Australian Greens Disability Rights spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has welcomed Prime Minister Morrison’s commitment to funding paralympic sport, but said that the funding was ever in question is just another example of government playing politics with disabled people.
“The Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) had to put in a submission – which was way back in October last year – requesting funding for the Tokyo 2020 campaign and the long-term sustainability of grassroots disabled sport in Australia,” Steele-John said.
“Why was this funding ever even in doubt? The Olympic team recieve hundreds of millions of dollars every four years and even more is dumped into Australian sport, yet the APC have to put in a submission just to get a single cent!
“It’s great that Scott Morrision has announced today $12 million for the APC, but I’m disappointed that this essential – and frankly bare minimum – funding has come in the form of an election promise.
“If the Prime Minister was truly committed to advancing paralympic sport, and opportunities for disabled people in sport, then he would have made the commitment back in October. Once again, this is a government playing politics with disabled people as it continues to do with a Royal Commission into the violence, abuse and neglect of disabled people in institutional and residential settings.
“When it comes to a major international sporting event like the paralympic games, certainty is everything in the planning process and 5 months is a bloody long time!
“The Australian Greens made a commitment to fund the $15.85 million asked for as soon as we met with representatives of the APC back in October. Proper funding goes part of the way towards bridging that gap, ending discrimination and helping more disabled Australians get into sport!”
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