Friday, 2 November 2018

The Australian Greens Disability Rights spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said today's hearing for survivors of the Thalidomide disaster was an historic and long overdue opportunity for justice.

"Thalidomide was a man-made and entirely preventable disaster, perpetuated by a government who failed to not only protect people but to take appropriate and timely action to mitigate the drugs impacts in Australia," Steele-John said.

Monday, 29 October

The Australian Greens will put a motion to the Senate on Monday 12 November calling on the government to immediately return all funds diverted from the NDIS for drought relief back to the scheme until their allocation has been debated by the Senate.

Disability rights spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said there was no justification for taking money away from the NDIS to provide drought relief to farmers, especially considering the funds in questions were still the subject of a bill before the Senate.

Today’s announcement the PM Morrison is considering taking funds from the NDIS to provide relief to drought-stricken farmers is simply beyond comprehension, according to Australian Greens Disability Rights spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John.

"How, in a wealthy country like Australia, can our government justify taking money from one disadvantaged group of people to give to another. Scott Morrison is trying to rob Peter just to pay Paul," Steele-John said.

Thursday, 25 October

Australian Greens disability Rights spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said he was relieved the NDIA had reversed an earlier decision requiring Tegan Sharp and her family to use compensation money – provided after Ms Sharp suffered third-degree burns at the hands of a support worker– to pay back more than $100,000 of her NDIS funding.

“The fact that this case has taken not only judicial, but also political and media intervention, before the NDIA backed down is simply outrageous,” Steele-John said.

Australian Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John has been awarded One Young World’s Politician of the Year. Senator Steele-John was the only Australian shortlisted for the award.

Jordon was nominated for the award, for crowdsourcing his first speech to the Australian Senate and the active approach he has taken to include people who are often shut out of Parliament, young people and disabled people, in the parliamentary process.

Wednesday, 10 October 2018

The Australian Greens have branded an announcement the WA Government will spend $90 million on a new aged care precinct, which includes facilities for young disabled people, as a disgrace, particularly in light of the Morrison government’s Royal Commission into the aged care sector.

“The priority at all levels of government must be to urgently get young people out of aged care facilities, not build new ones,” Steele-John said.

Wednesday, 19 September

An Australian Greens motion calling for the terms of reference of a proposed Royal Commission to be expanded to cover violence, abuse and neglect of older Australians and disabled people in institutional and residential settings has been blocked.

Australian Greens Disability Rights spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John succeeded in securing the votes of the entire crossbench but the motion was ultimately voted down by the Labor and Liberal parties.