COTA Tasmania’s State Election Statement 2024

Our COTA Election Statement 2024 has seven priorities, outlining the key areas our organisation, the Peak Body for older Tasmanians (50years+) are seeking commitment for in the lead up to the State Election.

COTA Tasmania’s seven priority areas:

• Peak body sustainability
• Digital literacy and inclusion
• Housing support
• Social connection
• Cost of living
• Health and wellbeing
• Reframe ageing

50.6% of all eligible voters in Tasmania are 50yrs+ years of age (Census 2021) making them the highest proportion of voters in Tasmania.

With almost 224,000 Tasmanians over the age of 50years (40.4% of Tasmanian population), this cohort is impacted by a range of factors for which COTA is seeking commitment.

Read our  Election Statement 2024

We have sent our election statement to all candidates running in this years election, and asked them to commit to supporting COTA Tasmania to continue to advocate for Older Tasmanians. Read our letter to all candidates.

19 March 2024  – Talking Point sent to 3 major papers in Tasmania – The Mercury, The Advocate and The Examiner.

Tasmania – An Age Friendly State?

As we head to the polls this weekend, what thought have you given to older Tasmanians and what they see as important to their future?  Have you chatted to your parents, your aunty, or your neighbour down the road about what concerns them, the gaps in services they experience and the things that may make a difference to their quality of life?

With almost 228,000 Tasmanians over the age of 50 (almost half the States population), we owe it to our older community members, as well as to our future selves, to pay attention to the issues that are impacting on their lives. Appropriate and affordable housing that adapts to support us to age in place, access to consistent primary healthcare in our local areas, practical strategies to assist with cost-of-living pressures, particularly rising electricity prices, and practical support to navigate aged care services and systems are just a few things that we hear when we talk to our members and the wider community.  Sounds familiar? But for many older Tasmanians these challenges are acute due to limited income, ageist stereotypes, poor public transport, limited mobility, increased reliance on digital means and social isolation. 

Read the full arctule – COTA Tasmania Talking Point-19 March by our Acting CEO, Brigid Wilkinson

Candidates who have committed the policy and funding requests within COTA Tasmanian’s Election Statement:

• David O’Byrne
• Kristie Johnson
• Bill Elliston
• Frank Formby
• Andrew Roberts
• Angela Armstrong
• Stefan W Vogel
• Jennifer Branch-Allen
• Sue Hickey
• Tamar Cordover
• Angela Offord
• Angela Triffitt
• Loueen Triffitt
• Mark Brown

• Labor  (Ticket to play funding, commitment to a Minister for Aged Care, Advisory committee for Ageing, sign up for WHO Age Friendly Communities framework, digital support through Libraries Tasmania for aging
  Tasmanians, indexation – match current rate, $50,000 to review peer education)
  
• Liberal (5 year community services funding, Ticket to Wellbeing, Digital Inclusion initiatives, additional funding of $200k for 2yrs for Elder Abuse, Seniors Week & Advocacy project areas)
• Vica Bayley (5 year community services funding, commitment to look at election priority areas if elected)

*last updated 19 March 10am