Celebrating World Autistic Pride Day

Today in Parliament, Abigail passed a motion celebrating people with autism and urged all Members of Parliament to educate themselves on the perspectives and experiences of those with autism to better value them.

Abigail said:

I move:

(1) That this House notes that:

(a) Tuesday 18 June 2024 is World Autistic Pride Day, a day first celebrated in 2005 to empower people with autism and encourage them to feel prideful in their abilities, and

(b) according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of individuals with autism is growing each year, and every one of these individuals deserves to feel valued, heard, and protected by their governments.

(2) That this House affirms that:

(a) each individual’s experience with autism is different, especially for women whose experience often falls outside of the previously male-focused research, and every person’s experience is valid even if it does not fit into preconceived notions of what it means to be autistic,

(b) people with autism provide invaluable contributions to our society and deserve recognition for the countless advancements they have made in the fields of science, medicine, technology, art and politics,

(c) people who are neurodivergent contribute unique and crucial perspectives to all levels of social and political discussion and deserve to have their views respected. Some well-known individuals include:

(i) Greta Thunberg, who is known for challenging our world leaders to take action on climate change,

(ii) Grace Tame, who has fought her entire adult life for systemic reform and genuine justice for victim-survivors of sexual assault, and

(iii) Chloe Hayden, actress, activist and author of Different, Not Less who has changed the face of autistic representation in the Australian media landscape, and

(d) a person is only disabled in the context of their environment, and it is the responsibility of our government to remove barriers that exist for those with autism in everyday life.

(3) That this House calls on all Members of Parliament to educate themselves on the experiences of those with autism to better value their contributions, hear their perspectives and have pride in these individuals.

Motion agreed to.

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

No matter who you are or what you do, everyone has the right to share in the wellbeing of our country.

But at the moment the essentials so many of us need – a place to call home, food on the table, and everyday essentials like electricity, internet, medicine and water – are simply out of reach.

Instead of supporting us, our government is choosing to prop up huge corporations with massive subsidies, and to give away our collective wealth through record tax cuts for the wealthy. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to live paycheck to paycheck or trapped in the dehumanising bureaucracy of our existing welfare system.

Now, in the midst of a pandemic, and following quickly on the heels of the bushfire crisis, more of us than ever before are experiencing what it’s like to lose our jobs, be without a home, or worry about where the food for our next meal will come from.

It’s time for us to choose to prioritise the wellbeing of everyone.

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It’s a regular payment made to each of us to ensure our minimum standard of wellbeing. No means testing, no bureaucracy, no strings attached.

It’s the amount you’re owed simply for being a participant in our society.

It means you are free to live your life and contribute to society as you see fit, whether you’re a carer, an artist, a student, a parent, an entrepreneur – you can get on with what you need to do, knowing that you will always be supported regardless of your income.

It means that we’re choosing to structure our economy for the benefit of all of us, not using our collective wealth to prop up the interests of big business and the wealthy few.

It means you will always have what you need to live a good life, no matter what.

The Universal Wellbeing Payment is for everyone. Help us make it happen.

For more information, head to universalwellbeingpayment.com.au

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Celebrating World Autistic Pride Day

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

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