Transcript:

Hi everyone.

I’d like to share something a bit different with you today, and I’ve thought long and hard about whether to record this message at all.

I’m recording this ahead of Mark Butler’s address to the National Press Club this Wednesday, the 22nd of April. And like many of you, I’m someone whose life has been transformed by the NDIS, and I’m also an advocate, so I hold both the personal uncertainty and the professional responsibility at the same time.

And I know that I’m not the only one feeling that way at the moment. And that’s why I really wanted to speak to you today about this, because there’s a lot of understandable anxiety about what will be announced by Minister Butler in his speech on Wednesday.

I’m hearing that from all parts of the community in many different ways. I think it’s important to say upfront that none of us outside the minister and those writing the speech really know what will be in it. And unfortunately, when that happens, it’s very easy for concern and uncertainty to fill the void.

At the same time, I’m seeing people respond to that uncertainty in various different ways. Some people are speaking out publicly. Some people are working more quietly behind the scenes, and some are doing a bit of both. But many of us, people with disability, our families and supporters, are just trying to figure out what this might mean for our lives.

I’ve been part of this work in many different ways over time, and I know that there isn’t one right way to do it. All of those responses are valid. They all come from a place of care. And what matters to me and to all of us at DANA, is that every one of you knows that you belong. That you’re part of this community and that we stand with you no matter how you choose to respond.

We don’t all have to take the same approach to be on the same side.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this, actually, through the lens of the Artemis II mission, which has really captivated me, and I know many other people around the world in recent weeks. One of the astronauts, Christina, talked about how a strong crew isn’t made up of people who all think the same way. It’s people with different strengths, different perspectives, who trust each other enough to work together regardless.

That’s what makes a mission successful.

And I think there’s something in it for us. There’s room here for people who protest, people who negotiate, people who do both, and people who just who are just trying to make sense of what comes next.

What there isn’t room for and what we can’t afford to do, especially right now, is to turn on one another, because that doesn’t make us stronger. All that does is make the work harder and makes us more fearful.

Now, that doesn’t mean that we won’t disagree, doesn’t mean that people aren’t carrying real frustration and real hurt. But there’s a difference between holding each other to account and losing sight of each other altogether.

And I think it’s really important, especially right now, that we try to stay on the right side of that line and that through all of this, we keep coming back to what sits at the centre. And that’s, of course, people with disability. Not as an afterthought, but as the reason this work exists and the reason that the NDIS existed in the first place.

Through DANA, through the National Centre for Disability Advocacy and through the Disability Dialogue, we’re committed to creating space for all of those voices space where people can be heard, where different perspectives can come together, and where we can work through moments like this constructively, even when we don’t all agree. DANA is here for all of you. We’ll keep listening, we’ll keep engaging, and we’ll keep working to make sure the voices of people with disability are heard clearly, respectfully, and with impact.

And as we learn more in the coming days, we’ll continue to stand alongside the community and respond in a way that reflects what we’re hearing from you. For now, the most important thing is that we stay connected to each other and that we move through this moment with care, with respect, and with a shared sense of purpose.

Thank you.