TasCOSS has worked hard with its community sector partners during the state election campaign to ensure that creating a fairer Tasmania was put firmly on the agenda. We are pleased to say that all the major political parties have made commitments to this end.

A good proportion of our specific policy recommendations have been endorsed in full or part.  See below for our analysis of the responses in the key areas of our Call to the Parties

It is very important to acknowledge that our election campaign activities have been undertaken for the broad community sector, with our campaign made possible through the support of a number of key stakeholder and supporter organisations.

TasCOSS is very grateful to Anglicare, Colony 47, the Salvation Army, Mental Health Council  of Tasmania, Mission Australia, Optia Inc, Advocacy Tasmania, COTA Tas and the Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT) for their contribution to the campaign fund, and also to the members of the Community Sector Peaks Network for their advice and support.

Special thanks to our partners in the media events we held – YNOT, Colony 47, Anglicare, Sustainable Living Tasmania, Shelter, the Salvos, COTA Tas and Mission.

 The involvement of all these supporters has given weight to the recommendations made on behalf of the community sector. The collaboration was also an excellent model for future issue-focused campaigns. 

TasCOSS sent questions to the parties based on the issues in our Call to the Parties campaign document. The questions, indication of the commitments made and links to further detail on the parties’ policies are set out below. 

Would your party fund and support a long-term public campaign to promote a cultural change regarding the value of education in Tasmania?

Labor 

Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

Liberals

Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

Greens

Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made

Palmer United Party

Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

TasCOSS is happy to see that all parties recognise the importance of improved educational retention, completion and attainment to the lives of low-income, disadvantaged and vulnerable Tasmanians as well as to the economic and social development of the state as a whole.

We welcome the general commitment to increased support for students at risk of disengagement and their teachers. We are also pleased with the support expressed by many for a public campaign designed to encourage all Tasmanians to value life-long learning.

We appreciate Labor’s specific commitment to improving student aspiration and engagement in Years 6 and 7—a crucial transition period, during which many students begin to disengage. We also like the Liberal proposal to introduce child and youth health nurses into schools—a clever step towards reducing disengagement due to poor physical or mental health.

See a detailed summary of the parties’ education commitments

Does your party support the creation of a Minister for Employment and Participation to head a specialist office to strategically increase employment and participation opportunities in Tasmania?

Labor
Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

Liberals

Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

Greens
Acknowledgement of the issue
Will consider

Palmer United Party
Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

TasCOSS is pleased to see that all three major parties (Liberals, Greens and Labor) have identified job creation as a key priority. All have focused on particular industries to provide jobs and have committed to assist those industries to do so.

Labor and the Greens have made very welcome commitments to increase employment opportunities and support for Tasmanians with disability. In addition, Labor will provide funds to assist new migrants to find employment. TasCOSS welcomes commitments to address youth unemployment by both the Liberals and Labor who have committed funding to Whitelion for its successful youth employment programs.  Labor has also committed to providing more apprenticeships and traineeships, and assistance with travel and tool costs.

No party has committed to appointing a Minister for Employment to head a specialist office of employment as recommended by TasCOSS.

See a detailed summary of the parties' employment commitments

Does your party support spreading Housing Tasmania’s debt to the Commonwealth across the Tasmanian Government for four years to allow Housing Tasmania to address its maintenance backlog and to build new public housing?

Labor
Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

Liberals
Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

Greens
Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made

Palmer United Party
No commitment made

Would your party develop a State Policy on Affordable Housing in your first term of government?

Labor
Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

Liberals
Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made

Greens
Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made

Palmer United Party
Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

TasCOSS welcomes the commitments put forward by all parties towards improving access to affordable housing for all Tasmanians. We are pleased to see a general understanding that Housing Tasmania needs to be relieved in some way of its debt burden, which hampers HT’s ability to wipe out its maintenance backlog and invest in new dwellings.

 We are also happy to see a growing recognition that the state’s planning mechanisms badly need to include provisions for the development of affordable housing. We are particularly impressed by the Greens’ Tasmanian Grown and Built proposal – an innovative, holistic approach to meeting employment as well as housing needs. 

See a detailed summary of the parties’ housing commitments 

Does your party agree that no Tasmanian household should be disconnected from electricity supply due to inability to pay?

Labor
Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

Liberals
Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

Greens
Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

Palmer United Party
Acknowledgement of the issue
No commitment made

Will your party commit to continuing and extending successful energy efficiency retro-fitting and education programs for low-income households?

Labor
Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made

Liberals
Acknowledgement of the issue
* Partial commitment made

Greens
Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made

Palmer United Party
Acknowledgement of the issue
Will consider


TasCOSS is very pleased that both Labor and the Greens have committed to provide additional funds for energy-efficiency programs for low-income households. The Greens are promising $5 million to roll out energy assessments and upgrades to public and community housing, and to low-income private renters and home owners across the state. Labor has pledged $1 million to continue successful energy-efficiency programs for low-income earners in all housing tenures.

A very welcome commitment is Labor’s to replace 1,100 inefficient heaters in Housing Tasmania properties – this will make an enormous difference to the energy costs of those affected households.

The Liberals have made no commitment to provide funds for energy efficiency programs, but have committed to continue funding the No Interest Loans scheme (NILs), including the Energy Efficient Appliances Program. Labor has also committed to continue to fund NILs.

See a detailed summary of the parties'  affordable essentials commitments

Would your party fund a one-stop website to help Tasmanians across the state find out about their full range of transport options?

Labor

Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made

Liberals

Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made

Greens

Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made

Palmer United Party

Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made


TasCOSS is pleased that all parties recognise access to transport as a crucial issue for low-income, disadvantaged and vulnerable Tasmanians. We are particularly happy that all parties support the development, establishment and ongoing maintenance of a one-stop website to help Tasmanians across the state find out about their full range of transport options.

We also appreciate the Liberals’ commitment to bill-smoothing for car registration payments, a move that has the potential to make life easier for Tasmanians facing financial constraints. 

See a detailed summary of the parties' transport commitments

Would your party, in government, advocate actively to the Commonwealth Government for adequate funding of the following:

The National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS), which will permit the continued construction of new affordable housing properties across the state.

Labor

* Commitment made

Liberals

* Commitment made

Greens

* Commitment made

Palmer United Party

* Commitment made

The National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH), which supports key strategies to reduce homelessness. 

Labor

* Commitment made

Liberals

* Commitment made

Greens

* Commitment made

Palmer United Party

* Commitment made
 

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which has the potential to transform the lives of thousands of Tasmanians living with disability.

Labor

* Commitment made

Liberals

* Commitment made

Greens

* Commitment made

Palmer United Party

* Commitment made
 

Full funding for all six years of the Tasmanian “Gonski” agreement. 

Labor

* Commitment made

Liberals

* Commitment made

Greens

* Commitment made

Palmer United Party

* Commitment made

Increases in NewStart and other allowances, which at their current low levels have been recognised as a “barrier” to future employment by reducing recipients to poverty. 

Labor

* Commitment made

Liberals

No commitment made

Greens

* Commitment made

Palmer United Party

* Commitment made

Is your party committed to ensuring that government-funded Tasmanian community service organisations receive adequate ongoing funding that recognises full core, compliance and innovation costs?

Labor

Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made to ERO

Liberals

Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made to ERO

Greens

Acknowledgement of the issue
* Commitment made to ERO

Palmer United Party

No specific commitment

Will your party ensure that Tasmanian community service sector organisations are supported financially to meet the financial requirements – for their staff and volunteers – of the Registration to Work with Vulnerable People Act 2013.

Labor

No commitment made 

Liberals

No commitment made

Greens
Acknowledgement of the issue
Will consider 

Palmer United Party
Acknowledgement of the issue
Will consider

TasCOSS welcomes the acknowledgement by the parties, through their policy announcements, of the importance of a strong, innovative and sustainable community sector.  TasCOSS identified three key areas requiring attention if the sector is to continue to deliver high quality services for vulnerable Tasmanians and respond to the changing environment in which they operate. 

The responses, while reflecting differing approaches, in most cases acknowledge the need to support the sector.  TasCOSS was particularly pleased to have all parties fully commit to the funding the wage increases for community sector workers under the Equal Remuneration Order.

See a detailed summary of the parties' community sector commitments

Apart from the priority areas above on which TasCOSS has focused during the state election campaign, the political parties have made a number of laudable commitments in a range of other key social policy areas affecting the Tasmanian community and community sector.  Those areas include disability, mental health, older Tasmanians, children and families, gambling, multiculturalism, women and girls, LGBTI and substantial funding commitments to Neighbourhood Houses, Men’s Sheds, Surf Life Saving Tasmania and the PCYC network.

See a detailed summary  of other social policy commitments