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
- Candidate list for Bean
- Candidate list for Canberra
- Candidate list for Fenner
- Candidate list for the Senate
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
- Commitment to make abortions safe, accessible, legal and free.
- Will remove the Medicare rebate freeze, which disproportionately affects women
People with Disabilities
- 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.
- Committed to lifting the staffing cap on the NDIA.
- Will work with people with disability to improve employment opportunities and job readiness.
- Increase the proportion of people with a disability employed in the APS, ensuring they have access to meaningful career development.
- Deliver needs-based school funding so our schools and teachers are equipped to meet the needs of students with disability.
- 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.
- 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.
- Wants to end the demonisation of welfare recipients
- 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
- Will legislate for 10 days paid Family and Domestic Violence leave.
- Invest $88 million in more crisis and transitional housing for women and their children escaping violence.
- Will match the Liberal party commitment to the 4th Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children.
- 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
- Committed to advocate for fairness for women wherever there are systemic discriminatory practices; including equal pay, maternity leave and childcare.
- Want to tackle systemic issues related to access to services for women.
People with Disabilities
- Committed to raise social security payments such as the DSP.
- Committed to remove eligibility barriers to support payments.
- Want to fix the NDIS so that it better serves the community.
Violence
- 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
- Committed to make abortions safe, accessible, legal and free.
- Legislate to protect the right to request family friendly, flexible workplaces;
- Value the work of carers through extended paid parental leave, with superannuation;
- Reform superannuation for fairer retirement.
And more – policy platform available here
People with Disabilities
- Committed to delivering the Royal Commission into the abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation of people with disabilities.
- Committed to fully fund the NDIS and remove the NDIA staffing cap.
- Will invest $400 million over 5 years to improve access to public transport.
- Will construct 500,000 fully accessible public and community homes and establish a National Housing Trust.
- Set an Australian Public Service goal of $15% disabled employees by 2030.
- Committed to increased funding to advocacy organisations by $11.3 million
- Establish a National Disability Telecommunications Service.
- Aware of the gender imbalance in access to the NDIS.
And much more – policy platform available here
Violence
- Will legislate for 10 days paid Family and Domestic Violence leave
- 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
- Will increase and provide long-term secure funding support for Our Watch and ANROWS
- 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
- The recent Budget will fund a Single National Mechanism for Commonwealth Legal Assistance, providing $1.2 billion over three years for legal assistance services.
- Listing new diagnostic imaging services on the Medicare Benefits Schedule used in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
- Prioritising perinatal mental health with $26.3 million over five years.
- increasing flexibility in the Paid Parental Leave system and expanding access through changes to the work test
People with Disabilities
- $527.9M funding for the Royal Commission into the abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation of people with disabilities
- Will roll out new NDIS planning pathways, including longer plans.
- Introduce a new NDIS Participant Service Guarantee from 1 July 2020 – setting new standards for shorter timeframes
- 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.
- Introduce a new 7 per cent employment target for people with disability across the Australian Public Service (APS) by 2025.
- 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
- $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.
- $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
- 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.
- National Foundation for Australian Women’s Social Policy Platform – read more on the NFAW website.
- ACT Candidates Forum at Smith’s Alternative, 13th April 2019. – watch on YouTube
- Australian Labor Party Women’s Budget Statement 2019 – Read it on the Analysis & Policy Observatory.
- Australian Labor Party National Platform 2018 – Download it as a pdf.
- Australian Progressives website – www.progressives.org.au
- The Democratic Reform Alliance Website – www.democraticreformalliance.org.au
- The Greens Equality for Women Policy – Download it as a pdf
- The Greens Accessible Australia Policy – Download it as a pdf.
- The Government’s Women’s Budget Snapshot – read it on the PM & C website.
- Paul Fletcher MP’s Website, Joint Media Release: Morrison Government’s plan to support people with disability.
- The United Australia Party’s Gender Equality Statement – Download it as a pdf
- Anthony Pesec’s website – anthonypesec.com.au
- Dr Jamie Christie’s Website – jamiechristie.com.au
- Tim Bohm’s Website – timbohm.com
- ACTCOSS #ACTDecides Forum – Closing Remarks Video