Health Australia Party
The Health Australia Party (HAP) was a political party in Australia, founded in 2013 as the Natural Medicine Party. It adopted its current name in 2015.
Health Australia Party | |
|---|---|
| President | Kerry Bone |
| Founded | 2013 (as Natural Medicine Party) |
| Dissolved | 19 January 2024 |
| Succeeded by | HEART Party (17 August 2023 − 10 October 2023) |
| Ideology | Naturopathy Anti-fluoridation Anti-vaccination |
| Website | |
| healthaustraliaparty | |
| |
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. The party also contested the 2018 Victorian state election, running for five legislative council seats.
The party has been criticised in the main for being anti-vaccination 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.
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.