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.

Tuesday, 18 September

Australian Greens Disability Rights spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has called on the disability community, and its peak representative bodies, to lobby Prime Minister Morrison and the government to broaden the proposed Royal Commission to investigate violence, abuse and neglect of disabled people and older people in institutional and residential settings, including their own homes.

Tuesday, 21 August

Thalidomide Group Australia – a group representing forgotten survivors of the pharmaceutical disaster - said today they were thankful that after more than four years of campaigning, politicians had finally woken up to their plight.

Thalidomide Group Australia Spokesperson Lisa McManus said:

The Australian Greens will oppose renewed attempts by the Government to stop access to the Disability Support Pension for those who enter the system with a disability as a result of addiction.

“The Australian Greens and Labor managed to strike out this harsh measure with a disallowance motion last year which was supported by the Senate", Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today. 

"It is cruel and harsh to refuse the disability support pension to someone because they have a disability as a result of addiction.

Tuesday, 27 February

The Government is failing to support the rights of deaf, blind, hard-of-hearing and vision-impaired Australians to access the social, cultural and educational benefits of television, according to Australian Greens disability rights spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John.

Senator Steele-John posed questions of Communications Minister Mitch Fifield and his Department during estimates today about the accessibility of free-to-air television for vision and hearing impaired Australians.

A Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) report that shows a sharp slowdown in expenditure for the Disability Support Pension (DSP) should not be seen as a positive thing by the Turnbull Government, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert today. 

“The Liberal-National Government have been making it more difficult for people accessing the Disability Support Pension, in 2015 the-then Abbott Government announced reviews for DSP recipients under 35 and then started on those over 35. 

Tuesday, 13 February

The Government has again refused to commit to a Royal Commission into the violence, abuse and neglect of people with disability in institutional settings, after questions today from the Australian Greens calling on them to do so.

The Human Rights Watch report that details harrowing systemic abuse of people with disability in prisons should trigger a Royal Commission into abuse, violence and neglect of people with disability in institutional settings, say the Australian Greens.