NZ inspires Labor Party
MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019 themercury.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS 1300 696 397 NEW Zealand-style wellbeing measures will sit alongside motions on jobs, health, education and the economy at the Labor Party’s state conference.
Last year Labor was soulsearching after the Liberals were returned to government at the state election, while this year the party is reeling from losing Bass and Braddon in the federal election.
Following the state election Labor has rewritten its guiding policy platform to be presented to members at the conference to be held in Burnie later this month.
ALP state secretary Stuart Benson said core issues were on the minds of members, with many motions dealing with health, housing, education and employment.
“After five years of this (Liberal) Government there are crises in health and housing. It’s pretty clear our members are passionate about jobs, health, housing, wages, among a few other issues being debated,” Mr Benson said.
Following leader Rebecca White’s trip to meet New Zealand Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, some Labor members have also taken inspiration from across the Tasman.
Ms White said she was interested in learning about New Zealand’s so-called “wellbeing budget”, which will have the nation measure success according to its population’s wellbeing with a particular focus on mental health, child poverty and housing. In a motion to be put to the conference, the Lenah Valley branch “asks that Labor take a proactive stance on improving the mental health of all Tasmanians and suggest following New Zealand’s lead and introduce a budget specifically targeted at wellbeing.”
The Battery Point branch has floated the idea of a dedicated government social impact unit for evaluation of the sustainable community benefits of development projects.
The policy to remove poker machines from pubs and clubs is off the agenda.
Other motions from rank and file members include:
ESTABLISHING a commercial airport on Tasmania’s West Coast to support tourism and other industries;
FREE public transport concession holders;
A NEW government business to conduct mining and mineral exploration;
FREE sanitary items in public bathrooms and schools;
CHRISTMAS Eve and New Year’s Eve to become public holidays. for
Rebecca White