2019-03-10
As I write this, we’ve entered the final 12-week push to the Federal Election; things are ramping up! We’re also potentially just days away from a massive win for me, for the Greens and for the disability rights movement. A campaign - started by Rachel Siewert back in late 2014 - for the establishment of a Royal Commission into the Violence, Abuse, Exploitation and Neglect of disabled people in institutional and residential settings. Understandably, I’ve been pretty busy!
My involvement in the Royal Commission campaign began back in my very first week as a Senator in November 2017. I moved a motion in the Senate calling on the Government to recognise the urgent need for one, in the wake of two separate Four Corners investigations and a 2015 Senate Inquiry - initiated and chaired by Rachel - outlining the horrendous lived experiences of abuse suffered by disabled people in their homes, workplaces, where they learn and where they receive services and support.
That motion passed the Senate with support, for the first time publicly, from the Labor party. Since then I have put two more motions before the Senate and asked the government on four separate occasions during question time why they have not yet acted to establish this Royal Commission. The answer has always been the same: we don’t need it.
The government has long claimed that the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission performs the job of a Royal Commission, however, there are two very large caveats. One, there are as many as 4 million Australians who live with some form of visible or invisible disability yet the NDIS only covers approximately 10% of those people. Two, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is not retrospective in that it can only investigate and prosecute on cases that have resulted since the NDIS began. This is why a Royal Commission is essential for justice for disabled people and their families.
In February, following the Government’s loss of a vote on the Medical Evacuation refugee bill, I moved a motion in the Senate concurrently with the House of Representatives to try and wedge the Government. It worked, elevating the voices of disabled people and the Greens to the National stage!
In other news we’ve been working extremely hard ramping up our election readiness, producing content to roll out across our digital media channels, attending events and University orientation days and getting out into the community and talking to people about how to build a future for all of us!
This election we are running on a platform of five flagship issues:
- Cleaning up politics and banning corporate donations;
- Free, universal education;
- A transition away from coal to 100% renewable energy to address climate change;
- A home for all and renter’s rights
- Publicly owned utilities and services, like the NBN and a People’s Bank.
I’m so proud to be campaigning for the green movement on these important, transformative issues that I know will help build a future for all of us!
Image Credit: Callan Gray