Diabetes Election Issues in Australia
During the recent Australian election the two main parties vied with one another on polices for people with diabetes.
Diabetes has maintained a high profile within Australian politics thanks to the work of elected members in the cross-party diabetes group and by Diabetes Australia. The latter made a statement during the election campaign welcoming the commitment of both the Coalition and the Australian Labor Party to provide subsidised access to continuous glucose monitoring and flash glucose monitoring technology for all people living with type 1 diabetes.
Under the existing Continuous Glucose Monitoring Initiative people with eligible concession cards, children and young people aged 21 years and over and women who are actively planning a pregnancy or pregnant are able to access fully subsidised glucose monitoring technology.
Both parties went into the election promising to match one another’s promise to people who are not currently eligible to be required to pay $32.50 per month to “access the technology”.
The Australian Labor Party won the election and replaced the Coalition who will now be holding the new Government’s feet to the fire to deliver on the election promises.
Advocacy Action: Can you influence the policies of your Party and get them to feature at your next election? For every person with diabetes there will be a network of family and carers who have an interest in polices that affect them and they all add up to a significant percentage of the electorate.
● On the stump, outgoing Prime Minister, Scott Morrison MP, meets with diabetes advocates during the recent General Election campaign