Australian Labor Party

Will your party commit to allowing religious schools and other religious institutions to recruit staff and implement policies which reflect their ethos? 

Party Response:

Labor recognises, respects and will protect the right of parents to send their kids to religious schools because of the beliefs and values they teach their children. To that end, religious schools must continue to be able to build and maintain communities of faith, including by giving preference to people of the same faith in the selection of staff.

At the same time, no student or member of staff should be discriminated against because of who they are.

This is an important, complex and sometimes-controversial area of law. That is why Labor supports a bipartisan approach to these issues – because we believe that, wherever possible, efforts to enhance anti-discrimination protections should be done in a way that brings Australians together.

ACL Analysis:

Unlike the Coalition, Labor has not provided the same undertaking for this election that they provided last election, that the protections for religious Australians won’t go backwards during the next term of Government. There is now a real concern for people of faith that protections to practice their faith will go backwards if Labor is elected, particularly given some of the actual and proposed legislation during the most recent term that has or would have negatively impacted the rights of Christians.  Labor’s provided wording suggests there could be anti-discrimination changes, and any such changes could impact Christian schools. It is noted that in 2022 Labor and the Greens voted as a party position to remove key protections for Christian schools, and that Anthony Albanese spoke in favour of this occurring.  

ACL Score:

3/10

Will your party commit to protecting free speech in Australia by not introducing laws that will further erode religious freedom and freedom of speech? 

Party Response:

Labor believes all Australians have the right to exercise their freedom of speech in a manner that respects the individual and collective rights enjoyed by other Australians, while allowing others to live in dignity, and free from violence or the threat of violence. No Australian should be targeted because of who they are or what they believe.

ACL Analysis:

In this term in office, the Labor Government have been responsible for a number of bills which provide significant censorship powers and/or have materially impacted on Australians’ freedom of expression, including religious expression. The most significant of these being the Misinformation Bill which would have had significant free speech implications if it had passed.    

ACL Score:

3/10

Does your party intend to restore the definition of a woman in the Sex Discrimination Act to be based on biological sex?  

Party Response:

The 2013 changes to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 extended Commonwealth anti-discrimination protections on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status. Those important protections have continued to enjoy broad, bipartisan support over many years.

ACL Analysis:

Labor removed the definition of a woman from the Sex Discrimination Act (SDA) in 2013 which has led to trans-gender men in Australia now having more rights than biological women. Labor continues to support these changes. They have not committed to restore the definition of a woman in the SDA nor to protect women’s sport and women’s spaces for biological women. 

ACL Score:

0/10

Does your party support the continuance of the current chaplaincy program in schools?  

Party Response:

The Australian Government provides ongoing funding of $61.4 million per year for the National Student Wellbeing Program. This program allows schools the freedom to employ a chaplain or student wellbeing officer with a minimum qualification equivalent to or higher than a Certificate IV. This recognises the role that chaplains play in their school communities. Schools can continue to employ chaplains through the program in alignment with their beliefs and values.

Labor values the professionalism and the work that chaplains do to support students and school communities.

ACL Analysis:

During the current term the Labor Government has changed the National School Chaplaincy Program into the National Student Wellbeing Program and schools now have the option of a chaplain or a secular student well-being officer.  These changes move away from a holistic care approach, including spiritual care, towards a therapeutic, highly psychologised focus on “wellness.” The program’s new direction raises important questions about the future of chaplaincy in schools.  Labor currently provide $61.4 million annual funding to this revised program. 

ACL Score:

6/10

Will your party commit to reviewing the ‘Consent and Respectful Relationships Program’ to ensure gender ideology and all references to potentially harmful practices are removed?

Party Response:

The Consent and Respectful Relationships Education measure supports the wellbeing of Australian primary and secondary school students and school communities through supporting investment in age-appropriate, evidence-based and expert-developed consent and respectful relationships education. This work is supported by the National Respectful Relationships Expert Working Group, which includes representatives from the National Catholic Education Commission and Independent Schools Australia.

The Australian Government takes a role in providing funding. States and territories are responsible for developing and delivering the funding within their own school systems and are responsible for ensuring that all programs they fund are expert-developed, evidence-based, and age-appropriate.

Respectful relationships education is embedded in Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum.

The implementation of respectful relationships education is ultimately the responsibility of States and Territories working with non-government sectors. Schools can choose whether or not to use materials associated with this program.

Labor remains committed to the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. This program supports that work.

ACL Analysis:

Labor indicates that the Consent and Respectful Relationships program supports their efforts to end violence against women and children. Labor’s 2023 National Platform contains strong statements evidencing the Party’s support for gender ideology, including transgenderism, and it has a general policy to support school initiatives that promote “understanding, inclusions and respect” for LGBTQI+ Australians, so it is unlikely to review the program to remove gender ideology..  

ACL Score:

2/10

What steps will your party take to ensure the national curriculum does not contain matters that are not factual or evidence-based? 

Party Response:

Labor is committed to working with states and territories to ensure that our school education system encourages and supports every student to be the very best they can be, no matter where they live or what kinds of learning challenges they may face. That is why the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement – Full and Fair Funding 2025-2034 ties additional funding to reforms that deliver evidence-based teaching and access to high-quality and evidence-based professional learning and the provision of quality-assured curriculum materials.

ACL Analysis:

Labor have not indicated any plans to address the extreme ideological issues incorporated into the current national curriculum nor to ensure matters that are not factual or evidence based are removed. They have indicated they have provided funding agreements to deliver evidence -based teaching and quality assured curriculum materials. Labor has a general policy that school funding should be linked to “evidence-based” practices. However, its policies include: “Equality for First Nations People” which hints at an ideologically biased presentation of politically controversial issues in phrases such as: “the truthful telling of Australia’s history”; “the profound impact colonisation and racism has on First Nations people”; “addressing the past wrongs inflicted upon First Nations people – including addressing the shameful legacy of the Stolen Generations”; and ”equality for LGBTIQ+ Australians”.

ACL Score:

3/10

Will your party commit to an audit of all Australian Government departments’ DEI policies, guides, and training to ensure they are implemented based on a genuine commitment to fairness, capability and respect for all, rather than identity-based diversity policies that favour particular groups and individuals over others?  

Party Response:

Labor is committed to a multi-cultural, multi-faith and inclusive Australia which recognises cultural and religious diversity within the workplace. All Australian Government departments should demonstrate a commitment to fairness, capability and respect for all.

ACL Analysis:

Labor have indicated that they are committed to diversity in the workplace. They have not indicated that they will address the current identity-based diversity policies, the issue regarding activist capture potentially impacting on many public services department’s independence, DEI culture in the public service nor ensure merit-based selection processes of the best person rather than someone who is in a particular identity group.   

ACL Score:

5/10

Does your party consider that children and adolescents under 18 years of age should be allowed to take puberty blockers and cross–sex hormones, and undergo surgery to remove breasts and other sex organs?  

Party Response:

Labor believes that Governments have a clear responsibility to ensure Australians are receiving the best medical advice and care available – that responsibility is especially important when it comes to the care of highly vulnerable children and adolescents. That is exactly why the Albanese government commissioned the National Medical and Health Research Council (NMHRC) to undertake a comprehensive review of the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents in Australia, and to develop new national guidelines. Ultimately the provision of public gender services to young people in Australia is exclusively led by states and territories who are responsible for the relevant services and employ the relevant clinicians.

ACL Analysis:

Labor has a general policy supporting the rights and healthcare access of transgender people and “their agency in health decisions”.  Labor members voted down a motion by One Nation calling for an inquiry into child gender treatments in Australia. When the Queensland Government recently announced an inquiry into gender treatments for children and banned any new patients being treated whilst the inquiry occurred, the Federal Labor Government subsequently commissioned the National Medical Health and Research Council ‘NMHRC’ to undertake a comprehensive review of the ‘Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents in Australia’, although treatments for children were not stopped. There is some concern that the NMHRC may be aligned with recommendations of activist groups promoting medical gender transition for children.  

ACL Score:

4/10

Which recommendations of the “Inquiry into online gambling” (the Murphy Inquiry) does your party propose to adopt?  

Party Response:

Labor takes seriously our responsibility to protect Australians from the harms of online gambling. We are working diligently through the Committee’s recommendations. The underlying principle guiding our response is harm reduction. We have been consulting widely with stakeholders to understand their views on the recommendations, including harm reduction advocates and public health experts.

But we have been busy implementing other reforms at the same time. Labor has done more than any other government to tackle the harms from gambling addiction. We have:

• Introduced monthly activity statements;
• Introduced new evidence- based taglines and mandatory staff training;
• Passed legislation to ban the use of credit cards for online gambling;
• launched BetStop to allow people to exclude themselves from online gambling which has included uptake of more than 35,000 people so far;
• Introduced mandatory pre-verification, meaning wagering service providers must verify a customer’s identity when they register for a new account and before they can place a bet. This strengthens protections for underage Australians and those self-excluded through BetStop; and
• Worked with the states and territories to introduce mandatory minimum classifications for computer games containing gambling-like content from September 2024.

Labor acknowledges there is more work to do to respond to this challenge.

ACL Analysis:

Labor has yet to respond to the Labor led Murphy Inquiry into online gambling, or to implement its recommendations, despite 21 months passing since June 2023 when the final report of the Inquiry was handed down recommending, amongst other things, a total ban on online gambling advertising. There has been speculation that Labor are being pressured not to introduce a total advertising ban, or to only introduce a partial ban, by the powerful Media, Sports, Gambling and Hospitality industries. Labor have introduced a number of initiatives to tackle gambling addiction, including banning credit cards for online gambling and mandatory pre-verification.  

ACL Score:

4/10

Does your party support the introduction of age verification to restrict access to pornography by children under the age of 18? 

Party Response:

The Albanese Government takes seriously the importance of preventing children from being exposed to age-inappropriate material online, including pornography. That is why Labor funded the age assurance trial that is identifying, testing and analysing age assurance methods to inform the work of eSafety.

The eSafety Commissioner has also received industry codes that will limit children’s access to online pornography. These are currently being assessed – if they are not good enough, the Commissioner can develop mandatory standards industry will be required to comply with.

If industry doesn’t meet their obligations, the Albanese Government has empowered the eSafety Commissioner to levy substantial fines of up to $50m – up from the $1m set by the former government.

ACL Analysis:

Labor: After initially announcing they would not be progressing age verification when they came to Government in 2022, following community advocacy Labor announced in 2024 they would fund a trial of age assurance technologies, which is currently underway, and has also increased fines for platforms that don’t meet their obligations to $50 million.  

ACL Score:

8/10

What initiatives are your party planning to implement to increase the Australian birth rate and to support parents wishing to stay at home and care for their children? 

Party Response:

The Albanese Government is focussed on supporting Australian families and giving all Australian children the best possible start in life. We have developed a national Early Years Strategy 2024-2034 that focusses on the importance of the early years for a child’s development and success over their lifetime and is supported by measures to assist parents in the early years, including in relation to parenting support and child and maternal health. We know how important it is for families to be able to spend time with their newborns, which is why we are extending Paid Parental Leave to six months by 2026. We have also put in place a 3 Day Guarantee, that allows all children to access three days a week of subsidy for early education, regardless of how many hours their parents are working.

The choice of how parents raise their children should be up to parents. We are working to make sure families have a real choice by acting on cost of living and expanding access to services so your decision isn’t dictated by where you live, or whether or where you work. It should be driven by one thing only, what you want for your child.

ACL Analysis:

Labor has indicated they are seeking to reduce cost of living pressures, however cost of living has risen significantly. They have extended paid parental leave to six months by 2026 and introduced 3 days a week of subsidised early education for children.   

ACL Score:

8/10

What steps does your party propose to take to reduce homelessness in Australia? 

Party Response:

Labor is tackling the housing crisis and helping more Australians with a secure and affordable roof over their head. We are making the largest investment in social and affordable housing in a decade, delivering 55,000 new social and affordable homes. The Housing Australia Future Fund will provide tens of thousands of Australians with a safe, affordable place to call home – and thousands of those homes are under construction right now.

Our new $9.3 billion national agreement with States and Territories doubles funding for homelessness services and our $1.2 billion investment in crisis and transitional housing is providing critical support for women, children and young people impacted by family and domestic violence who are at-risk of homelessness. We’re tackling homelessness head-on and are fighting to ensure every Australian has access to a safe, stable home.

ACL Analysis:

Three of the factors driving homelessness include high immigration, low supply of housing, and high cost of living. Under Labor since 2022, both immigration and cost of living have increased significantly. Labor has indicated that it has focused on homelessness in recent years, with its stated policy is to implement a wide range of housing reforms to address the current housing shortage, as well as many other policies regarding social housing and ending homelessness more specifically, including rental assistance. Labor has indicated that they have made a large investment in social housing to deliver 55,000 new social and affordable homes over the next ten years.

However, 55,000 new social housing dwellings a year is insufficient to meet the current needs, particularly with high levels of immigration. Labor have indicated they will ban foreign investors buying existing houses for two years.  

ACL Score:

6/10

Will your party push for an inquiry into the connection between a legalised or decriminalised sex industry and human sex trafficking?

Party Response:

Modern slavery is a hidden problem that will not be discovered without meaningful attempts to expose it. The Government is working to eliminate the scourge of modern slavery and human trafficking through action at home and overseas. Labor has:

• Provided more than $160 million in development assistance to ASEAN countries to strength criminal justice responses and improve victim protection and support;
• Released a response to the statutory review of the modern slavery Act 2018 (Cth) which agreed (in full, in part, or in principles) to 25 of the 30 recommendations;
• Appointed 20 members to the Modern Slavery Expert Advisory Group;
• established an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner to lead our efforts to abolish modern slavery in Australia and abroad;

• Established an Additional Referral Pathway pilot to support victims and survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery through connecting them directly to the services they need.

ACL Analysis:

Both Labor and the Coalition have indicated they have a strong stance against sex trafficking and modern slavery and has previously implemented some important modern slavery measures.  

Labor has indicated they have a strong stance against sex trafficking and modern slavery and has appointed the first Modern Slavery Commissioner in 2024 and has implemented a range of antislavery measures since taking office, and under previous Labor Governments. However Labor does not acknowledge the connection between a liberalised sex industry and human sex trafficking.  

ACL Score:

7/10

Will your party support an inquiry into annual spending on “Closing the Gap”, including an audit of privately controlled entities and an evaluation of all funded programs, to ensure they are effective in helping vulnerable Indigenous Australians? 

Party Response:

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap includes provisions for independent reporting on progress toward achieving the Priority Reforms and Targets.

Under the Agreement, the Productivity Commission maintains a data dashboard and undertakes a comprehensive review of progress every three years (the first of which was released in 2024).

The Agreement also includes a commitment for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led review of impact on the ground to be undertaken following each Productivity Commission Review, the first of which is currently under way led by the Coalition of Peaks.

All parties to the National Agreement (Commonwealth, state and territory and local governments and the Coalition of Peaks) are responsible for outlining the actions they are taking in annual reports and implementation plans, including investments being made and outcomes being achieved. The Commonwealth Government released its combined 2024 Annual Report and 2025 Implementation Plan on 10 February 2025.

ACL Analysis:

Labor has not given a commitment to review funding and ensure it is effectively used. Labor has referred to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap which it says have provisions for reporting progress. It refers to the recently released 2025 Implementation Plan for actions the Federal Government will take.  

ACL Score:

5/10

What is your party’s position on whether federal laws should be changed to permit VAD consultations via Telehealth? 

Party Response:

Labor acknowledges the concerns that have been raised about the impact of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) on the operation of state and territory voluntary assisted dying schemes. We will continue to consider this important matter and listen to the concerns raised by the Australian people and states and territories.

ACL Analysis:

Labor has acknowledged concerns have been raised about the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) on state and territory Assisted Suicide laws and have indicated that they will continue to consider this matter, which is not a definitive ‘no’ like the Coalition. 

ACL Score:

5/10

What plans does your party have for the legalisation of cannabis or other illicit drugs? 

Party Response:

Under the National Drug Strategy 2017 – 2026, the Australian Government is committed to preventing and reducing the harm that illicit and recreational drug use has on individuals, families and communities across Australia. The Albanese Government does not propose to legalise the production, sale or use of cannabis for recreational purposes.

ACL Analysis:

Labor also voted against federal Greens Bill to legalise cannabis.  Labor has committed to preventing and reducing the harm from illicit and recreational drug use.  They have indicated they do not propose to legalise the production, sale or use of cannabis for recreational purposes, and consider it to be a state and territory issue. Previously a ‘prevention’ approach to drugs has proven more effective in deterring Australians from drug use than a ‘harm minimisation’ approach. In 2024 Labor initiated an Inquiry into the Health Impacts of Alcohol and Other Drugs, which is currently underway. It is important to consider the evidence in a climate where there are loud calls for legalisation of cannabis and other illicit drugs. There is evidence that even medicinal cannabis can have significant health and safety consequences, whilst the Therapeutical Goods Administration (TGA) has found there is limited or no evidence of benefits of cannabis as a treatment for many conditions.  

ACL Score:

8/10

Given that currently, parents cannot access their 14–17-year-old children’s My Health Record unless the child consents, does your party propose to restore parental rights to access their children’s records, except in exceptional circumstances?  

Party Response:

Labor wants My Health Records to remain contemporary and support current health care delivery models. This issue will be considered as part of that My Health Record legislation review, however, any consideration of legislative or policy change must be sensitive to individual circumstances to ensure all young people are protected. This must include consideration of the relative risks of not giving parents access to information against the risks associated with My Health Record being used by an abusive or coercive parent to locate a young person.

ACL Analysis:

Labor has indicated that they will consider the issue as part of the My Health Record legislation review, however it is noted that it was Labor that legislated this significant change to parental rights. 

ACL Score:

2/10

Given the current levels of poverty and humanitarian need around the world, and the concern regarding aid budget being used ideologically, does your party plan to increase foreign aid as a percentage of the Federal Budget to meet desperate international needs, targeting it where it’s practically required, ensuring it’s not influenced by ideology?  

Party Response:

The Albanese Government is rebuilding Australia’s international development budget in a responsible and sustainable way. We have reprioritised our aid program to address vulnerabilities in our region following major aid cuts, with a record $2.16 billion for the Pacific and $1.28 billion for Southeast Asia in 2025-26. Under the Albanese Government, Australia’s international development program delivers outcomes that address poverty, economic growth, healthcare, infrastructure investment, climate change and gender equality. All of this Is critical to supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous future for Australia and for our region.

Following 9 years of cuts and neglect under Peter Dutton and the Coalition, we are on track to deliver an additional $10.4 billion for our development program over the coming decade, through:

• delivering our election promise to increase development funding to Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and to Australian NGOs by $1.4 billion;
• providing a further $500 million over the forward estimates for our region, including in climate finance and infrastructure; and
• locking in annual indexation of 2.5 percent, which will mean an additional $8.6 billion for our region over the next ten years.

ACL Analysis:

Labor has indicated that their initiatives since being in office have increased foreign aid funding, particularly in the Pacific and South East Asia region. This has included locking in 2.5% annual indexation of the aid Budget, which will increase aid in the region by $8.6bn over the next decade.  They indicate their current foreign aid program addresses poverty, economic growth, health care, infrastructure climate change and gender equality. Media in April 2025 indicates that Australian foreign aid scholarships to developing nations like PNG have been changed from providing training in agriculture, education, health, governance, law, justice, transport and infrastructure, and despite the huge needs in PNG for qualified education, health and other professionals to meet their local needs, the Australian Government and Department of Foreign Affairs now have expanded the scholarship options to prioritise ‘western world luxury’ ideologically based studies in degrees focused on gender, climate and disability related studies, instead of funding degrees to meet local development needs.  

ACL Score:

5/10