The major parties contesting the 8 March election in Western Australia are to be congratulated for maintaining restrictions on electronic poker machines, but they could do more to protect the public's health, the peak body for public health professionals in Western Australia says.
Parties and candidates should back a range of measures, like increased spending on preventive health initiatives that would ease pressures on our ambulance and hospital systems, the Public Health Association of Australia's WA Branch says.
The Branch has assessed Labor, the Liberals, Nationals, and Greens parties' policies against six election priorities:
- prevention and health promotion
- alcohol's contribution to gender-based violence
- protecting children from the influence of harmful industries
- raise to 14 the minimum age of criminal responsibility
- maintain electronic gambling machine restrictions
- Act boldly on climate change; set a 2035 target
This scorecard is available here. The Nationals are yet to respond to questions.
"We are pleased that there's consensus against expanding pokies numbers, but one number that needs expanding is how much we invest in preventive health measures," PHAA WA Branch President, Ainslie Sartori, says.
"We urge all parties to lift it to 5% of the state's health budget by 2029, in line with recommendations in the Sustainable Health Review Final Report.
"Labor agreed to it before the 2021 election, but it has yet to materialise."
The PHAA WA Branch's election priorities were developed in consultation with members and other experts in public health across the state.
"They're evidence-based, are affordable, and achievable. If they're enacted by the next government, they will work to keep Western Australians healthy and safe because prevention is always better than treatment," Ms Sartori added.
