Main platform in one sentence
A party primarily focused on improving the rights and conditions of Australians who have served their country, as well as “first responders” (police, fire and ambulance services), and the elderly population.
Main policies
At the time of writing (26/05), the Veterans’ full policy statement has not been released despite promised it would be up on May 22, so I’m really trying to piece together as much as I can! This party seem to be primarily focused on veterans’ affairs and aged care, promising more funding and an overhaul of these sectors. The party also want to help out key members of the community such as farmers and teachers, and recognise that the mental health sector has reached a perilous state and needs a full overhaul. I was slightly concerned that the party would be a bit right-leaning for my tastes, but from the limited information available, they seem surprisingly moderate. They seem reasonably in favour of voluntary euthanasia, and want to redistribute fund to better benefit the indigenous community. They frequently use the slightly cringey term of “mateship” on their website, but the overall message of the party seems to be one of kindness and fairness who those who aren’t as well-represented in parliament as they perhaps should be.
Humanitarian
Details of any policy are vague; the only information up regarding border protection is that the party will “save money and redeploy funds where they are needed”, and that their policy will differ from those of the major parties.
Education
No stated policy yet.
Social
The party want more funding for aged care and indigenous affairs, and are in favour of euthanasia “with strict conditions” - what these are remains to be seen. They are in favour of marriage equality and even have a transgender woman, Bridget Clinch, as their Brisbane candidate. They are in support of low income workers and will fight to keep penalty rates.
Environmental
No official stated policy yet, however they have indicated that they are against harmful fracking.
How do they benefit me?
Normally I am skeptical of any party with military connections, as there is often some underlying racism and homophobia. However, I am pleasantly surprised by the Veterans’ Party! From what little policy they have available, they seem to be a genuine voice for under-represented minorities, and have a range of policies extending beyond veterans’ issues. I need to see exactly how they intend to implement their policies, and will update this post when their policy statement is released, but now I can tentatively say you should be safe keeping these guys in the top half of your preference list.