Health Australia Party

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Health Australia Party
Party PresidentAdjunct Professor Kerry Bone
ConvenorJudith Anne Cooke
Founded2013 as Natural Medicine Party[1]
IdeologyAnti-vaccination, anti-fluoridation, Naturopathy [2]
Website
www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au

The Health Australia Party (HAP) is a registered minor political party in Australia, registered on 7 November 2013.[3] It was known as the Natural Medicine Party until 8 October 2015.[4] HAP was involved in Glenn Druery's Minor Party Alliance in 2013.[5][6]

The party has been criticized for its support of natural medicine.

Policies

The party was formed in 2013 by naturopath Andrew Patterson of Sawtell, New South Wales, who owns and operates an alternative medicine clinic near Coffs Harbour on the NSW North Coast. "We are obviously interested in natural medicine and its role in the health of the Australian economy, but that's only one of our pillars," Mr Patterson has stated. "We have five pillars: healthy people, which is to do with medicine, healthy society, healthy democracy, a healthy environment, and a healthy economy."[7]

The HAP is critical of both the Coalition's "no jab, no pay" legislation and the Labor Party's health policy. The party describes their criticism of the "no jab, no pay" legislation as support for informed consent.[8] According to the ABC, the party "supports animal rights, food cooperatives, the Tobin tax system, which supports the taxing of foreign currency transactions, more academic freedom in universities, a Swiss-style national service system, and greater restrictions on herbicides and pesticides".[2]

The HAP's national president, Adjunct Professor Kerry Bone, stated on the party's website that, "True freedom of choice in health care, facilitated by a supportive and empathetic government and informed by balanced media representation, is what we seek."[9] Royal Australian College of General Practitioners deputy chair Dr Sue Page has criticised the HAP's policies. Professor John Dwyer of the Australian Health Reform Alliance stated that he was "concerned" that the party could be elected based on its polling position in NSW, saying, "Even allowing that they're well-intentioned, the policies that they're putting forward are dangerous and frankly ignorant."[7]

2016 Federal election

The Health Australia Party is fielding senate candidates for New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia in the 2016 federal election.[10] It has won the first spot on the NSW Senate ballot paper,[11] with party founder Andrew Patterson as the lead candidate.[12] Victorian candidate Dr Isaac Golden stated that the party "was created in 2015 largely in an attempt to expose and counter the damaging effects of this insidious influence on Australian healthcare systems,[13] and "to respond to the well funded, sustained and coordinated attacks on natural medicine in Australia which have placed our homeopathic profession at risk, as well as all natural therapists".[14]

Preferences

The How to Vote card of the Health Australia Party for the 2016 election gives position 2 to Voteflux, position 3 to the Democratic Labour Party, position 4 to the Animal Justice Party, position 5 to the Renewable Energy Party, position 6 to the Mature Australia Party and position 7 to The Arts Party.[15]

References

  1. ^ "History". Health Australia Party. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Election 2016: Revamped Health Australia Party broadens policies, but raises ire of AMA". 28 June 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Health Australia Party". Australian Electoral Commission. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  4. ^ "Natural Medicine Party". Australian Electoral Commission. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  5. ^ Bormann, Trevor (5 September 2013). "Bitter dispute erupts over Senate preferences in Queensland". ABC News. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  6. ^ Wood, Alicia (5 September 2013). "Alliance of micro parties boosts odds for likes of One Nation or Shooters and Fishers gaining Senate spot through preferences". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  7. ^ a b Mackenzie, Bruce (2016-06-17). "Election 2016: Health Australia Party criticised for candidates' 'alternative health beliefs'". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 2016-06-17.
  8. ^ "Official Statement "No Jab No Pay/Play" Legislation" (PDF). Health Australia Party. 2 April 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  9. ^ Bone, Kerry (13 June 2016). "Health Australia Party". Health Australia Party. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Candidates for the 2016 federal election". Australian Electoral Commission. 12 June 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  11. ^ Doran, Matthew (10 June 2016). "Senate ballot paper spots picked". ABC News. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference smh was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Golden, Isaac (13 June 2016). "Health Australia Party". Health Australia Party. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  14. ^ Golden, Isaac. "Attacks on Natural Medicine: A Need to Respond". Health Australia Party. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  15. ^ "How to Vote - Senate Ballot Paper" (PDF). Health Australia Party. Retrieved 17 June 2016.

External links

See also

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