Shadow Minister for Health Leanne Castley has slammed the ACT Labor-Greens government for playing pure politics and voting down her motion to develop a Men’s Health Plan (2023-2033) in the Legislative Assembly today.

Ms Castley said ACT is the only jurisdiction in the country that does not have a health plan for men and it is shameful for every member of Labor and the Greens to vote against this important motion.

“The Labor-Greens government have praised their gendered approach to health service and access, yet they have voted against applying this lens to issues that disproportionately effect men and boys,” Ms Castley said.

“It is extremely disappointing that the Labor-Greens Government voted against a men’s health strategy that would target services, access and shortfalls in the ACT for Men and boys.”

The health minister argued that no community groups have called for a men’s health plan and that an evidence-based approach is used to focus on specific health issues for groups.

However, Ms Castley referenced several men’s groups in the territory that had contacted her supporting and congratulating her motion including Menslink.

Ms Castley also referenced the Ministers speech supporting Menslink in September 2017 which said, ‘Our efforts to support societies most vulnerable must not be presented as a competition between one group or another. We must of course identify when a particular group faces a particular problem and focus our resources accordingly, but we cannot and should not attempt to turn against each other to compete for empathy or attention’.

“The Ministers words and actions in the chamber today, fly in contradiction of what she said in 2017 about men’s health.

“It is disappointing that the Minister has today decided to make a political point at the expense of men,” Ms Castley concluded.