Summarising the 2024 ACT Election Policy Platforms

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Summarising the 2024 Australian Capital Territory election promises and policy platforms made by political parties contesting in 3 or more electorates. Most are specific to Canberra, but some smaller parties, like Family First have a general policy platform.

Labor: "Progressive, Practical, Proven"
A re-elected Labor government wants to hire 800 more healthcare workers, build a new billion dollar north side hospital in Bruce, better walk-in centres, more bulk billing, and new health centres. As for cost of living, Labor will enact an $800 energy bill on top of the federal government's $300 relief, free public transport on Fridays, $500 for trainees & apprentices, free preschool for 3 year olds extends to 2 days per week, and free school camps. For housing, Labor wants to build 30 000 more homes by 2030 as well as removing stamp duty to make housing more affordable; housing will also be densified to deliver more housing choice, as well as building 5000 more social homes. Labor's transport plan primarily of extending the light rail to Woden, as well as buying 110 more battery-electric buses to create new rapid services and to upgrade bus line frequency. As for women, Labor will introduce more women specialised health services, expand free period products, create a new breast cancer clinic as part of the previously mentioned new north side hospital, and give free baby bundles to new parents.

Canberra Liberals: "A fresh opportunity for Canberra"
For cost of living, the Liberals want to introduce a 2.2% cap on rate increases, and want to establish an independent valuer to create transparency for how rates are calculated. They also want to introduce a $65 million package to relieve everyday expenses on Canberrans.' As for community safety, the Liberals want to re-prioritise community safety and will recruit 200 extra police before the next term ends, as well as revising the ACT judicial system to meet 'community expectations.' As for health they want to increase health capacity across the board, deliver more mental health support, and deliver support for those with disabilities. Education-wise, they want better planning of school infrastructure and prioritise improving literacy and numeracy rates of young children. Their housing agenda involves developing Kowen into a new urban centre and district to create 125 000 new homes by 2050, and 2000 new social housing. As for transport, the Liberals will introduce a new timetable, remove long waits, introduce weekly caps and a free city travel zone. As for tourism and leisure, they want to build an entertainment hub, build a city stadium, and convention centre, as well as bringing supercars to the city. To encourage small business, they want to reform payroll tax, remove levies, and cut red tape. For seniors, there will be a 50% funding increase for seniors grants, 50% extra funding for Seniors Expo, and free public transport for them. Also, new veteran and women community related support. They also wish to establish a building quality commissioner.

ACT Greens: "Building a better normal"
For housing the Greens want to build and buy 10 000 new public homes, enact a rent freeze, prevent homelessness, have a 'better deal for renters' by introducing minimum standards for the rental market and planning a connected and affordable city, for example introducing a green belt, increasing density, and establish a territory wide landscape architect. For transport, the greens want more buses, more often, take light rail further, faster (increasing the speed of light rail planning), more electric vehicles, more affordable and free transit, and prioritising streets for people by creating new bike separated lanes. For health, the greens wish to give 160 000 free doctors appointments, create a dedicated centre for neurodivergence, free ambulances, free mental health care, treat drug use as a health issue, create a freestanding birth centre, and give autonomy & choice in end of life care. As for the environment, the greens wish to secure long term funding and set up new government agencies for the conservation for all ecosystems - especially for water ecosystems, and create new recycling facilities to allow more products like soft plastics to be recycled. And for climate goals, the greens wish to fully fund gas-to-electric upgrades, boost electrification efforts, develop a new battery storage facility, plant new street trees (20 000) to help combat with the urban heat island effect and increase funding for the Emergency Services Agency and ACT Parks & Conservation Service.

Independents for Canberra: "It's time for a change"
The Independents for Canberra are new party and are set of independents with shared values, and do not have a 'party-line' to tow, these shared values are to: create a fair society: housing as a right, create the best place to grow up in Australia, support the most vulnerable, and have a criminal justice system that works for all; a healthy Canberra: early intervention, community sport & wellness, safety for women and children, create a city you can move through and bring people together; a flourishing future: a vision that reaches beyond the election cycle, economic diversification, become a test-bed city; and a new kind of politics: lead with principles, access & accountability, and action.

Family First: "worth fighting for"
Family policy involves protecting children, giving freedom for families from LGBTQIA+ ideology and discrimination laws; criminalise prostitution, protect women from exploitation in porn & biological males in sport; keep Australia drug free; encourage marriage & policy that build the 'nuclear family;' give economic freedom for families through cutting red tape for development, pause net zero, persue nuclear, debt reduction, encourage small business, and reducing taxes; centre education curriculum around the basics; and phase out gambling and homelessness. For faith, encourage faith-based schools and protect religious & speech freedoms. As for life policy, ban late term abortions, support women and repeal euthanasia laws.

Animal Justice Party: "A better world for animals, people, planet"
The AJP is mostly a single issue, and for this campaign Animal Justice Party ACT has focused on protecting Australian icons, like koalas and kangaroos, banning live exports, stopping animal poising, declaring a climate emergency, preventing future pandemics through correctly caring for animals, and establish an animal protection policy. As for some social policy, the AJP wishes to retain the right to abortion, family & domestic violence elimination, education about our harm to animals, move away from road transport and provide acess to mental health support.

Democratic Labor Party: "Supporting Families to Build Communities"
To make housing more affordable, the DLP wants to fast track land development, establish co-operatives, give first home buyers discounts, encouraging build to rent schemes. For cost of living, the party wants to introduce power rebates for low-income families and build a new gas power plant, they also wish to cut rates, introduce low income family rent assistance and give stay at home mums an income. As for health they wish to build a new hospital in the north, and establish free dental clinics. To combat crime, they wish to reverse the age of criminal responsibility back down to 10 and build a reform school for repeat youth offenders. The DLP want to 'restore education' and remove identity and climate politics from schools as well as 'welcome to country' from them too. And, improving recreation like repealing helmet laws, and re-legalising smoking in designated areas.

First Nation Party: "Justice. Respect. Representation."
The party wants the ACT government to actually hold a proper truth telling and treaty process, shelter for more Aboriginal community-controlled housing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT, a Caring for Country Framework should be developed, and the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elected body should be scrapped.