MOTIONS › International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Senator STEELE-JOHN (Western Australia) (16:00): I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 1279 as moved by Senators Brown and Reynolds. Leave not granted. Senator STEELE-JOHN: In lieu of suspending standing orders, I seek leave to make a one-minute statement. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute. Senator STEELE-JOHN: Today is, indeed, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. As a disabled person, I join with my community around Australia in recognising, celebrating, commemorating and recommitting ourselves to the work that needs to be done in order to see justice and equality realised for disabled people. We are sick and tired of marking this day over and over with platitudes, with meaningless words said by those without lived experience who then expect us to thank them. We demand that action is taken, that words of substance are said. Those are the words which I sought to amend this motion with, and they will reappear in this place tomorrow in the form of my own motion. (Time expired) Question agreed to.