The Rebuttal

Rishi Sunak is the Prime Minister of Britain. He is the wealthiest person ever to be part of a British government, never mind a Prime Minister. A lot of people try to paint him as gold digger. You see, he married into a wealthy family who owned an Indian tech company worth over $8 billion. He and his wife have a combined wealth of almost $1.5 billion.

He is not a gold digger by any means. He made his fortune as an investment banker. That said, he was born into privilege. His father was a doctor and his mother owned a pharmacy. He had a prestigious private education. Struggle street is probably something he doesn’t know a lot about.

He probably is a nice guy in his own way. It is not his fault that he was born into privilege, I have no issue with that. I have an issue with his politics. He believes that people on government benefits are a burden and that they need to be weeded out. (Note, John Howard has a lifelong pension that is around $200000 a year. He cost the taxpayer $1.6 million in travel and other expenses last year. There is a burden for you.)

You see, it’s us dastardly people with a disability that are responsible for the country’s economic woes, we are bleeding the country dry.

Sunak believes that people are getting benefits because their preferred doctors are too soft on them. It is not for nothing they call him “Sicknote Sunak.” He believes that people applying for the British equivalent of the Disability Pension see their preferred doctor, who then write them a favourable report so that they can receive disability benefits. Sunak and his ilk believe that there are thousands, probably millions, of people on disability benefits that should not be because of the kindness of their doctor. He believes that such people are bleeding the country dry.

Sunak’s solution is to want people to see an independent doctor who is contracted to the Government to conduct independent assessments. He thinks that in this way he will prevent scoundrels rorting the system. You see, it’s us dastardly people with a disability that are responsible for the country’s economic woes, we are bleeding the country dry. (Read this with dripping sarcasm.)

What is happening over in Britain sounds eerily familiar to recent events in Australia. Remember Robodebt. That was an Australian scheme which targeted people on benefits because it saw them as burdens to the country. So harsh was Robodebt that it led to suicides. Remember the Liberal push for independent assessments for the NDIS? This was similar to Sicknote Sunak’s philosophy of getting independent assessments for disability support.

We are just a government or organisational decision away from returning to the dark ages. This is why advocate fatigue is very real.

Always it is those people that are most vulnerable that are made as scapegoats for the economic problems of a country. It makes me sick! Interestingly enough Sicknote Sunak has a similar and disgusting ‘stop the boats’ philosophy as the previous and current Australian Governments. Those dastardly illegal immigrants are taking our jobs you see.

The job of a disability advocate is never ending. In a flash all the gains that we have earned through our advocacy can be lost. We are just a government or organisational decision away from returning to the dark ages. This is why advocate fatigue is very real.

Apparently, university is too hard for most people in this group, so they do not need to focus on them.

If you think I am being alarmist, just consider the recent Australian Universities Accord’s final report. According to the report Universities, having achieved a target of 8.4% of enrolments being people with a disability think that they have done all that they need to do.

Apparently, other equity groups have been set participation rates but not people with a disability because, as Darlene Mclennan observes, university bosses are already saying …. “ …. we don’t need to worry about people with disabilities anymore because we’re well over that parity level’,”

Indeed, it appears that universities do not want to include people with profound disability in their participation data. Profound disability is defined as ” …those needing help with self-care, mobility or communication.” Apparently, university is too hard for most people in this group, so they do not need to focus on them.

This scares the shit out of me. Hell, I and many other disability advocates have spent decades campaigning and creating awareness of the needs of people with a disability to participate in university education. I have had a particular heavy focus on online education accessibility.

Deaf/HoH students could be considered in the group of ‘PROFOUND DISABILITY’ in that communication is a major issue. If universities have decided that the peak participation rate for disability inclusion has been reached, does this mean that they will stop or reduce investment in making their education programs and resources accessible through provision of interpreting and captioning? I wouldn’t put it past them.

What is worse, they have deemed disability as so unimportant that they do not have to be represented at an executive level. If you are an Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander, the Universities Accord are recommending the establishment of a First Nations Commissioner. They are also recommending the establishment of an Equity Commissioner. What are they recommending for people with a disability? A big fat nothing!

Increasing participation of people with a disability in university education now no longer needs to be a focus cos they have, ‘done their bit’,

It’s not just education where people with a disability are fearing losing their hard-earned gains. The current review of the NDIS is threatening to remove the choice and control that people with a disability so long fought for. Current reforms of the NDIS and employment services are moving ahead at full throttle with little or no input from people with a disability.

Sicknote Sunak doesn’t value people with a disability, they are just a cost and a burden that need to be removed and controlled. Universities in Australia do not appear to value people with a disability either. Increasing the participation of people with a disability at university level now no longer needs to be a focus cos they have, ‘done their bit’. Current reforms of the NDIS and Employment are advancing with little or no input from people with a disability.

Why? Cos we are a burden and a cost you see. We must be controlled not heard! What value does disability have? You be the judge!