That and a 2035 net zero target are some of the priorities outlined in the PHAA’s new platform for the upcoming WA state election.
The PHAA WA Branch has released its election platform ahead of the next state election in March 2025, highlighting health prevention spending, climate change, gambling and junk food advertising as urgent priorities for the next government.
Measures called for by the association to improve public health outcomes statewide include increasing health prevention spending to at least 5% of the state’s health budget by 2029 and bolstering reporting measures to provide greater transparency on progress made towards election commitments.
According to PHAA WA President Ainslie Sartori, greater investment in prevention and stronger accountability over the action taken (or lack thereof) to deliver on election promises was vital to reducing the strain facing the state’s health system amid rising rates of chronic illness.
“We want to see at least five percent of the health budget allocated to prevention by 2029. It’s disappointing that there is no clear reporting on progress on promises relating to spending more on prevention made at the last state election,” Ms Sartori said.
“We are hopeful that this can be turned around, with regular reporting of progress and increased investment in prevention to ensure our WA health system is sustainable and cost effective.”
Improving children’s health and wellbeing was also a prime concern raised in the PHAA election platform, with the association calling on the next government to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years old, strengthen restrictions on junk food marketing and increase action on climate change.
“Climate change is one of our biggest public health threats. All West Australians have felt the effects of climate change – from heatwaves through to bushfires, floods and storms,” PHAA CEO Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin said.
“We are setting WA kids up for a bleak future.
“The WA Government must act boldly and commit to a target of net zero emissions by 2035 to protect the health of current and future generations.”
The association also urged the next government to impose policy preventing the sale of excessively cheap alcohol and increase regulation cracking down on alcohol delivery services to address the role of alcohol in intimate partner violence.
Earlier this week, the PHAA WA Branch hosted a pre-election forum coinciding with the release of its election platform with guests including the Hon Amber-Jade Sanderson, WA Minister for Health and Mental Health, alongside shadow health minister and WA liberal party leader the Hon Libby Mettam and Greens MP the Hon Dr Brad Pettitt.
The forum, moderated by Professor Slevin, was aimed at engaging MPs in debate on their strategies for addressing critical public health issues highlighted in the PHAA’s election platform, including funding for health prevention initiatives, gambling, the impact of alcohol on family violence and climate change.
The PHAA WA Branch’s election platform is available in full here.