Analysis: Labor has been given a clear mandate to govern. Now it must deliver on its promises.
As the dust begins to settle on the federal election and we all breathe a sigh of relief over having avoided a Dutton Coalition Government, it’s time to consider what the election result actually means for us as queer and/or disabled folk and what we can expect over the next three years.
Queer and disability related issues received very little attention from any of the parties in the lead up to the election. Labor’s commitment to improving Medicare and increasing the availability of bulk-billing, as well as training more nurses and GPs, is very much welcome as a policy that will potentially benefit people with disability, who are often on lower incomes and needing more doctor visits compared to the general population. Many PBS medications will also be capped at $25 (down from $31.60).
Similarly, Labor’s planned investment of $1 billion in mental health services across Australia is much needed, with both the disability and queer communities experiencing higher rates of mental illness compared to the general population. The promised investment includes 21 new Medicare Mental Health Centres, the expanison of Headspace services and 1,200 new mental health professionals.
Image source: Amanda Rishworth’s official website.
While not making any specific policy commitments to the disability community, Labor’s Minister for Social Services and the NDIS, Amanda Rishworth, told People With Disability Australia’s election forum on disabiltiy rights that, if re-elected, Labor will:
Continue to implement key recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission, including reforms to the Disability Discrimination Act.
Implement foundational supports in partnership with state and territory governments.
Strengthen co-design and co-governance processes across disability policy.
Continue to embed disability inclusion across housing, employment and education systems.
Deliver sustainable reform to the NDIS that protects participant access and improves planning and service delivery.
Build a stronger social services safety net that supports people at different ages and stages of life.
In a statement to the online disability support platform Hireup, Ms Rishworth said:
Our Government will continue to make changes to improve the NDIS in a transparent way, making sure it delivers better, consistent and fairer decisions, protects the safety and upholds the rights of participants, and that every dollar allocated to NDIS participants reaches them and is spent in a meaningful way that makes a difference in their lives.
The Australian Labor Party (along with the the Liberal/National Coalition, the Australian Greens and some independent candidates) was also surveyed by Equality Australia ahead of the election about where it stood on key LGBTQIA+ issues. This included questions related to health and wellbeing, protection from discrimination and vilification, medical treatments on intersex people, support for rainbow families, and foreign policy.
The Labor Party’s response to the Equality Australia survey was mixed. Of the eight key policy areas iedntified by Equality Australia, Labor was only able to demonstrate full commitment to three areas: health and well-being, protecting LGBTQIA+ people beyond Australia, and improving data collection and recognition of LGBTQIA+ people. In another four areas (anti-discrimination and vilification protections, removing barriers to parenthood and supporting rainbow families, a voice for LGBTQIA+ people in government decisions, and supporting LGBTQIA+ community organisations), Labor was only able to provide some level of commitment, while on the issue of ending unnecessary, non-consensual treatments on intersex people, it did not provide any clear commitment, instead stating that this is a matter for the states and territories.
Image source: Q News
In a clear commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community during its election campaign, Labor pledged a $10 million package aimed at improving primary care for LGBTQIA+ Australians, including funding for a national training and accreditation program to support healthcare providers in delivering inclusive, culturally safe care for the LGBTQIA+ community.
However, one week out from the election, Labor was reported to have backtracked on an earlier commitment to end discrimination against LGBTQIA+ teachers and students in religious schools. While state and territory laws in Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland, the ACT and the Northern Territory currently ban discrimination, there is no such protection for LGBTQIA+ teachers and students in religious schools in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. At the time, the Australian Labor Party said that it would not progress any legislation without bipartisan support from the Coalition and previously refused offers from the Australian Greens and some independents to help pass legislation that would afford greater protection to LGBTQIA+ teachers and students in religious schools.
While the prospect of a Dutton Coalition government struck fear into the hearts of many of us and contributed to a surge in votes for Labor, keeping the Coalition out of government has come at a cost to one of the greatest allies of both the queer and disability communities in Australian politics - the Australian Greens, who lost two of their four seats in the House of Representatives and with a third seat, that of Greens leader Adam Bandt, still hanging in the balance. Yet, the Greens have always been at their strongest in the Senate and this looks set to continue in the new parliament. All six of the Greens senators up for re-election have retained their seats, giving the Australian Greens a total of 11 Senate seats. The Greens also now hold sole balance of power in the Senate, potentially giving them greater influence over government policy, whereas at the end of the previous parliament, Labor needed the support of the Greens and three crossbenchers to pass contentious bills.
Speaking about his party’s increased voting power in the Senate, Adam Bandt said on Monday that the Greens are ready to “make this the most progressive parliament that Australia has seen.”
The election result makes clear that Australians have given the Australian Labor Party a strong mandate to govern and the Albanese Government now has no excuse not to follow through on the promises and commitments it took into the election. Should it fail to do so, it’s only another three years until the next federal election when they will be held to account and the chances of them replicating the success of this election are slim. Labor needs to make the most of the opportunity they have been given and show that they can be a progressive force.