Federal Election 2007 Update

Our Campaign

As reported in our Special Edition - Federal Election E-Bulletin Issue 47, PWD has concentrated our campaign on the 40 marginal electorates throughout Australia. In these electorates, there is still an opportunity to lobby candidates on issues that may influence how people vote. We have written to the candidates in these marginal electorates to seek support for the issues raised in our PWD National Agenda for Disability – Federal Election 2007 [DOC format 72k]. In New South Wales (NSW) we have also invited a number of candidates to meet with us to discuss our National Agenda more fully.

PWD has also provided a copy of the National Agenda to all the major parties – the Liberals, the Nationals, Labor, the Greens and the Democrats. We have invited these parties to meet with us to discuss the issues outlined in the National Agenda.

Since the e-bulletin a number of parliamentarians and candidates have contacted PWD about our National Agenda. We have also met with Senator Jan McLucas, Shadow Minister for Ageing, Disability and Carers to discuss our National Agenda and Labor's Disability and Carers policy [PDF format, 152KB]

Key issues of discussion included:

• a renegotiated Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement that addresses unmet need
• supported accommodation living options that genuinely allow people with disability to live in the community
• young people in nursing homes
• the need for a comprehensive cross-government approach to address issues and rights for people with disability

For more information contact Therese Sands

Links to Australian Democrats policies

In our Special Edition - Federal Election E-Bulletin Issue 47, we provided a number of links to the disability policies of a range of political parties. However, there was no link to a specific policy on disability for the Australian Democrats. We have now been provided with some links to policies that address issues for people with disability:

• Mental Health [PDF format, 40KB]
• Community Care [PDF format, 30KB]
• Welfare [PDF format, 2.13MB]

These links are to information in pdf format only. General details on the policies of the Australian Democrats are provided on their Election '07: The Issues web site

About PWD

People with Disability Australia Incorporated (PWD) is a national disability rights and advocacy organisation. Its primary membership is people with disability and organisations primarily made up of people with disability. PWD also has a large associate membership of other individuals and organisations committed to the disability rights movement. PWD was founded in 1981, the International Year of Disabled People, to provide people with disability with a voice of our own. We have a cross-disability focus; we represent the interests of people with all kinds of disability. PWD is a non-profit, non-government organisation.

For information about membership of PWD, contact the Membership Services Officer by email or on one of numbers below.

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