2023-01-09
Focusing attention on disability and the NDIS in the ABC’s Q+A, ADHD awareness, carers and paid work, human rights in Iran and Palestine, and reflecting on a successful 2022
By Senator Jordon Steele-John
And just like that, 2022 is over! I don’t know about you, but I feel like this year has just absolutely flown by – and at the same time, so much has happened that it almost feels like five years packed into one. I’m so proud of everything we’ve achieved together, just as I’m really excited for what lies ahead in 2023.
ADHD survey and campaign
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been receiving a lot of media attention recently as more and more Australians are diagnosed, and yet the condition remains so deeply misunderstood by health professionals and the public alike. It’s leaving way too many people un- and misdiagnosed, which has a significant and immeasurable impact on their lives.
So I’m really excited that in October my team and I launched our campaign to improve ADHD diagnosis and support in Australia. To help identify the issues that exist and inform the work that needs to be done, we asked the community to share their lived experience of ADHD in an online survey – which, by the time it closed at the end of October, attracted more than 10,000 responses!
This huge response shows just how broken the health system is when it comes to supporting folks with ADHD, and how frustrated the community is with the status quo. On the flip side, it also shows how deeply engaged this incredible community is, and how ready folks are to fight for both visibility and for change.
In December we also held an online ADHD forum, where I joined a panel of folks with lived experience to share the results of the survey and discuss the next steps of the campaign. It was such an enriching conversation – the first of many, I’m sure – and I’m really excited for what comes next. Watch this space!
Iran Senate Inquiry
The current situation in Iran is shocking to say the least. For years, Iranian authorities have severely restricted its citizens’ most basic human rights – freedom of expression, women’s rights, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic rights and more – and exerted excessive, unlawful and sometimes lethal force to uphold its oppressive doctrine. In the wake of civil unrest following Mahsa Amini’s death in custody in September, authorities have just cracked down even harder.
In response to this, the Senate referred the matter of human rights implications in Iran to an inquiry. It’s a critical opportunity to identify how Australia might provide support to people experiencing persecution in Iran; what kinds of sanctions we might apply on those responsible for perpetrating violence; and what other actions might be available to our government to respond to human rights abuses. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of the committee’s report, which will be published in February next year.
National Conference
In December I came straight off the back of two consecutive sitting weeks in Canberra to the Greens’ National Conference in Meanjin/Brisbane – our second in-person conference for the year, right in the heart of Greensland! Conference is always an excellent opportunity to connect face-to-face with our members and supporters from around the country, and to learn more about what folks in other states and offices are working on.
It’s also a chance for me to share the incredible achievements of my team, including sharing our ideas for the Green’s first ever national mental health policy. I was also really pleased to facilitate a session about the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and participate in the traditional Party Room Q and A session.
A quick trip to Albany
In November I visited Albany for a couple of days to meet with community members and attend a hearing of the Work and Care Inquiry. I was joined by Barbara Pocock, Greens Senator for South Australia, who made the trip west to attend the hearing in her capacity as chair of the Work and Care Committee.
The hearing was so enlightening, and sometimes heartbreaking. We heard from local people about how they combine their care responsibilities with demands of their paid work, and the impact that pressure has on their lives and the lives of those around them. It’s such an important issue to shine a light on, and I’ll be keeping a close eye on the results of the inquiry. I’m hopeful it will lead to better outcomes for the millions of Australians wrangling work and care responsibilities.
It was also really great to chat with Albany locals about the issues that matter to them most. Connecting to the community is central to the work I do in Parliament on behalf of the Greens, and connecting with folks in the regions of our vast state is something I hope to do more of in 2023.
Conversations about disability on Q+A
In November I also made a quick trip down from Canberra to Melbourne to appear on the ABC’s Q+A program, which was my first time back on the show in a number of years. Alongside guests like NDIS Minister Bill Shorten and former NDIS Minister Stuart Robert, the topic for the evening was disability and the NDIS – so if you missed it you can imagine the conversation was … lively.
The audience was super engaged and threw us some really interesting questions, including a particularly pertinent one about ADHD. I’m proud that I was able to make the Greens’ position on various matters related to disability really clear, and that in doing so I was able to reflect the views and values of the community back to them.
Thank you!
As another huge year comes to a close, I’m naturally looking back at everything we’ve achieved – as a team, as a party, and as a movement. If you’d told me this time last year that 2022 was going to yield such huge wins across so many spaces, I’m not sure I’d have quite believed you. It’s been absolutely massive!
None of these wins would be even remotely possible without each and every one of our volunteers, members and supporters who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make this movement what it is. We truly are stronger when we work together, and this year is testament to just how powerful we can be. So no matter how you’ve contributed to the Greens over 2022, thank you. We are so much stronger for having you on our side.
I wish you and your loved ones a safe, restful and well-earned break over the festive season, and I can’t wait to see what we achieve together in 2023. Catch you on the flip side, my friends!
Header photo: Senator Jordon Steele-John with author and actor Chloe Hayden at the launch of Chloe's book Different not Less