MEDIA RELEASE 22 APRIL 2025

WEL’s 2025 Federal Election Scorecard

No major Party gets full marks, but some do better than others

WEL has launched its 2025 Federal Election Scorecard to help guide women’s votes for real change.

WEL is a feminist, independent, non-party-political, volunteer driven organisation which has advocated for equality and justice for women for the last 52 years.

Launching the scorecard, WEL Convener Kay Anastassiadis said: ‘Party commitments on issues such as violence and sexual assault, housing and income security can literally change women’s lives. It can even be a matter of life and death.

The Scorecard aims to empower women to make their vote count whichever electorate they are in.’

‘Disappointingly, the WEL Federal Election Scorecard shows that the LNP has few policies in many areas that really matter to women, such as housing, income adequacy and equality for women, and early childhood education and care.

‘We are pleased to see the LNP’s better showing in relation to eliminating violence and in matching Labor’s commitments with its $573.3 million women’s health package.’

‘Labor’s strong performance in 3 of WEL’s 5 priority policy areas is encouraging. Their commitment to taking steps to achieve universal early childhood education and care, and to eliminating violence against women shows the party continues to be serious about gender equality’, said Jozefa Sobski, member of WEL’s National Committee.

The Greens have some excellent policies in areas crucial to women’s equality, particularly in the key priority areas WEL sees as urgent said Ms Sobski.

One resounding gap in this campaign is that neither Labor nor the LNP are prepared to make any commitments on improving access to abortion. The Commonwealth could easily set reproductive health access as a condition of public hospital funding, and work with the states and territories to open up free access through the public health system’.

WEL is also very disappointed that working age income support payments and parenting payment will remain below the poverty line whichever major party gains office, while poverty traps in the tax and transfer system that limit workforce participation need urgent review. We call on all parties to support abolition of the targeted compliance framework.

How do the main political parties stack up?

WEL’s 2025 Federal Election Scorecard is based on a detailed assessment of the major parties’ publicly stated commitments against WEL’s top 5 priorities.

See our full 2025 policy platform HERE.

Media Contact: National Coordinating Committee

Jozefa Sobski AM Mobile: 0403 895929

Kay Anastassiadis Mobile: 0413 619317