Policy Committees Report NSW LABOR STATE CONFERENCE 2017 SATURDAY 29 AND SUNDAY 30 JULY 2017 STATE CONFERENCE POLICY COMMITTEE REPORT Contents A Healthy Society Policy Committee Report……………………………………….……3 Australia and the World Policy Committee Report…………………………….….…..33 Building Sustainable Communities Policy Committee Report……….……….…….57 Education and Skills Policy Committee Report……………………………..…….…131 Indigenous Peoples and Reconciliation Policy Committee Report……………....163 Our Economic Future Policy Committee Report………………………………….….169 Prosperity and Fairness at Work Policy Committee Report………………………..216 Social Justice and Legal Affairs Policy Committee Report………………………..256 Country Labor Committee Report……………………………………………..…….…304 2 2017 STATE CONFERENCE A HEALTHY SOCIETY In NSW and Australia, Labor has a proud history of fostering a world class health and hospital system. We have set up the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Medibank and Medicare as well as a re-building program of hospitals and emergency departments across NSW during the State Labor governments from 1995 to 2011. But these achievements are under threat due to inadequate resourcing; State and Federal cuts; ideologically driven privatisations; unnecessary waits; a reduction in quality; and spiralling costs. As we approach the seventh year of a Liberal-National government in NSW, we see a health and hospital system lurching from crisis to crisis – under the burden of cuts; an ageing population and increasing demand. As part of our deliberations, for the second year the health policy committee undertook community consultations to hear first-hand from patients, pensioners, family members, doctors, nurses, hospital workers, paramedics, allied and other health workers; and rank and file branch members. We met with SECs from Penrith, Londonderry, Hawkesbury, Prospect and Gosford, and collaborated with the central Policy Branch, unions and progressive think tanks. Community concerns were wide-spread and included lengthy waits in regional and Western Sydney emergency departments; record long waits for elective surgery particularly, cataract removal and knee and hip replacements; low child vaccination rates; unacceptable waits for ambulance services; stress and workload problems for paramedics, cleaners, nurses and young doctors; a massive increase in health care complaints; crumbling infrastructure; demand for 24-7 registered nurses together with adequate levels of other healthcare staff in aged care facilities; and unstaffed “ghost wards” and “bed block” as well as difficulty in accessing bulk-billing GPs. There are deep concerns about reckless privatisation by Liberal-Nationals and its impact on health services, our healthcare workers and outcomes for patients. There was a call for new directions in preventative healthcare in areas such as diabetes and heart disease; and concerns for the under-resourcing of palliative care – particularly outside Sydney; keeping elderly in their homes rather than emergency departments and aged care; support for mental health services – especially outside Sydney and the new treatment approaches to the emergence of “ice”. Labor will continue to build on its achievements in health and fight Liberal-National cuts and attacks on our health and hospital system. Labor believes in a right to quality and accessible healthcare determined by your Medicare card not your credit card – whether a patient lives in Moree, Moorebank, Murwillumbah or Muswellbrook. 3 2017 STATE CONFERENCE Platform Amendments 1. United Voice At 6.13 in relation to palliative care, add the sentence: Labor opposes the outsourcing of hospital palliative care units. These units should remain within the NSW health system. NSW Labor recognises the role of home and community care services in end of life and palliative care at home. So that the whole part reads: Palliative Care 6.13 NSW Labor believes that every person should have access to quality palliative care. NSW Labor is committed to improving the availability and standards of palliative care across the state. NSW Labor opposes the outsourcing of hospital palliative care units. These units should remain within the NSW health system. NSW Labor recognises the role of home and community care services in end of life and palliative care at home. Recommendation: Support 2. Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Gay conversion therapy has been used to terrorise, oppress, and destroy members of the LGTBIQ community for generations. Founded by Pentecostal Charismatic churches in America in the early 20th century, and popularised by evangelical sects across the world, conversion therapy is premised upon the idea that sexuality is not innate. Rather, according to practitioners, it can be chosen, shaped, and changed at will. Early iterations of gay conversion therapy were based in psychiatric medicine, and included practices such as chemical castration, ice-pick lobotomy and electric shock treatment. Over time, these more extreme practices have faded out – chased away by the rise of the LGBTIQ rights movement and advances in psychiatry. In 2013, Exodus International, the largest umbrella organisation for gay conversion therapy in the world, closed down and issued an apology to all its members. Several jurisdictions in the United States and Canada have since banned the practise of conversion therapy on minors. Closer to home, the Andrews Labor government in Victoria is currently investigating the possibility of legislating against the practice. Despite these advances, more insidious, and non-medical conversion therapy remains alive and well in Australia. In most cases, the therapy assumes the form of “counselling” run through a local church or church organisation. Although arguably less invasive than their predecessors, these therapies are exceptionally destructive and widespread. Existing Platform Happily, the NSW Labor Platform already condemns “ex-gay therapy” and has taken steps to investigate punishing those who practice it. Conference should be commended for this positive step. 4 2017 STATE CONFERENCE However, set against the backdrop of an increasingly and enduringly queerphobic political climate, it is time to take a stronger – and clearer - stance on an issue that has loitered in the shadows for too long. Religious counselling, non-medical intervention and medical intervention, should all be condemned, and ultimately criminalised by a NSW Labor government. Any attempts to convince someone to change their sexuality by any means should be criminalised. These attempts should be punishable as a criminal offence, with more punitive punishments applied to those who are found to be implicated in gay conversion therapy on minors. Any counsellor or medical professional found to be implicated in gay conversion therapy should be deregistered. Sexuality is private, personal, and ultimately innate. Replace Section 6.30 of the NSW Labor Platform with: NSW Labor will: • Legislate to criminalise gay conversion therapy by introducing a criminal offence for people conducting ex-gay therapy, with an aggravated offence where it involves people under the age of 18; • Remove all government and departmental funding to organisations that provide such therapy; • Remove legislative exemptions for Christian clinical organisations that allow them to practice gay conversion therapy; and • Deregister any counsellors, psychologists or other registered medical professionals involved in the practice of ex-gay therapy. Recommendation: Refer to Shadow Attorney General 3. Australian Services Union That the NSW ALP Healthy Society Policy Committee amends the “Promoting a Health Society” section of the NSW ALP Platform for A Healthy Society to include the following additional points related to heath considerations in circumstances of Family and Domestic Violence: NSW Labor will: • Deliver universal service systems that support a healthy society by adopting a whole- of-government multifaceted sustainable approach to stop family and domestic violence and support the safety and well-being of survivors and those living with domestic and family violence • Properly fund not for profit women’s health centres that provide holistic support to women and children in local communities. NSW Labor is committed in Government to fund and support the important work of women-led women’s health services. Recommendation: Support 5 2017 STATE CONFERENCE 4. CFMEU General That the NSW ALP Healthy Society Policy Committee amend section 6.35 of the NSW ALP Platform for A Healthy Society to include the following: • NSW Labor will conduct an audit of all NSW sporting and recreation facilities (including shared community and school use facilities) and needs study examining access, participation and gender equity, to enable funding prioritisation that responds to NSW challenges with rural and remote, as well as high density urban growth areas. Recommendation: Refer to Minister for Sport 5. CFMEU General This is supported by the NSW Healthy Eating an Active Living Strategy but is missing from the healthy society platform. Motion: That the NSW ALP Healthy Society Policy Committee amends the “Promoting a Health Society” section of the NSW ALP Platform for A Healthy Society to include the following additional point related to heath considerations for urban development and renewal: • NSW Labor recognises that the built urban environment has a significant influence on health, particularly chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and that mental health of population