Health Australia Party

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.” 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".{{cite web |url=https://www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au/index.php/topic/|title=Attacks on Natural Medicine: A Need to Respond|last=Golden|first=Isaac|website=Health Australia Party|access-date=13 June 2016}}

The party's policies are based on five pillars: people, economy, environment, democracy, and society.{{Cite web|url=https://www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/HAP-Full-Policies-21.11.18.pdf|title=Health Australia Party - Full Policies |website=Health Australia Party|access-date=2018-11-30}} 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".{{cite web |url=https://www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au/index.php/topic/|title=Health Australia Party|last=Bone|first=Kerry|date=13 June 2016|website=Health Australia Party|access-date=13 June 2016}}

According to the ABC, the party "also supports animal rights, food cooperatives, the Tobin tax system, which supports the taxing of foreign currency transactions, more academic freedom in universities, a Swiss-style national service system, and greater restrictions on herbicides and pesticides".

During the 2016 elections, the HAP opposed the Coalition's 'no jab, no pay' (also 'no jab, no play') legislation.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2016/federal-election-2016-vaccine-sceptics-land-first-spot-on-nsw-senate-ballot-paper-20160612-gph8f6.html|title=Vaccine sceptics' prime position on NSW Senate ballot paper could lead to election win|last=Koziol|first=Michael|date=12 June 2016|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=13 June 2016}} On its website, the party describes its criticism of the "no jab, no pay" legislation as support for informed consent,{{cite web|url=https://www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/HAP-official-statement-on-No-Jab-No-Pay_Play-Legislation-FINAL-04_04_16.pdf|title=Official Statement "No Jab No Pay/Play" Legislation|date=2 April 2016|publisher=Health Australia Party|access-date=13 June 2016}} and expresses concern about penalising unvaccinated children by excluding them from preschool. HAP cites the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, who also opposed the regulation, and references vaccinations programs in Denmark and Japan, which provide less coverage than the Australian system but produce excellent results in controlling disease.

During the 2021 Western Australian state election Bassem 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".{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-25/wa-candidate-with-5g-virus-theory-video-eyes-upper-house-seat/13189746|title=Bass Tadros a 'strong' chance for WA's Upper House despite promoting debunked 5G theories|last=Manfield|first=Evelyn|date=25 February 2021|website=ABC News|access-date=22 April 2021}}

Steven Novella, a neurologist most notable for his work within the skeptics community, has written that the party subscribes to the Big Pharma conspiracy theory and takes a number of pseudoscientific and anti-science stances such as promoting homeopathy and claiming that electro-smog gives rise to electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Novella writes that "The HAP appears to be just a group of CAM practitioners trying to use the political process to advance their quack profession".

John Dwyer of 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."{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-17/the-health-australia-party-criticised-by-gp-group/7519818|title=Election 2016: Health Australia Party criticised for candidates' 'alternative health beliefs'|last=Mackenzie|first=Bruce|date=17 June 2016|access-date=17 June 2016|publisher=ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)}} Andrew Miller of the Australian Medical Association charged 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."

The Natural Medicine Party was founded in 2013 by naturopath Andrew Patterson. It was involved in Glenn Druery's Minor Party Alliance.{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-05/bitter-dispute-erupts-over-senate-preferences-in-queensland/4939300|title=Bitter dispute erupts over Senate preferences in Queensland|last=Bormann|first=Trevor|date=5 September 2013|access-date=2 June 2016|publisher=ABC News}}{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/special-features/alliance-of-micro-parties-boosts-odds-for-likes-of-one-nation-or-shooters-and-fishers-gaining-senate-spot-through-preferences/story-fnho52jp-1226713114765|title=Alliance of micro parties boosts odds for likes of One Nation or Shooters and Fishers gaining Senate spot through preferences|last=Wood|first=Alicia|date=5 September 2013|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=2 June 2016}}

The party was rebranded in 2015 after 'common goals' were found between the Natural Medicine Party and four other persons to create the Health Australia Party.{{Cite web|url=https://www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au/about/history/|title=History – Health Australia Party|website=www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au|language=en-US|access-date=2018-11-30}}

At the 2016 Australian federal election, the party fielded senate candidates for New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.{{cite web|url=http://www.aec.gov.au/election/candidates.htm|title=Candidates for the 2016 federal election|date=12 June 2016|publisher=Australian Electoral Commission|access-date=12 June 2016}} It was drawn the advantageous first position on the ballot in New South Wales,{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-10/election-2016-aec-pick-senate-ballot-paper-spots/7500274.html|title=Senate ballot paper spots picked|last=Doran|first=Matthew|date=10 June 2016|publisher=ABC News|access-date=13 June 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/federal-election-2016-former-mp-rob-oakeshott-to-stand-for-parliament-20160610-gpfxxn.html|title=Federal election 2016: former MP Rob Oakeshott to stand for Parliament|last=Massola|first=Tom McIlroy and James|date=2016-06-10|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2018-11-30}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/federal-election-2016/federal-election-campaign-2016-day-34/news-story/23cf65946abe9b7c216583847ea1530e?nk=c068b17b7abcbbd95980f3b39cd05003-1543586514|title=Subscribe to The Australian |website=www.theaustralian.com.au|language=en|access-date=2018-11-30}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/federal-election-2016-record-field-for-queensland-senate-ballot-paper-20160610-gpgfgf.html|title=Federal election 2016: Record field for Queensland Senate ballot paper|last=Atfield|first=Cameron|date=2016-06-10|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2018-11-30}} with Andrew Patterson the lead candidate. The party gained less than 0.5% of first-preference votes in each state except New South Wales where it gained slightly over 1%.

During the campaign, the party came under fire for their anti-vaccination policies,{{cite web|url=https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/australias-new-antiscience-party/|title=Australia's New Antiscience Party|author=Novella S|date=29 June 2016|publisher=Science-Based Medicine}} including by the Australian Medical Association,{{Cite web|url=https://www.amansw.com.au/ama-nsw-president-health-australia-party-misses-the-point/|title=AMA (NSW) President: Health Australia Party misses the point|website=www.amansw.com.au|date=13 June 2016 |language=en-AU|access-date=2018-11-30}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/ama-warns-against-misleading-dangerous-health-australia-party|title=AMA warns against 'misleading, dangerous' Health Australia Party|work=SBS News|access-date=2018-11-30|language=en-GB}} and the Green Party.{{Cite news|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/health-australia-party-is-dangerous-greens|title=Health Australia Party is dangerous: Greens|work=SBS News|access-date=2018-11-30|language=en-GB}} The party denied this, with party spokesman Jason Woodforth telling ABC News that the lack of support for the 'no jab, no play' legislation in Victoria did not mean it was anti-vaccination, and went on to say that the party "believes in safe and effective immunisation [and] always has."{{Cite web|url=https://www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au/vaccination/|title=Vaccination – Health Australia Party|website=www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au|language=en-US|access-date=2018-11-30}}{{Citation|last=Health Australia Party|title=Media lies - the Health Australia Party is not anti-vaxx|date=2018-11-29|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy3sqeKLBS0|access-date=2018-11-30}}

In 2017, Fluoride Free WA became the Western Australian branch of the Health Australia Party.{{cite news |title=Updating the Parties Registered to Contest the 2021 Western Australian Election – Antony Green's Election Blog |url=https://antonygreen.com.au/updating-the-parties-registered-to-contest-the-2021-western-australian-election/ |access-date=6 January 2021 |language=en-AU}}

The party contested the 2018 Victorian state election, aiming for legislative council seats in the Southern Metro, Northern Metro, Eastern Metro, Western Metro and Eastern Victoria regions.

The party fielded candidates at the 2019 Australian federal election.

• Fluoride Free WA
• List of political parties in Australia

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au/ Health Australia Party website]
• [https://www.healthaustraliaparty.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/HAP-Current-Policies-29.6.16.pdf Health Australia Party Policies as of 29 June 2016]

{{Australian political parties}}

Category:Political parties in Australia

Category:Anti-vaccination organizations

Category:Naturopathy

Category:2013 establishments in Australia

Category:Political parties established in 2013

Category:2024 disestablishments in Australia

Category:Political parties disestablished in 2024