2022-02-26
Back in Canberra to address the NDIS Bill, the Mitochondrial Donation Reform Bill, the Religious Discrimination Bill and the Government’s inadequate response to the covid pandemic
By Senator Jordon Steele-John
So much has happened so far this year that it’s hard to believe we’re only just coming out of February!
Back to Canberra
After a lengthy Covid-induced hiatus, I finally returned to Canberra for the first sitting week of 2022. I could not have been more excited to roll down the halls of Parliament House once again; after attending Parliament remotely for much of last year I bloody missed it if you can believe it!
I was lucky enough to be joined by a number of my Perth-based staff, some of whom accompanied me to Canberra for the first time. I also got to meet my new Canberra-based policy advisor Naomi who joined the team at the start of the year. I’m really excited to be working with such an amazing team, and I just know we’re going to do some incredible work in that place this year.
While in Canberra I was also joined by two incredible disability advocates, Nicole Lee and Sam Connor, who literally risked their lives to be there. We discussed the NDIS bill – which we were able to hold off the government reintroducing during this sitting – and held a press conference calling out the government’s pathetic treatment of disabled people in this pandemic.
Mitochondrial bill
One of the big pieces that took a lot of my focus in Parliament in the first sitting of the year was the Mitochondrial Donation Reform Bill, also known as Maeve’s Law.
Mitochondrial disease is a group of conditions that can cause serious health issues and, in severe cases, death in childhood. Around one child is born every week in Australia with the devastating disease, which has no known cure.
The excellent news is that it can be prevented using an IVF-based assisted reproductive procedure called mitochondrial donation. Unfortunately, this technology is currently unlawful in Australia. Passing this bill into law would ensure it’s no longer an offence to use the technology.
Despite my best efforts to get this legislation passed in the Senate, the Senate decided not to extend the time available to debate the bill. That means it’s currently deferred until the next sitting, when I hope we can finally do the right thing by the scores of families waiting for access to this life-saving procedure.
Opposition to Religious Discrimination Bill
The Religious Discrimination Bill was a big talking point across both chambers during the February sitting. After a marathon 18-hour sitting in the House of Representatives, the bill passed at 5 in the morning with the backing of the Liberals and Labor. The following day it landed in the Senate, and my Greens colleagues and I were preparing to mount a spectacular fight to shoot it down.
We moved a motion to delay the reading of the bill and it was successful! That means the bill didn’t appear for a final vote during the February sitting week, and is not likely to come up again before the election. It’s a huge win and such a relief to see it buried, even if only temporarily.
This bill is a Trojan horse for hate. It undermines protections for LGBTQ+ people, disabled people, women, people of minority faiths and others. People of faith should be free to practice their religion without fear of harm or prejudice, but this bill is a cruel and calculated move from the Morrison government to enshrine discrimination into law.
While the bill is gone for now, it’s possible it will come up again in the future. If it does, the Greens will continue to fight it to ensure equality for *everyone* under the law.
Estimates
Straight after sitting we moved into an eventful week of Estimates, where I questioned the government on matters ranging from defence to the NDIS. We discovered that the ADF is targeting 17 to 24 year-olds in their recruitment – children! – despite the ongoing royal commission into veteran suicide. It is highly inappropriate to actively attract young people to an organisation that is currently under the highest form of systemic judicial review, and these practices must stop.
In a separate committee, we also heard that the government *still* isn’t collecting data on how many disabled people are dying from COVID-19. By only counting NDIS participants – a small percentage of disabled people in this country – the government is failing to adequately measure the scope of the problem. That’s impacting their ability to prepare and respond, and it’s simply not good enough.
Covid Committee
For those who may not know, I sit on the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19, which was established in 2020 to inquire into the government’s response to the pandemic.
January’s committee focused largely on the impact of Omicron on the aged care sector and Minister Colbeck’s incompetence – and outright dereliction of duties – when he declined to attend a COVID committee meeting in favour of the cricket. This behaviour is very telling of the government’s attitude towards our most vulnerable, and I continue to hold great concerns for their ability to protect the community as we continue to navigate the pandemic.
After returning from Canberra, I’m so looking forward to getting out of quarantine and getting stuck back in campaigning alongside our amazing Greens candidates and volunteers. There’s only a few short months until the election and I’m raring to get out there and grow our vote across the state!
Header photo: Senator Jordon Steele-John with disability advocates Samantha Connor and Nicole Lee at Australian Parliament House on Tuesday 15th February.