Social Policy

Queensland State Election - 2020

The Queensland and North Queensland Branches are committed to engaging with critical policy, advocacy and social justice issues that impact Queensland and North Queensland member social workers and their clients.

We invite our members to contribute to the development of submissions and to participate in a range of policy and advocacy actions throughout the year.

If you are keen to get involved, don't hesitate to contact the Queensland Branch or North Queensland Branch by email or phone on (03) 9320 1000.

Our Position Statement

A State election is a pivotal opportunity for a government to create the conditions under which people will pursue healthy, meaningful and rewarding lives. As social workers, we measure the success of any government based on the social impact of their policies.

The Queensland and North Queensland Branches have developed a position statement outlining nine key areas of concern to social workers in the lead-up to the Queensland State Election which will be held on Saturday, 31 October 2020.

These broad areas are:

• Social Work Registration
• Mental Health
• Domestic and Family Violence (DFV)
• Child Protection
• Homelessness
• Reconciliation
• Aged Care
• Refugee & People Seeking Asylum
• Sustainability & Climate Change

The position statement includes brief commentary, a key question and links to relevant AASW statements, position papers, and submissions.

Download or View the Queensland Election Policy Platform 2020 here

How Members Can Get Involved

We urge you to write to your local candidates and bring to their attention the issues that social workers are most concerned about.

In particular, we ask you to raise the issue of Registration of Social Workers and highlight the need for urgent action to ensure systemic failures are addressed and vulnerable people and children are protected.

We have developed a template letter to enable you to write to your:

Local Candidates

Party leaders of the Liberal National Party, Queensland Labor, and representatives from the Queensland Greens, One Nation, NQ First, and Katter’s Australian Party

Key Ministers and Shadow Ministers

We have sent letters based on our position statement to the following key party leaders and representatives:

• Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk, Premier of Queensland
• Ms Julie-Ann Campbell, Secretary of the Queensland Labor
• Ms Deborah Frecklington, Leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland
• Mr Michael Berkman, member for Maiwar and member of the Greens
• Ms Penny Allman-Payne, state convenor of the Queensland Greens
• Mr Robert Katter, member for Traeger and the leader of Katter’s Australian Party
• Mr Jason Costigan, member for Whitsunday and the leader of North Queensland First Party
• Mr Stephen Andrew, member for Mirani and member of Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party

We encourage our members to make contact with their local members and candidates to share your own perspectives and/or draw on our policy platform to highlight the issues that are critical to ensuring that Queensland is a place in which people, including the most vulnerable, can pursue healthy, meaningful and productive lives.

For more information and tips about communicating with your local MP or candidates, take a look at our webpage entitled Guidance for Communicating with Your Local MP.

Responses fom key party leaders:

• Steven Miles - Deputy Premier of Queensland -  Queensland Labor 
• Robbie Katter - State Member for Traeger - Qld 

Action to Date

22 September 2020
AASW Queensland and North Queensland Branches hosted a Member Consultation to inform development of the Queensland Election Policy Platform.

02 October 2020
AASW Queensland Election Policy Platform 2020 released

05 October 2020

A Member Bulletin was shared on Monday 05 October with all Queensland and North Queensland AASW members via email asking members to advocate for registration of social workers, and on the issues identified in the Policy Platform, amongst their local elections candidates, party leaders and Ministers and Shadow Ministers.

A Template Letter is available for members to personalise and send to local candidates/leaders/ministers/shadow ministers.

Thanks for your support and, as a Branch, we look forward to working closely with our members to become an active voice in the social policy space moving forward.