Five days to the election.
AMA: Health policy Report Card
Independents for Canberra have got a clean bill of health from the Australian Medical Association ACT, scoring the highest marks (distinction) on the AMA’s 2024 Health Report Card, which rates the major political parties’ health policies. The Canberra Liberals received a credit, but ACT Labor and the ACT Greens scraped through with pass marks.
The ACT has the lowest rate of GPs per capita of any jurisdiction other than the Northern Territory, and suffers from shortages of public hospital doctors, the AMA said. “With Canberrans facing ongoing challenges in accessing timely and affordable healthcare, this election presents a critical opportunity for parties to address workforce shortages and improve healthcare services across the territory.”
Independents for Canberra propose to clear 75 per cent of the elective surgery waitlist within 12 months, implement a co-designed retention and burnout prevention strategy for GPs, and develop a strategic vision of integrated care. They received a score of 79/100.
The Canberra Liberals came second with 63/100. They propose abolishing payroll tax for GPs, increasing education allowances for medical registrars, developing healthcare infrastructure, and conducting a royal commission into the ACT health system.
ACT Labor and the ACT Greens each scored 55/100. Labor plans to employ 800 more health workers, build the new Northside Hospital, and expand community health services, including improvements to women’s health and a boost for palliative care, but the AMA says their plans do not specify how they would address the workforce crisis.
The Greens aim to expand mental health services, build four new healthcare centres, make emergency ambulance services free, and support GPs to develop their skills.
“Doctors are on the front lines of our health system every day, and they have a unique perspective on what works and what doesn’t,” AMA ACT president Dr Kerrie Aust said. “Our Report Card aims to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the health policies on offer this election, so voters can make informed decisions at the polls.
“Health policy is about people, not just infrastructure or technology. It’s about ensuring the people who provide care are supported and valued,.
“While the parties have announced several policies aimed at strengthening our workforce, more needs to be done. This election, we need to see a genuine commitment from all parties to address the root causes of our workforce shortages.”
Sneha KC, registered nurse and Independents for Canberra candidate for Yerrabi, said: “We’re incredibly proud that Independents for Canberra topped the AMA’s Health Report Card with a score of 79/100, reflecting our strong focus on supporting GPs, clearing the elective surgery backlog, and developing a long-term, integrated care strategy.
“This recognition highlights our commitment to addressing the critical workforce shortages and ensuring timely, affordable healthcare for all Canberrans. As we head into the election, and beyond, we remain dedicated to putting the health and wellbeing of our community first, with practical solutions to improve our healthcare system.
“All major parties, whether in government or opposition, have had years to address the pressing issues in Canberra’s healthcare system. Yet, their policies continue to fall short when it comes to tackling the root causes of workforce shortages, healthcare access, and the system’s long-standing inefficiencies.
“As a new organisation, Independents for Canberra’s vision is centred on real solutions that go beyond the armchair and reflect the experiences of people with boots on the ground. Politics should be about communicating and addressing the everyday challenges faced by Canberrans, not only during election season but throughout the entire term of government.”
ACT Labor: Climate action
ACT Labor has pledged to expand the Big Canberra Battery program and continuing the Sustainable Household Scheme.
Labor would deliver a further 250MW utility scale battery, delivered through a revenue share or virtual storage agreement with a private provider, similar to the arrangement with Eku Energy. Labor says this would generate revenue; support more reliable and affordable electricity supply, lowering electricity prices; reduce reliance on fossil fuels in the National Electricity Market; and increase local employment in the renewable energy sector.
Labor would invest a further $75 million in loan capital to continue the Sustainable Household Scheme, which it says has saved Canberrans $51.6 million on household bills.
Labor would transition to a low-emission public transport network by purchasing 110 new electric buses, and constructing the next stage of Canberra light rail network, powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity.
“These signature projects represent the type of progressive, practical and proven policy that has made the ACT a national leader on climate action, supporting more Canberra households to benefit from a low emission future and providing reliable and affordable energy security for Canberra’s future,” a Labor spokesperson said.
The ACT was the first Australian jurisdiction to be powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity, and is leading the way on the transition to zero emission technology, the spokesperson said.
The Conservation Council ACT Region said it was glad to see Labor “pursuing essential climate policies”, as these two programs were important for Canberra’s transition to becoming a net zero economy, but called for further investment to help low-income households and renters transition to all-electric.
“Any future Government should expand the home energy support program to directly fund electrification for low-income and vulnerable households, electrify all social housing, and require free-standing rental homes to be electrified by 2030,” executive director Dr Simon Copland said.
The ACT Greens criticised Labor’s climate policies as lacking ambition and failing to meet community expectations of the ACT leading on climate action. Party leader Shane Rattenbury said: “Business as usual is not acceptable, we need to go further, faster to address climate change…
“Labor’s announcement makes it clear that, once again, the Greens are the only party offering real leadership on climate change.”
The Greens say their climate change plan sets out how to cut emissions, electrify Canberra, support vulnerable people with the transition, and simultaneously address the climate, housing, and cost-of-living crises. Their plan includes an additional 300MW of battery storage; solar panels on ACT Government buildings, public housing properties, and apartment buildings. They also propose fully funding gas to electric upgrades for 5000 low-income households, banning new gas appliances from 2027, and a $4,000 rebate for electric vehicles.
Peter Strong (Strong Independents) said: “This policy looks like it was generated by AI – no detail, other people’s ideas and predictable. We need to continue to lead the way on energy and climate but with a new refreshed government.”
Independents for Canberra candidate Anne-Louise Dawes cautioned that the Big Battery, “Canberra’s crown jewel of energy policy”, was “flashy … [but[]still just one cog in a much bigger machine”. She argued that the ACT”s efforts would be more effective if aligned with a national, co-ordinated energy strategy involving the Commonwealth and the states.
“One territory doing all the heavy lifting on renewables is a bit like trying to mop up a flood with a single tea towel.”
She warned that “big, complex, shiny” projects in Canberra like the Big Battery often face infrastructure delays, budget blowouts, construction holdups, and governance issues.
“This is a chance for the ACT to show that it can lead and it can work with the bigger picture for Australia. Let’s ensure we have a crossbench that can poke them to look up at the federal mothership and to keep their eye on progress, cost and governance.”
ACT Labor: Period products
Labor promises to make free period products available in public libraries, sports pavilions, and more ACT Government facilities, helping to end period poverty in the ACT.
Labor MLA Suzanne Orr’s bill last year made the ACT the second place in the world to enshrine free period products in law.
Belco Party: Restore community control of assets
The Belco Party has opposed what it sees as the Labor-Greens government’s “arrogant” strategy to control, rather than collaborate with, community-provided services.
Ginninderra candidate Alan Tutt criticised the government’s takeover of Calvary hospital in 2022, which he said was forced on the hospital without compensation or consultation with the Catholic community, “who had invested so much time and resourcing into what had been the best hospital in Canberra”. As a result, Mr Tutt said, staff morale has collapsed, and service quality has diminished, as anonymous sources within the health system have lamented.
Mr Tutt is also concerned by the government’s proposal to acquire the Belconnen Basketball Stadium from Basketball ACT, with no compensation, on the guarantee that it would build extra courts for the complex.
“This is another example of the current government taking control of a community facility that has been built by the funds of players, parents and coaches over the past 20 years, and for what purpose? Does anyone really believe that this government can manage basketball courts better than Basketball ACT, a community-based organisation knows its sport and its constituents far better than the remote leadership of the current government ever could?”
Mr Tutt warned that the government could take over and control the greyhound track, horse-racing facilities, Christian schools, or golf courses.
Mr Tutt promised that, if elected, the Belco would reverse the government’s “unfair and unfunded acquisition” of community infrastructure, and return control to the communities “that developed it in the first place”.
ACT Labor and the ACT Greens have been asked for comment.
Belco Party: Reverse ban on woodfires and gas heaters
The Belco Party has promised to overturn the Greens’ “unrealistic and unfair” ban on wood-fired heaters and gas appliances.
The government announced two years ago that it would phase out both heating systems by 2045, replacing them with electric alternatives. The government argues that wood heaters cause pollution and illness, and contribute to climate change. New gas network connections were banned last year. The government states that fossil fuel gas is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions after transport.
The Belco Party, however, would ensure that residents and businesses in the ACT were free to use and install wood-burning heaters and gas appliances, co-convenor Bill Stefaniak said. They believe that the market and individuals should decide their energy sources, especially considering the lack of available alternatives to gas for certain businesses.
The Greens’ approach, Mr Stefaniak said, was “just part of their ideological push to ban everything they don’t like”. He cautioned that the proposed bans on wood-fired heaters could lead to the demise of wood-fired pizza ovens, too.
The Belco Party oppose the Greens’ and Labor’s agenda to phase out gas, which Mr Stefaniak said was an essential low-emission energy source crucial to Australia’s future.
“I have been informed that they have already ripped gas out of public housing at a huge cost to taxpayers, and banning any new installations in the territory’s new suburbs is simply madness. People and businesses need choice.”
Acknowledging concerns about air pollution and health, Mr Stefaniak said that technological advancements have significantly reduced wood heater emissions. (This is also the view of the Australian Home Heating Association, which has said the government’s concerns are exaggerated and based on insufficient information.)
“Great improvements have been made to wood heaters, ensuring they are not pollutants and are indeed carbon neutral,” Mr Stefaniak said. “Many Canberrans rely on wood heaters, and since wood is a cheap, renewable source, it is madness to phase out and ban wood heaters in Canberra.”
Mr Stefaniak said maintaining proper safeguards meant “there aren’t any real problems”.
Besides, Mr Stefaniak said, these vital energy sources were both comfortable and sustainable.
“There is nothing quite like sitting in front of a roaring fire on a cold winter’s day, enjoying a cup of tea and reading a good book,” Mr. Stefaniak reminisced. “When I was young in Narrabundah, we had a slow combustion wood stove that not only cooked well but warmed the whole house. I still have a nice wood heater in my shed near Eden.”
The ACT Greens said that woodfire heaters must be phased out in line with the electrification pathway, “for the health of our community and the future of our environment”.
“Over the past four years, the ACT Greens have been the change-makers in Canberra, tackling the big issues in our community head on,” a spokesperson said. “While we’ve been driving progress, there are still those in this election whose only agenda is to disrupt and delay change…
“It makes you wonder – if the Belco Party can’t handle a 20-year phase-out, what can they handle? The ACT Greens will always prioritize the biodiversity crisis and the health of Canberrans.”
Canberra Liberals: Community sector
The Canberra Liberals have promised to review funding arrangements with community sector organisations to ensure they keep up with demand and growth.
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) launched a campaign in July for the government to fully fund service delivery, and index funding for the community sector to population growth. Funding had not taken into account the 30 per cent increase in Canberra’s population since 2011; community services could not meet increased demand caused by the cost-of-living crisis, and some might close.
Under the Liberals’ plan, a new community sector unit in the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate would carry out the review, making sure funding arrangements accounted for legislative changes such as increases to the superannuation guarantee and increases in population.
“The community sector is an integral part of the ACT community and makes a significant contribution to the social, emotional and economic wellbeing of Canberra,” Canberra Liberals leader Elizabeth Lee said.
“They are crucial in creating a more resilient and thriving Canberra, but for too long they have been taken for granted by the Labor-Greens Government.”
The Liberals would audit government assets to ascertain what unused facilities could be used by the community sector.
Leanne Castley, shadow minister for youth, families and community services, said fit-for-purpose facilities were essential to support the vital work of community sector organisations helping those in need.
“Many community sector organisations don’t have permanent spaces to undertake their work and are having to compete in the private market, which is unsustainable. In addition, many spaces that have been provided by the government are not fit for purpose,” Ms Castley said.
The Liberals have also committed $5 million over two years to ensure facilities are fit for purpose, and $2 million for a two-year pilot of a Community Transport Program.
Dr Devin Bowles, CEO of ACTCOSS, speaking today at the start of Anti-Poverty Week, said the community sector needed greater government investment to meet rising demand due to a growing population and escalating need. Funding must fully cover service costs, and be adjusted automatically for population increases; facilities must be fit-for-purpose; and the sector must be funded to adapt to climate change.
“The community sector is the ACT Government’s most important, most loyal, and oldest partner,” Dr Bowles said. “ACTCOSS and the community sector look forward to working with the next ACT Government to refreshing and improving the relationship to deliver better services to Canberrans.”
Peter Strong (Strong Independents) said: “The community sector needs much more respect – and funds. There is no surprise that the government treats the community sector – that means the people who work there – without respect.
“It’s a classic cycle – a new government shows respect and works closely with community, then a government in power for three terms starts to lose interest as big fancy projects take their attention, and a government in power for more than three terms believes no matter what they do they will always be in power anyway, the community sector will vote for them no matter what because they would never vote Liberal.
“This time around a strong cross bench in a minority government will ensure the community sector gets respect and funds. The community sector is disrespected by Labor – it’s time for a change.”
Independents for Canberra candidate Paula McGrady called for immediate investment in more workers and higher wages in the community sector.
“Community services are already scraping by on meagre and diminishing budgets. These are the people helping the vulnerable, often for pay that doesn’t reflect the stress and responsibility of their roles. No wonder they’re burning out and quitting, leaving gaps in services that are supposed to support society’s most at-risk. Although better infrastructure for our community sector is welcome and long overdue, it’s not the walls that keep a service running – it’s the people. Sectors like disability support, child protection, rape crisis, refuges, mental health, and homelessness need more workers and higher wages now, not five years from now when the ribbon’s cut on a new building.”
ACT Greens MLA Emma Davidson said: “It is fantastic to see the ACT Greens community sector policy being matched by other parties – it means the sector will have more funding to support even more Canberrans. The ACT Greens released a robust plan to sustainably fund and foster a genuine partnership with the community sector last month, so anyone in Canberra can get help when and where they need it.
“Our plan, however, goes further to ensure the sector has funding right now to meet current demand, a climate emergency and natural disasters fund so the sector are supported in these events, progress the Sector Sustainability program at a faster pace, and a clear commitment to increase funding with workload growth, population growth and ensure employee pay and conditions are fair and comparable to similar work in the private and public service.”
