PRESS RELEASE: SEAT OF BOOTHBY OFFERS OPPORTUNITY TO END AGE DISCRIMINATION

What has a single seat in federal Parliament got to do with ending age discrimination in the NDIS?
Quite a lot it turns out, if the federal seat is the marginal seat of Boothby, South Australia, held by Nicolle Flint (LNP) who has confirmed she is not contesting the next election.
Mark Townend, CEO of Spinal Life Australia, the organisation behind the Disability Doesn’t Discriminate campaign believes that what happens in the seat of Boothby may well change the lives of many people living with disability who have been discriminated against by the federal government.
“This is one of the most marginal seats in Australia – it and the other marginal seats across Australia could very well decide the next federal election. We are aiming to harness the supporters of the Disability Doesn’t Discriminate campaign to continue to build momentum calling for an end to age discrimination.
“Australians would be shocked to know that when the National Disability Insurance Scheme was created in 2013, it excluded people over 65 years of age – a situation that current and former Disability Discrimination Commissioners agree is discriminatory and not in keeping with Australia’s obligations to the United Nations.
“Our 25 partner organisations and the 20,000 individual supporters of the campaign will seek to influence their Members of Parliament to right this wrong – and in the next two months will be focussing efforts on convincing politicians in marginal seats to do the right thing and end age discrimination now.
Since June this year, people who have been signing the Disability Doesn’t Discriminate campaign, have had emails sent by the campaign on their behalf to their local member of federal parliament.
“These emails, together with complaints to Australian Human Rights Commission are turning the tide against this unAustralian discrimination. We are continuing to raise the awareness of this inequitable situation in the Australian community – letting voters know that their vote could improve the lives of people with disability who have been unfairly and unjustly excluded from the National Disability Insurance Scheme.”
Along with the increasing public support for this campaign, one of the architects of the NDIS – Mr Bruce Bonyhady recently stated the NDIS is “deeply inequitable”.
Mr Townend went on to say “It is clear that the time for discrimination in Australia is over, and the Government-mandated discrimination against people with disability needs to end now.
“I call on all candidates who intend to stand for election the federal seat of Boothby to clearly state whether they will support this injustice to end. The voters in Boothby can help make this an election issue – demanding action in Boothby will encourage Australians in other marginal electorates to also call for action.
“I also call for all Australians to join the campaign to end this inequity and make a fairer Australia for all by signing the online petition at www.disabilitydoesntdisctriminate.com.au.” Each website sign-up triggers an email to the person’s local member of Federal Parliament.

For more information on the Disability Doesn’t Discriminate campaign, please visit www.disabilitydoesntdisctriminate.com.au or call Chief Executive Officer Mark Townend 0404 871 579

INFORMATION ABOUT MARGINAL SEATS
Commonwealth of Australia
Projected Marginal Seats 2022 election
Compiled from https://antonygreen.com.au/2022-federal-electoral-pendulum/
Coalition Seats (76) Labor Seats (69)
Margin Electorate (State) Sitting Member Margin Electorate (State) Sitting Member
0.4 LIB Bass (TAS) Bridget Archer MP 0.2 ALP Macquarie (NSW) Susan Templeman MP
0.5 LIB Chisholm (VIC) Gladys Liu MP 0.6 ALP Lilley (QLD) Anika Wells MP
1.4 LIB Boothby (SA) Nicolle Flint MP 0.8 ALP Eden-Monaro (NSW) Kristy McBain Mp
3.1 LIB Braddon (TAS) Gavin Pearce MP 0.9 ALP Cowan (WA) Dr Anne Aly MP
3.2 LIB Reid (NSW) Dr Fiona Martin MP 1.0 ALP Corangamite (VIC) Libby Coker MP
3.2 LIB Swan (WA) Hon Steve Irons MP 1.2 ALP Blair (QLD) Hon Shayne Neumann MP
3.3 LIB Longman (QLD) Terry Young MP 1.5 ALP Dobell (NSW) Emma McBride MP
3.7 LIB Higgins (VIC) Dr Katie Allen MP 1.9 ALP Moreton (QLD) Graham Perrett MP
4.2 LIB Leichhardt (QLD) Hon Warren Entsch (MP) 2.6 ALP Gilmore (NSW) Fiona Phillips MP
4.2 LIB Robertson (NSW) Lucy Wicks MP 2.7 ALP Dunkley (VIC) Peta Murphy MP
4.6 LIB Casey (VIC) Hon Tony Smith MP 2.8 ALP Greenway (NSW) Michelle Rowland MP
4.6 LIB Dickson (QLD) Hon Peter Dutton (MP) 2.9 ALP Griffith (QLD) Terri Butler MP
4.7 LIB Deakin (VIC) Hon Michael Sukkar MP 3.0 ALP Hunter (NSW) Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP
4.9 LIB Brisbane (QLD) Hon Trevor Evans (MP) 3.1 ALP Solomon (NT) Luke Gosling OAM, MP
5.0 LIB Lindsay (NSW) Melissa McIntosh MP 3.2 ALP Perth (WA) Patrick Gorman MP
5.2 LIB Pearce (WA) Hon Christian Porter MP 3.5 ALP Parramatta (NSW) Julie Owens MP
5.5 LIB La Trobe (VIC) Hon Jason Wood MP 4.1 ALP Richmond (NSW) Hon Justine Elliot MP
5.6 LIB Flinders (VIC) Hon Greg Hunt (MP) 4.4 ALP Shortland (NSW) Pat Conroy MP
5.9 LIB Hasluck (WA) Hon Ken Wyatt AM, (MP) 5.0 ALP Paterson (NSW) Meryl Swanson MP
6.0 LIB Ryan (QLD) Julian Simmonds (MP) 5.2 ALP Lyons (TAS) Brian Mitchell MP
6.3 LIB Banks (NSW) Hon David Coleman (MP) 5.3 ALP McEwen (VIC) Rob Mitchell MP
6.4 LIB Kooyong (VIC) Hon Josh Frydenberg (MP) 5.5 ALP Lingiari (NT) Hon Warren Snowdon MP
6.9 LIB Monash (VIC) Russell Broadbent MP 5.5 ALP Werriwa (NSW) Anne Stanley MP
6.9 LIB Sturt (SA) James Stevens MP 5.5 ALP Burt (WA) Matt Keogh MP