The NSW State Election on 25 March is a crucial opportunity to advocate for state government policies that strengthen the disability support sector and progress genuine inclusion for people with disability.

National Disability Services (NDS) will be calling on all candidates and political parties to make commitments across key disability policy areas.

Disability service providers with networks and relationships in their local community can play a crucial role in this campaign. Together, we can build support across the state for stronger and more inclusive disability policies.

The resources below provide the information and advice to get involved in the election campaign in your local area. They include:

• Key issues for NSW disability policy
• Suggested campaign activities
• NSW State Election Regulations

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Key issues for NSW disability policy 

NDS is asking NSW state political parties to commit to four areas of most need: 

• Workforce — ensure that people with disabilities have access to a resilient disability support sector and skilled workforce. 
• Housing — provide more suitable housing that meets the needs of people with disability. 
• Mainstream supports — develop an effective, integrated social care response for the people with a disability in NSW who are not eligible for the NDIS. 
• Employment and economic participation — improve opportunities for people with disabilities. 

See the NDS NSW Election Platform [PDF | Accessible Word] for further detail on the state policy commitments we are seeking. 

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Suggested campaign activities  

NDS will send the NDS NSW Election Platform [PDF | Accessible Word] to state political parties, seeking their policy commitments to progress genuine inclusion for people with disability. Prior to election day we will release a report card comparing the party responses to our platform and share the results with our networks across NSW.  

To strengthen our call for commitments from the political parties, we will seek the support of local candidates across state electorates. This is where you come in. As a service provider, your local networks will be key to building support across the state for our campaign. 

• Contact your local candidates
• Mobilise your community networks
• Social media posts

Contact your local candidates 

You can support the campaign by contacting your local candidates, sharing the NDS NSW Election Platform with them, and asking them what actions they propose to take to progress genuine inclusion for the approximately 1.4 million people in New South Wales with a disability. 

See below for resources to help you email election candidates.  

You can also invite candidates to visit your organisation and meet your team and the people with disability they support. Encourage them to learn more about what matters to people with lived experience of disability, and why inclusion is important. 

You can find your electorate details at NSW Electoral Commission - Find my electorate. 

Registered candidates for the election are listed on the 2023 NSW State Register of Candidates. Candidates can be nominated until 8 March 2023 and will be formally announced by the NSW Electoral Commission on 9 March. 

State political parties have published lists of their NSW election candidates:

• NSW Labor – Labor candidates
• Liberal Party NSW – Liberal candidates
• National Party NSW – Nationals Candidates
• The Greens NSW – Greens Candidates

An informal list of candidates of the 2023 New South Wales state election can also be found on Wikipedia. 

Mobilise your community networks 

You can encourage your staff, the people you support, and their family and friends to talk about their experiences and where state disability policies can be improved. Share with them the message below that shows how they can raise issues with local candidates by email, at community events and on social media. 

Social media posts  

Below are some suggested posts for providers to promote the campaign issues on social media. Feel free to add information about your organisation, experiences and concerns. 

NSW State Election 2023 - Social Media Campaign [Word] 

You can tag your local candidates in your posts or leave a comment with one of our questions for candidates in their social media posts. 

NDS will also be posting on our social media during the campaign. You can share our posts and add your own comments on the issues that concern you most.

Follow NDS at: 

• LinkedIn: @National Disability Services
• Facebook: @nationaldisabilityservices
• Twitter: @NDS_Disability

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NSW State Election Regulations 

The NSW Electoral Commission has a website on the 2023 NSW State Election with information for political participants. Any organisation participating in the election should familiarise themselves with the NSW Electoral Commission requirements. 

This includes requirements for Electoral Materials. If you send voter material such as emails or social media posts related to the election these must be authorised and must include the name and street address of the electoral participant who authorised the material, such as this: “Authorised by Debbie Jaggers, National Disability Services, Level 3, 28 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills 2010.” Material created by your organisation should be authorised by that organisation. 

Social media authorisation can be given through a link on social media posts or within the ‘about’ section of the specific page or twitter handle. 

The NSW Electoral Commission also has guidance on requirements for Third Party Campaigners. A third-party campaigner is an individual or entity that incurs more than $2,000 in electoral expenditure. They must be registered and track campaign expenditure.