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Health Australia Party
PresidentKerry Bone
Founded2013;11 years ago(2013)(as Natural Medicine Party)
Dissolved19 January 2024
Succeeded byHEART Party(17 August 2023 − 10 October 2023)
IdeologyNaturopathy
Anti-fluoridation[1]
Anti-vaccination
Website
healthaustraliaparty.com.au

TheHealth Australia Party(HAP) was apolitical partyinAustralia,founded in 2013 as theNatural Medicine Party.[2]It adopted its current name in 2015.[3][4]

HAP first contested an election under that name in2016,where it secured almost 1.2% of first preference votes in New South Wales and less than 0.5% in three other states.[5]The party also contested the2018 Victorian state election,running for fivelegislative councilseats.[6]

The party has been criticised in the main for beinganti-vaccination[7]In addition, criticisms have been levelled concerning their views onpseudoscience,alternative medicine,andconspiracy theories,as well as for its policies and misleading name.[8][3]

The party was deregistered by theAustralian Electoral Commissionin 2022. In August 2023, the party merged with theInformed Medical Options Partyto form theHEART Party,however the merger collapsed in October 2023 and HAP returned as a standalone party. On 19 January 2024, the party announced it would disband.[9][10]

Policies and philosophy[edit]

According to its website, the party was founded with a view to “promoting open and transparent Government decision making, balance and honesty of information, and stimulating individual freedom of choice and thought.”[11]Party co-founder Isaac Golden has written that the party was founded, in part, "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".[12]

The party's policies are based on five pillars: people, economy, environment, democracy, and society.[13]The party's president, 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."[14]

According to theABC,the party "also supportsanimal rights,food cooperatives,theTobin taxsystem, which supports the taxing of foreign currency transactions, moreacademic freedomin universities, aSwiss-style national service system,and greater restrictions onherbicidesandpesticides".[3]

Criticism of 'No Jab, No Pay/Play' legislation[edit]

During the 2016 elections, the HAP opposed theCoalition's 'no jab, no pay' (also 'no jab, no play') legislation.[15]On its website, the party describes its criticism of the "no jab, no pay" legislation as support for informed consent,[16]and expresses concern about penalising unvaccinated children by excluding them frompreschool.[7]HAP cites theRoyal Australasian College of Physicians,who also opposed the regulation, and references vaccinations programs inDenmarkandJapan,which provide less coverage than the Australian system but produce excellent results in controlling disease.[7] During the2021 Western Australian state electionBassem Tadros, lead candidate in the Agricultural region for the Health Australia Party reiterated that criticism of the current legislation on the COVID-19 vaccination program in Australia be considered from the position of support for informed consent and "personal choice".[17]

Ideological criticisms[edit]

Steven Novella,a neurologist most notable for his work within the skeptics community, has written that the party subscribes to theBig Pharma conspiracy theoryand takes a number of pseudoscientific and anti-science stances such as promotinghomeopathyand claiming that electro-smog gives rise toelectromagnetic hypersensitivity.[8]Novella writes that "The HAP appears to be just a group ofCAMpractitioners trying to use the political process to advance their quack profession ".[8]

John Dwyerof the Australian Health Reform Alliance stated during the 2016 election campaign that he was "concerned" that the party could be elected based on its polling position in New South Wales, saying, "Even allowing that they're well-intentioned, the policies that they're putting forward are dangerous and frankly ignorant."[18]Andrew Miller of theAustralian Medical Associationcharged that the party's new name was misleading, stating, "There should be some requirement of honesty in the way that these party names are put forward and I think this is getting pretty close to the borderline of being exactly the opposite of what its name suggests."[3]

History[edit]

The Natural Medicine Party was founded in 2013 bynaturopathAndrew Patterson. It was involved inGlenn Druery'sMinor Party Alliance.[19][20]

The party was rebranded in 2015[3]after 'common goals' were found between the Natural Medicine Party and four other persons to create the Health Australia Party.[11][4]

At the2016 Australian federal election,the party fieldedsenatecandidates forNew South Wales,Queensland,VictoriaandWestern Australia.[21]It was drawn the advantageous first position on the ballot in New South Wales,[22][23][24][25]with Andrew Patterson the lead candidate.[15]The party gained less than 0.5% of first-preference votes in each state except New South Wales where it gained slightly over 1%.[5]

During the campaign, the party came under fire for theiranti-vaccinationpolicies,[8][3]including by theAustralian Medical Association,[26][27]and theGreen Party.[28]The party denied this, with party spokesman Jason Woodforth tellingABC Newsthat the lack of support for the 'no jab, no play' legislation in Victoria did not mean it was anti-vaccination,[3]and went on to say that the party "believes in safe and effective immunisation [and] always has."[7][29]

In 2017,Fluoride Free WAbecame the Western Australian branch of the Health Australia Party.[30]

The party contested the2018 Victorian state election,aiming forlegislative councilseats in theSouthern Metro,Northern Metro,Eastern Metro,Western MetroandEastern Victoriaregions.[6]

The party fielded candidates at the2019 Australian federal election.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^The HAP believes that sodium fluoride, hydrofluorosilic acid and other chemical products called “fluoride” are toxic chemical waste products that are classified as class 6 poisons and should not be placed into public water supplies.
  2. ^"Health Australia Party - Australian Electoral Commission".24 November 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 24 November 2015.Retrieved30 November2018.
  3. ^abcdefgWeber, David (28 June 2016)."Election 2016: Revamped Health Australia Party broadens policies, but raises ire of AMA".ABC News.Retrieved3 December2018.
  4. ^ab"Natural Medicine Party".Australian Electoral Commission.Retrieved30 November2018.
  5. ^ab"Senate Results - Australia Votes".Federal Election 2016.ABC News.Retrieved30 November2018.
  6. ^abCockburn, Gerard (27 October 2018)."Fringe factor: your guide to the minor parties".The Age.Retrieved30 November2018.
  7. ^abcd"Vaccination – Health Australia Party".www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au.Retrieved30 November2018.
  8. ^abcdNovella S (29 June 2016)."Australia's New Antiscience Party".Science-Based Medicine.
  9. ^Puglisi, Leonardo (17 August 2023)."Two 'freedom parties' merge as they look to get elected for first time".6 News Australia.
  10. ^Golden, Isaac (18 January 2024)."A Final Word on the Health Australia Party".Health Australia Party. Archived fromthe originalon 20 January 2024.
  11. ^ab"History – Health Australia Party".www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au.Retrieved30 November2018.
  12. ^Golden, Isaac."Attacks on Natural Medicine: A Need to Respond".Health Australia Party.Retrieved13 June2016.
  13. ^"Health Australia Party - Full Policies"(PDF).Health Australia Party.Retrieved30 November2018.
  14. ^Bone, Kerry (13 June 2016)."Health Australia Party".Health Australia Party.Retrieved13 June2016.
  15. ^abKoziol, Michael (12 June 2016)."Vaccine sceptics' prime position on NSW Senate ballot paper could lead to election win".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved13 June2016.
  16. ^"Official Statement" No Jab No Pay/Play "Legislation"(PDF).Health Australia Party. 2 April 2016.Retrieved13 June2016.
  17. ^Manfield, Evelyn (25 February 2021)."Bass Tadros a 'strong' chance for WA's Upper House despite promoting debunked 5G theories".ABC News.Retrieved22 April2021.
  18. ^Mackenzie, Bruce (17 June 2016)."Election 2016: Health Australia Party criticised for candidates' 'alternative health beliefs'".ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).Retrieved17 June2016.
  19. ^Bormann, Trevor (5 September 2013)."Bitter dispute erupts over Senate preferences in Queensland".ABC News.Retrieved2 June2016.
  20. ^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.Retrieved2 June2016.
  21. ^"Candidates for the 2016 federal election".Australian Electoral Commission.12 June 2016.Retrieved12 June2016.
  22. ^Doran, Matthew (10 June 2016)."Senate ballot paper spots picked".ABC News.Retrieved13 June2016.
  23. ^Massola, Tom McIlroy and James (10 June 2016)."Federal election 2016: former MP Rob Oakeshott to stand for Parliament".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved30 November2018.
  24. ^"Subscribe to The Australian".www.theaustralian.com.au.Retrieved30 November2018.
  25. ^Atfield, Cameron (10 June 2016)."Federal election 2016: Record field for Queensland Senate ballot paper".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved30 November2018.
  26. ^"AMA (NSW) President: Health Australia Party misses the point".www.amansw.com.au.13 June 2016.Retrieved30 November2018.
  27. ^"AMA warns against 'misleading, dangerous' Health Australia Party".SBS News.Retrieved30 November2018.
  28. ^"Health Australia Party is dangerous: Greens".SBS News.Retrieved30 November2018.
  29. ^Health Australia Party (29 November 2018),Media lies - the Health Australia Party is not anti-vaxx,retrieved30 November2018
  30. ^"Updating the Parties Registered to Contest the 2021 Western Australian Election – Antony Green's Election Blog".Retrieved6 January2021.

External links[edit]

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