WA Senate Election
After seeing the Facebook content recently shared by the Australian Sports Party, Fair Agenda members have expressed concern about where the candidates for the WA Senate election stand on issues affecting women.
Earlier this year hundreds of Fair Agenda members came together in communities across the country to tell us their top issues for the year. They are: representation of women, violence, pay equality and reproductive rights. There are specific questions we expect the new Senate will be required to consider on exactly these issues, so we've asked the parties to clarify exactly where they stand on these issues.
We've emailed representatives of each of the parties with four questions:
1) Representation
Fair Agenda members are concerned that women still remain dramatically under-represented in decision-making roles across business, media and politics.
Q: Do you have a policy to ensure gender balance in your party's representative roles?
2) Gendered violence
Fair Agenda members are alarmed about the devastatingly high statistics of gender violence in this country – including the horrific statistic that a woman dies at the hand of a partner or former partner every week. The National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children sets out Australia’s framework for action on gendered violence - and the Second Action Plan will focus on building and introducing practical national initiatives to reduce violence against women and their children.
Q: Will you support fully funding the Second Action Plan under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and Their Children, when it is released in coming months?
3) Pay equality
Fair Agenda members support equal pay for equal work. Sadly that’s not a reality; with Australia’s gender pay gap at 17.1%. The Workplace Gender Equality Act requires business to collect and disclose important data about gender in their workplace. Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick has said that ‘data is absolutely critical to moving ahead on [gender equality issues]’.
Q: Will you support maintaining current, or more detailed, levels of gender reporting for business under the Workplace Gender Equality Act?
4) Reproductive rights
Fair Agenda members are concerned about the increasing attacks by politicians on women’s ability to make decisions about their health and their family. At present, the Commonwealth Government positively impacts on women's access to reproductive health services through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. We want to ensure our elected representatives respect women’s rights - including their reproductive rights.
Q: The Commonwealth has some control over reproductive health services through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Will you support the maintenance of these arrangements?
We know that some parties won't respond without additional pressure - can you help us share this image with them on Facebook and Twitter?
UPDATE: We are please to report that we've already had responses from:
* Russell Woolf Group
* Animal Justice Party
* Australian Greens
* Rise Up Australia Party
* Kim Mubarak (Independent)
* Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party
* Pirate Party Australia
* Australian Christians
* Liberal Democrats
We have also heard from the Building Australia Party.
We have not yet received responses from:
The Australian Sports Party , The Wikileaks Party , The Nationals , Australian Democrats , Australian Labor Party , Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party , Freedom and Prosperity Party , Voluntary Euthanasia Party , Australian Voice Party, Mutual Party , Family First Party , #Sustainable Population Party , Palmer United Party , Liberal Party , Shooters and Fishers , Republican Party of Australia , Smokers Rights, Secular Party of Australia , Katter's Australian Party , Sex Party , Socialist Alliance , Outdoor Recreation Party (Stop the Greens) , Teresa Van Lieshout (Independent) .
We have contacted all the parties who provided an email contact on the AEC website. Unfortunately we were not able to access current emails for the Australian Fishing and Lifestyle Party or DLP Democratic Labour.
We will share the information received from the parties in a scorecard which we'll publish before the election on Saturday.
1 comment
2017-05-19 16:19:59 +1000
Add your thoughts