The Australian Democrats and the Safe & United Party of Australia Merged Manifesto

Economic Policy

● The Democrats will support taxation cuts for middle and lower earners.
● The Democrats will raise the tax threshold to ensure low income earners don’t feel the
squeeze especially if they are out of work.
● The Democrats will support an overhaul of the windfall tax and create a windfall tax
with teeth.
● The Democrats will work with states to remove stamp duty and replace it with a Land
Value Tax of 3%.
● The Democrats will support a tax break for small businesses and the creation of the
“microbusinesses portfolio”.
● The Democrats will add a 50% boost to Commonwealth Rent Assistance to help ease
the squeeze on Australians living in rental stress.

● The Democrats will make 90% of wage Increases tax deductible.

● The Democrats will bring back the Mining Super profits tax.

● We will immediately halt the privatisation of all Australian assets, and bring critical
Australian industries back into our own hands.
● We will repeal negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount in its entirety.

● Democrats will provide over $2 Billion in subsidies to ensure parents can send their
kids to school.

Climate Change
● The Democrats will Invest in up to 20 new clean energy projects.
● Ask for a Royal Commission into the Great Barrier Reef and the effects of climate
change on the reef.
● The Democrats will push for net-zero by 2040 and a full renewable grid by 2030.
● The Democrats will push for a 66% emission cut by 2030
● The Democrats will block the Scarborough Gas Project and the Narrabri Gas Field and
seek to halt all gas exploration by 2030.
● The Democrats will seek to phase out all coal mines by 2025 and replace every coal
mine and power station with a renewable project.
● The Democrats will invest in free TAFE for renewable energy industries
● The Democrats will overhaul the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
● The Democrats will upgrade the electricity grid to fix energy transmission and make
electricity cheaper.
● The Democrats will ban fracking
 ● The Democrats will push states and territories to remove Luxury Car Tax from electric
vehicles and provide subsidies.
● The Democrats will subsidise solar panel installation in line with the state and
territories.
● The Democrats will be Attempting to move all capital cities to fully renewable energy
by 2035.
● The Democrats will be spending $20 billion upgrading our grid to support renewable
energy.
● The Democrats will also support copper, lithium, and cobalt mining in Australia in order
for rare earth metals to fuel the green transition for EVs.

● Democrats will cut 2005 greenhouse gas emission levels by 60% by 2030, with a goal
of fully completely net zero emissions by 2040.

● Democrats will invest in electric car chargers all across Australia, and incentivise
petrol stations to converting their pumps into chargers.

● Democrats will invest in more coral research funding to save the great barrier reef, as
well as more research into litter disposal methods.
Foreign Affairs

● The Democrats will push for membership into ASEAN.

● The Democrats will open Australia up to Asia and hope to become a key player in the
Asian Region.
● The Democrats support free trade and will seek to implement several key free trade
agreements.
● The Democrats will push to bring Julian Assange home and support whistleblowers
abroad.
● The Democrats will restructure Australia’s foreign aid and seek to reconcile with our
Pacific Island Partners.
● The Democrats will lift foreign aid spending to 4% of the budget.
● The Democrats will work to reduce tensions between the People’s Republic of China
and the United States.

Defence
● The Democrats will purchase 20 advanced diesel-electric submarines instead of 8
nuclear submarines which will save $80 billion and grow our submarine fleet.
● The Democrats will invest in more anti-ship missiles to help defend our shores and
save $10 billion that was to be used on armoured vehicles.
● The Democrats will end the waste in defence spending and spend it on equipment we
need.
● The Democrats will also add defence equipment to a revised foreign aid plan.
● The Democrats will take all recommendations from the Veterans Royal Commission.
● The Democrats will bolster the veterans budget and work with states to find ways to
solve problems veterans have after combat.
● The Democrats are committed towards strengthening our defence force through the
purchase of 6 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Model Fighter Jets to strengthen our
air presence and air force capabilities.

● The Democrats Will also Upgrade the Australian Army’s on ground abilities with the
purchase of 14 Nr.1 Leopard 2A7 from Germany to support our deployment
 capabilities.

● Democrats will subsidise Black Sky missiles with the hope that eventually Australia
may become a global missile manufacturer. This will provide significant boosts to the
Australian economy as well as strengthening our role in the 21st century as a pacific
military power.

● Finally Democrats will commit to recruiting 50,000 new ADF personnel to improve our
manpower abilities.

Immigration
● The Democrats will reform the Agricultural Visa to allow more migrant workers from
the Pacific Islands to come to Australia.
● The Democrats will establish a lottery system that will allow Pacific Islanders to come
to Australia to work with a Visa.
● The Democrats will reform the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Seasonal Worker
Program to have the Commonwealth Government cover travel costs.
● The Democrats will allow Visa holders of the Pacific Labour Mobility Scheme to bring
their families to Australia..
● The Democrats will allow the Murugappan family to return to Biloela.
● The Democrats will allow people from foreign countries currently in war a temporary
visa until the commencement of a ceasefire between both countries.
● The Democrats will continue to keep Australia open to immigrants looking to join
Australian society.
● The Democrats will set up better travel mobility streams with ASEAN nations.
Health
● The Democrats will improve and enhance regional healthcare.
● The Democrats will improve and enhance Indigenous healthcare by providing $371m
to self-determined, community-led First Nations health services to increase their
capacity to care for the community.
● The Democrats will add dental health care to Medicare.
● The Democrats will add mental health care to Medicare.
● Expand the Royal Flying Doctor Program.
● Deliver 60 Urgent Care Clinics.
● Increase the screening program from 25 to 80.
● Cutting medications costs on the PBS.
● Boost workforce incentives for regional and remote GPs.

● We will provide GST-free sanitary products for women.

Education
● The Democrats will introduce a laptop rebate scheme giving students better access to
laptops.
● The Democrats will introduce 26 weeks of paid parental leave.
● The Democrats will introduce 2 years of free preschool before school.
● The Democrats will introduce a National Consistent Registry for all early childhood
education teachers.
● The Democrats will introduce needs-based funding for government schools.
● The Democrats will raise the status of teachers to attract high achievers to become
teachers.
 ● The Democrats will develop a scholarship program for students seeking to become
teachers.
● The Democrats will invest in disadvantaged schools.
● The Democrats will pull all government funding from private schools.
● The Democrats will remove NAPLAN with assessments that show how to close the
gap between students.
● Democrats will completely abolish university tuition fees and wipe student debt. This
has been done before and done again.
Communications
● The Democrats will break up media giants Newscorp, Fairfax and Kerry Stokes Media.
● The Democrats will protect and properly fund the ABC.
● The Democrats will support a full overhaul of the NBN.
● The Democrats will create a program that will close regional blackspots.
● The Democrats will protect press freedom and investigate the AFP raids on numerous
journalists and media companies.
Seniors
● Democrats will invest more money into increasing the pension to the median income.

● Democrats will create an aged care sector, to ensure all elderly Australians get the
proper, accessible, well funded care they need.

● Democrats will invest $500 Million in the aged care sector, as a base for funding to
nursing homes, as well as aged care in hospitals, ambulance services, and medical
services.

Social Justice
● The Democrats will criminalise conversion therapy.
● The Democrats will protect LGBTQIA+ rights.
● Protect human rights within the power the federal government has.
● Continue to protect the safety of women in the workplace.
● The Democrats will push for a Royal Commission into women's workplace safety.
● The Democrats will support a referendum on an Indigenous Voice to the Constitution.
● The Democrats will pressure states and territories to raise the age of criminal
responsibility from 10 to 14 years.
● The Democrats will support self determination for Indigenous Australians.
● The Democrats will close the gender pay gap by establishing a commission into
Women’s Economic Security Statements to look into it.

Signed By:

Adam Bandt MP Katie McCusker Randy Facalding

Former Leader of the
Former Australian
Democrats
Member for Melbourne
Leader of the Former
Australian Democrats
Leader of the United
Democrats
Member for Sturt
Leader of the Former
Safe & United Party of
Australia
Deputy Leader of the
United Democrats
Senator for Tasmania