Current as of 17/3/2023
PHAA NSW is part of the national Public Health Association of Australia, a non-partisan, non-governmental organisation. This scorecard reports on the alignment of each major party’s policies with the Vote For Public Health NSW State Election Campaign’s five priorities.
A survey was sent to the three major parties (ALP, Liberal-National Coalition, and Greens). We received written responses from the Greens and the ALP, but not the Coalition. Our scoring was based on our review of the parties’ election platforms, and their official responses.
If any party or reader believes that the alliance has misrepresented a party’s position, please contact policy@phaa.net.au
2023 NSW Election Scorecard
| Election priority | Liberal-National Coalition | Labor | Greens |
 Young people and vaping |  | |  |
 Children’s healthy weight | | |  |
 Gambling harms | | | |
 Climate and health | |  | |
 Prioritise preventive health | | |  |
Other commitments
All three parties have committed to ban sexuality conversion practices. The Greens also propose to raise the age of criminal responsibility (7), and have committed to ban all corporate political donations, and reform political lobbying (9).
Scorecard analysis was based on publicly announced policies and information provided to PHAA NSW by the major state parties. All major state parties were invited to provide details on their policies to address these five domains. The assessments presented here are based on analysis undertaken by the PHAA NSW Branch.
This scorecard was developed on the basis that announced policies will be acted upon and appropriately funded.
Key:
Party policies align with PHAA election priority.
Party policies partially align with PHAA election priority.
Party either has policies that conflict with the PHAA election priority, or, to our knowledge, has no policy position on the election priority.
Scorecard explained
No commitments made regarding vaping. The National Party appears set to support a ‘legalise vaping’ policy, which risks normalising vaping and its industry (13).
Sources:
- https://nswliberal.org.au/ourplanfornsw/8-hospitals-and-health
- https://nswliberal.org.au/state-news?pageNumber=1
- (13) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2023/mar/13/australia-news-live-updates-flooding-weather-aukus-albanese-dutton-interest-rates-housing-health-economy?filterKeyEvents=true&page=with:block-640e74dc8f08fe006b95f757#block-640e74dc8f08fe006b95f757
Labor offers only modest commitments relating to vaping detection in schools, hosting a roundtable within a year, and supporting a health and safety campaign (not stated by whom) relating to vaping in schools. (1)
Sources:
- Letter from Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park (15/3/23)
- https://www.chrisminns.com.au/issues
- https://www.freshstartplan.com.au/healthcare/
The Greens position makes a serious error in adopting a proposal to legalise vaping (10), which risks normalising vaping and its industry. The Greens’ statement includes useful commitment to education campaigns and retailer penalties, but these would be overwhelmed by the adverse impact of their main policy.
Sources:
- Letter from Greens NSW health spokesperson, Cate Faerhmann, 14/3/2023
- https://greens.org.au/nsw/healthcare2023
- https://greens.org.au/nsw/news
- https://greens.org.au/nsw/news/media-release/greens-propose-plan-regulate-vaping-reduce-harms
On their election platform, the Liberals have made no specific commitments towards children’s healthy weight, or protecting them from junk food advertising on government assets like public transport and buildings.
On their election platform, Labor has made no specific commitments towards children’s healthy weight, or protecting them from junk food advertising on government assets like public transport and building.
In his letter to PHAA, Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park Park writes that an ALP government would “review the arrangements that are in place in relation to food advertising, with a view to achieving better health outcomes for NSW.”
In their letter to PHAA the Greens’ Cate Faehrmann stated that they will provide support in principle as follows:
“[We] support your policy ask to remove all unhealthy good advertising from state owned property and to invest $8 million each year to deliver a healthy eating campaign”.
Furthermore, the Greens “support the PHAA’s policy asks to promote healthy weight among children. We believe in banning junk food ads.”
NSW Premier Perrottet deserves credit for initiating a major policy shift on cashless gaming, although his 5-year timetable should be accelerated. (There must however be doubts about whether the Premier can deliver the unity within the Coalition needed to see the policy implemented.)
Sources:
Opposition Leader Minn’s failure to grasp historic opportunity over cashless gaming is a major disappointment. Labor does offer some other useful reform proposals. (2)
Source:
The Greens make clear commitments to support cashless gaming and other vital reforms (12)
Source:
- (12) https://greens.org.au/nsw/news/media-release/greens-support-cashless-gambling-call-interim-measures
The Liberal-National Coalition is silent on the key issue of no more fossil fuel extraction approvals. Their policy is for net zero by 2050, but failure to already legislate must be noted.
Offers positive initiatives including:
– Renewable Energy Roadmap
– Five renewable energy zones to replace retiring coal fired power stations
– Target for 1,000,000 EVs in NSW by 2030, and a continuing roll out of electric buses
Sources:
- https://nswliberal.org.au/ourplanfornsw/6-energy
- https://nswliberal.org.au/ourplanfornsw/13-environment
Labor is silent on the key issue of no more fossil fuel extraction approvals.
Its policy is for net zero by 2050 (and has pledged to legislate if elected)
Offers positive initiatives including:
-Resilience investments into levee building, updating disaster warning systems, telecommunications, flood planning.
– Cracking down on proposed housing developments in flood prone areas.
Sources:
- https://www.freshstartplan.com.au/energy-and-renewables/
- https://www.chrisminns.com.au/floodandfiredetectiontechnology
The Greens party has made a number of committments including:
- Phase out coal and gas by 2030
- Transition NSW to 100% renewable energy
- Climate Disaster Levy on coal exports
- Climate Recovery and Transformation Authority to assist climate vulnerable communities
- Empower communities to prepare for climate change through Citizens Climate Assemblies
Source:
The Liberal-National Coalition has made no commitments on preventive health.
Labor has made no clear commitments made on preventive health. Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park’s letter to PHAA positively discusses issues of prevention and health spending and concludes: “I am committed to ensuring a Minns Labor Government does preventative health better.”
Specific preventive initiative include:
- Commitment to ban manufactured stone in workplaces (3)
- Commitment to suicide prevention package (5)
Sources:
- Letter from Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park (15/3/23)
- (3) https://www.chrisminns.com.au/silicosisban
- (5) https://www.chrisminns.com.au/suicidepreventionlegislation
The Greens have a clear, positive statement on prevention: “We will ensure more of the health budget is spent on prevention and wellness, including for lower socio-economic communities, regional and First Nations communities“ (6). Note however that the Greens would need to participate in forming a Government to pursue that commitment.
Specific preventive initiative include:
- support ban on manufactured stone (11)
- commitment to reproductive health package (6)
- commitment to publicly funded dental care (6)
Sources:
- (6) https://greens.org.au/nsw/healthcare2023
- (11) https://greens.org.au/nsw/news/media-release/greens-condemn-government-failure-protect-workers-silicosis-and-call
Revision
Parties were asked to respond to a survey by 9 March so that material could be published in time for review before early voting.
Updates will appear as new information becomes available, or new policies are released.
If parties wish to see new material included, or seek changes to our presentation, please email policy@phaa.net.au
Other 2023 NSW election campaign resources
Election Platform
The five asks for the 2023 campaign
Twitter – campaign images
