Health Australia Party

Health Australia Party
PresidentKerry Bone
Founded2013; 11 years ago (2013) (as Natural Medicine Party)
Dissolved19 January 2024
Succeeded byHEART Party (17 August 2023 − 10 October 2023)
IdeologyNaturopathy
Anti-fluoridation[1]
Anti-vaccination
Website
healthaustraliaparty.com.au

The Health Australia Party (HAP) was a political party in Australia, founded in 2013 as the Natural Medicine Party.[2] It adopted its current name in 2015.[3][4]

HAP first contested an election under that name in 2016, where it secured almost 1.2% of first preference votes in New South Wales and less than 0.5% in three other states.[5] The party also contested the 2018 Victorian state election, running for five legislative council seats.[6]

The party has been criticised in the main for being anti-vaccination[7] In addition, criticisms have been levelled concerning their views on pseudoscience, alternative medicine, and conspiracy theories, as well as for its policies and misleading name.[8][3]

The party was deregistered by the Australian Electoral Commission in 2022. In August 2023, the party merged with the Informed Medical Options Party to form the HEART Party, however the merger collapsed in October 2023 and HAP returned as a standalone party. On 19 January 2024, the party announced it would disband.[9][10]

  1. ^ The HAP believes that sodium fluoride, hydrofluorosilic acid and other chemical products called “fluoride” are toxic chemical waste products that are classified as class 6 poisons and should not be placed into public water supplies.
  2. ^ "Health Australia Party - Australian Electoral Commission". 24 November 2015. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  3. ^ a b Weber, David (28 June 2016). "Election 2016: Revamped Health Australia Party broadens policies, but raises ire of AMA". ABC News. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Natural Medicine Party". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Senate Results - Australia Votes". Federal Election 2016. ABC News. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  6. ^ Cockburn, Gerard (27 October 2018). "Fringe factor: your guide to the minor parties". The Age. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference sbm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Puglisi, Leonardo (17 August 2023). "Two 'freedom parties' merge as they look to get elected for first time". 6 News Australia.
  10. ^ Golden, Isaac (18 January 2024). "A Final Word on the Health Australia Party". Health Australia Party. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024.