Volunteering emerges as Campaign Priority this Federal Election

27/06/2016

Volunteering emerges as Campaign Priority this Federal Election

From Volunteering Australia Chief Executive Officer, Brett Williamson OAM:

Volunteering Australia is pleased to see volunteering become part of the campaign discussion this Federal Election. We welcome any dialogue which results in the role of volunteers being publicly recognised and more highly valued.

That’s why, this election campaign, we’ve asked every candidate for federal election across Australia, in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, to take our Volunteering Australia pledge and Vote for Volunteering.

We are grateful to the dozens of candidates who have already taken the pledge and will Vote for Volunteering this election. However, we note that we are yet to receive any pledges from the Liberal or National Parties, and just one candidate pledge from the Australian Labor Party.

Given that the Prime Minister and both major parties have raised the value of volunteering as an election priority in recent days, we look forward to seeing them commit to the goals outlined by Australia’s most senior peak body for volunteering by taking the Volunteering Australia Vote for Volunteering pledge.

The Vote for Volunteering pledge reads:

“I acknowledge that volunteering supports the work of the federal government through the delivery of core programs, making a significant contribution to the Australian economy and society. I further acknowledge that the delivery of successful volunteering programs requires adequate funding that must keep pace with the growth in demand. I am concerned by reports that the number of volunteers in Australia is decreasing and believe Government must show the leadership required to encourage more people into volunteering.

I pledge to work in partnership with the volunteering sector to support the work of volunteers, volunteer managers and volunteer-involving organisations if elected on July 2.”

The Vote for Volunteering pledge outlines the following priorities for the next Federal Government:

• A new National Volunteering Strategy that is non-partisan and developed in partnership with Volunteering Australia and other relevant sectors
  
  
• A commitment to increased federal funding to volunteering that is managed sustainably, consistently and transparently, and that is allocated as a result of independent research and collaboration with the sector in the form of a Productivity Commission inquiry
  
  
• An acknowledgement that the work of volunteering crosses all portfolios of the Government, and must be administered accordingly
  
  
• An increase in support for volunteering in areas with critical gaps, such as aged care, disability services, emergency management and youth.

You can read a full list of candidates who have taken the Vote for Volunteering pledge here: http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/2016-federal-election-vote-for-volunteering/

Candidates can take the pledge to Vote for Volunteering at http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/2016-federal-election-candidates/ and share their pledge using the hashtag, #Vote4Volunteering.

MEDIA STATEMENT
Friday 24 June, 2016
MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Kylie Hughes, Volunteering Australia
E: kylie@volunteeringaustralia.org
P: 02 6251 4060
M: 0402 497 138

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