission into the abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation of people with disabilities
    2. Will roll out new NDIS planning pathways, including longer plans.
    3. Introduce a new NDIS Participant Service Guarantee from 1 July 2020 – setting new standards for shorter timeframes
    4. Commit $45 million to develop a national disability information gateway, including a website and 1800 number, to assist all people with disability and their families to locate and access services in their communities.
    5. Introduce a new 7 per cent employment target for people with disability across the Australian Public Service (APS) by 2025.
    6. Provide $2 million to support people with autism to find and keep a job, including a $1.5 million national expansion of the successful Dandelion Program in partnership with DXC Technology.

    Violence

    1. $328M Funding for the 4th Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children has previously been announced but has not been expanded to include women in institutional settings.
    2. $14.9 million investment to 2022-23 to expand the No Interest Loans Scheme for women experiencing family and domestic violence, and extending the early release of superannuation for victims of domestic and family violence.

     

    United Australia Party

    Senate Candidates: Peter Walter and Rebecca Hodgson| House of Representatives Candidates: Glen Hodgson (Fenner), Greg De Maine (Canberra), Tony Hanley (Bean)

    Women

    1. Wants to legislate for gender balance in cabinet positions.

     

    Micro-Parties

    Fraser Anning’s Conservative National Party

    Senate Candidates: Shane Van Duren and Scott Birkett

    WWDACT will not publish more on this party due to their stance on reproductive rights and discrimination based on sexuality and ethnicity.

     

    Sustainable Australia

    Senate Candidates: John Haydon and Angel Joy

    • Want to expand public transport networks across the country
    • Want to improve the affordability of housing, for both renters and owner-occupiers

    Women

    • Supports the provision of universal access to free contraception and reproductive health advice.

    People with Disabilities

    • Supports the full rollout of the NDIS

     

    Independents

    Anthony Pesec

    Independent Candidate for the Senate

    • Opposes cuts to Medicare and Federal Health funding
    • Supports greater resources for aged care and mental health

     

    Ben Rushton

    The Great Australian Party House of Representatives Candidate for Bean

    WWDACT will not publish more on this party due to their intention to eliminate the Family Court.

     

    David Kim

    Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group) Candidate for the Senate

    WWDACT will not publish more on this party due to their stance on reproductive rights and discrimination based on sexuality and religion.

     

    Gary Cowton

    Independent Candidate for the Senate

    No relevant policies available

     

    Gary Kent

    Independent Candidate for the Senate, running mate of Anthony Pesec

    No relevant policies available

     

    Dr Jamie Christie

    Independent House of Representatives Candidate for Bean

    • Wants to stop the Robodebt scheme.
    • Wants to improve the ACT Health system.
    • Committed to addressing disadvantage in Bean.

     

    Matt Donnelly

    Liberal Democrats House of Representatives Candidate for Bean

    WWDACT will not publish more on this party due to their policies to decrease welfare, privatise healthcare, abolish all affirmative action programs and abolish government funded programs and bodies that cater to disadvantaged groups.

     

    Nick Houston

    Independent Candidate for the Senate, affiliated with the Democratic Reform Alliance

    • Wants to introduce online voting to increase access to voting.

     

    Tim Bohm

    Independent House of Representatives Candidate for Canberra

    • Wants to improve transport through federal support for Light Rail stages II and III and High Speed Rail to Sydney.
    • Committed to a viable future for Medicare and transparent, equitable private health.
    • Wants to address the need for safe housing for women.

     

    References

    Many resources are not available in completely accessible formats. Please contact WWDACT if you would like our help to access the content of the files.

    1. National Foundation for Australian Women’s Social Policy Platform – read more on the NFAW website.
    2. ACT Candidates Forum at Smith’s Alternative, 13th April 2019. – watch on YouTube
    3. Australian Labor Party Women’s Budget Statement 2019 – Read it on the Analysis & Policy Observatory.
    4. Australian Labor Party National Platform 2018 – Download it as a pdf.
    5. Australian Progressives website – www.progressives.org.au
    6. The Democratic Reform Alliance Website – www.democraticreformalliance.org.au
    7. The Greens Equality for Women Policy – Download it as a pdf
    8. The Greens Accessible Australia Policy – Download it as a pdf.
    9. The Government’s Women’s Budget Snapshot – read it on the PM & C website.
    10. Paul Fletcher MP’s Website, Joint Media Release: Morrison Government’s plan to support people with disability.
    11. The United Australia Party’s Gender Equality Statement – Download it as a pdf
    12. Anthony Pesec’s website – anthonypesec.com.au
    13. Dr Jamie Christie’s Website – jamiechristie.com.au
    14. Tim Bohm’s Website – timbohm.com
    15. ACTCOSS #ACTDecides Forum – Closing Remarks Video