I’ve just spent the day at the second public hearing of the #ADHD inquiry here in Perth - what a wide range of fascinating, sometimes very moving insights from people with lived experience and professionals alike! Here’s some of the things I heard that I’d like to share: (🧵) Dr Michelle Toner from @ADHD_WA said what we all kind of already know but is still shocking to hear said out loud: “The current situation for people with ADHD is the worst it’s ever been in the 30 years I’ve worked here.”

The Albanese Govt stumbled into victory last year on the promise they’d leave no one behind. Not a year into government, their budget tonight shows how quickly they’ll betray their roots and the millions desperate for help. A quick breakdown of #Budget2023: (🧵) DISABILITY🦽 $74.3b ripped from the NDIS over the next 10 years is *unconscionable* when people still so often aren't getting the funding they need in their plans. No funding for Royal Commission implementation, either. Shame, shame, shame.

The @Greens welcome legal action being brought by @savechildrenaus against the Australian Government for failing to retrieve Australian mothers & children who have been detained in Syrian camps for far too long. #auspoI @savechildrenaus has described the camp conditions as ‘the worst place in the world to be a child’. Labor have had over a year and still 40 are suffering there. #auspol

“I’ve just been put in this prison. I’ve lost my bloody life.” That’s Dan who, because the state ruled him incapable of looking after himself and he doesn’t have loved ones to step in, lives his life under the control of the WA Public Trustee/Advocate (🧵) abc.net.au/news/2023-03-2… It’s unlikely many of you would be familiar with the public guardianship system; maybe your only touchstone with it is Britney Spears' experience. Essentially, it’s when you’re placed under an order that appoints a public official to make lifestyle and medical decisions for you.

Last election, Australians emphatically voted for change. But #Budget2022 – the first budget from the Albanese Government – gives us more of the same old shit that fails to address the issues that matter the most. Here’s a bit of a breakdown: (🧵) TAX CUTS ✂️ Labor had a choice: deliver tax cuts for the rich or immediate cost of living relief for the rest of us. They know wages will go backwards and flatline, and unemployment, rent and bills will all rise, and they still gave billionaires and politicians a $9k/yr tax cut.

This budget was an opportunity for Labor to put their money where their mouth is. Unfortunately they’ve done anything but... #auspol

What we all wanted vs what we all got, a thread: We wanted: to scrap the stage 3 tax cuts!

We got: the opposite! Labor have recommitted to progressing these tax cuts in full 🙄 #auspol

I want to talk about something unglamorous but super important: the disability support pension. For many, it’s below the minimum wage and the poverty line. It’s hard to make ends meet, esp as the cost of living soars. That’s if you’re lucky – so many folks can’t access it at all. In a country as wealthy as Australia, that’s outrageous. We have the resources to ensure everyone can cover their basic essential needs. So if you’re going without, make no mistake: it’s because the government has decided they’re happy to let you fall through the cracks.

We're back in #NDIS #estimates now and I'm asking questions about transparency and consultation around the Morrison government's proposed changes to our NDIS.

How has the weighting for the questions in each #IndependentAssessments tool been assigned? #ausPol None of this data in quarterly report.

An invite-only drinks at Parliament House with @ElbitSystemsLtd - Israel's largest privately-owned weapons company - has been facilitated by fmr Defence Minister @cpyne, highlighting the urgent need for reforms to stop the revolving door of politicians becoming lobbyists #AusPol They are a worldwide purveyor of drones, advanced surveillance & electronic warfare equipment including weapons considered illegal under international laws of war such as white phosphorous and cluster bombs

@ElbitSystemsLtd have no place in the halls of Australia's parliament.

Everyone should be able to live life free from violence and abuse, but we know that this is not the case for so many disabled people. The @DRC_AU published a research paper outlining the horrific violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect experienced by disabled people - esp disabled women - on the same day 1000s of people protested about gender discrimination and sexual violence #March4Justice

Minister Robert's comments yesterday about our #NDIS are deeply concerning and a smokescreen for a much broader power grab from the Morrison government #AusPol

A thread about why these planned changes are so insidious 👇 If a disabled person who is a participant of the NDIS can show that a support or a service they wish to include in their plan is reasonable or necessary, then the scheme is working as it should. That includes sex-based services.

Yesterday @LiberalAus and @AustralianLabor teamed up to oppose saying sorry to the victims of war crimes committed by Australian SAS soldiers in #Afghanistan, and to oppose establishing a compensation scheme to support those families to rebuild their lives #AusPol 39 people - including children - lost their lives & 2 others suffered "cruel treatment" at the hands of Australian SAS soldiers. Families have been destroyed, communities torn apart & villages lie in ruin. Neither General Campbell or @ScottMorrisonMP are denying this happened.

Last night’s #budget2020 did not include a single cent of funding towards the establishment of a Federal anti-corruption commission, despite the Morrison government promising to establish one since December 2018 #AusPol Just over a year ago the #Greens Federal ICAC passed the @AuSenate with only the Morrison government voting against it. If there was any desire to establish a Federal #ICAC from the Morrison government they would have brought our bill on for a vote, but they still haven’t #AusPol

A motion put by Minister Cormann & Senator Wong today will dramatically limit the number of motions that can be put before the senate on any given day.

Let's be clear - this is the two major parties ganging up to GAG debate and expression by the crossbench in @auSenate #Auspol Let me explain why motions are an important democratic function:

Motions allow us to put before the Senate matters that are important to the community and, especially, matters that members of the community may not otherwise be able to raise with elected representatives #AusPol

Health Minister @GregHuntMP & NDIS Minister @stuartrobertmp must urgently convene a meeting of state & territory health & disability ministers, disability orgs & @NDIS to outline clearly what measures being taken to ensure that #pwd not disproportionately impacted by #COVID19 I am extremely concerned at the apparent failure of the government to properly include disabled people in its #COVID19 planning, leaving the disability community unnecessarily exposed #AusPol

Talking first about the trial of a 'goal attainment framework' within the #NDIS - that is to ensure that participants 'life goals' are 'clear, realistic and measurable'

This is subjective. Participant's goals should be their business only #Estimates #Auspol The addition of 'clear, realistic and measurable' is new to the #NDIS lexicon

How is the #NDIS going to measure someone's life goals with respect to relationships? Sex Ed? Etc

As a disabled person on the NDIS pathway this is very important to me, and to many others #estimates

1/ A word on the #AAbill and #encryption more broadly, as it has been flying around a bit today.

Let me be really clear: These powers have been used already - that is, encryption has been requested to be broken #Auspol 2/ This was disclosed by Dept of Home Affairs by citing their submission to the PJCIS, but we'll never know who. Anyone who wants to speak about it is risking jail time under the act #AAbill #encryption #Auspol

1/ Transparency International (@anticorruption) have just released their 'corruption perception index' rankings for the last year

It's a global rank of government corruption. We came 13th #Auspol #DemocracyForSale

theguardian.com/australia-news… 2/ Since 2012, we've slipped from 7th to 13th and to be honest, it's not actually that hard to see why...

#Auspol