Australia decides: Shorten slams ScoMo’s ‘blessed’ statement

Former Labor leader Bill Shorten has slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s statements on disability, telling reporters disabled Australians don’t want a “pity party”.

Shadow NDIS Minister and Former Labor leader Bill Shorten has slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s comment that he was “blessed” not to have a child with a disability.

Speaking to the press in the NSW town of Queanbeyan on Thursday, Mr Shorten said he “could not believe” Mr Morrison’s comment in front of an audience at Wednesday night’s leaders’ debate.

“What Mr Morrison forgot is it is a blessing to have children, with or without disability,” he said.

“People with disabilities and parents want an end to this old logic which says somehow some children when they are born are blessed, and therefore other children who are born are cursed.

“We’ve got no time for that thinking.”

Bill Shorten says disabled people do not want a "pity party". Picture: Julia Kanapathippillai

When asked what he would say to Australians with a disability, Mr Shorten emphasised the need to treat everyone equally, and seriously.

“Australians with disabilities do not need to be infantilised,” he said.

“They don’t want a pity party, they just want a fair go.

“What truly impairs Australians isn’t a particular disability, that's a fact of life, it's the barriers that the community put in front of people with a disability.”

Catherine has an autistic son. Picture: Steve Pohlner

During Wednesday night’s Sky News/The Courier Mail People’s Forum a woman named Catherine, who has a four-year-old autistic son told the Prime Minister her child’s NDIS funding had been cut by 30 per cent.

Mr Morrison responded by saying “Jenny and I have been blessed, we have two children who haven’t had to go through that.”

“And so for parents, with children who are disabled, I can only try and understand your aspirations for those children,” he said.

“And then I think that is the beauty of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.”

Disability advocates have shunned Scott Morrison after he told a mother of an autistic child he and his wife Jenny were “blessed” to not have a child with a disability. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mr Morrison’s statement drew the ire of disability advocates and allies alike including ACT Labor senator Katy Gallagher and current and former Australians of the Year Dylan Alcott and Grace Tame.

Ms Gallagher took to Twitter to say she was “blessed” to have an autistic daughter.

I am “blessed” to have a child with autism. She teaches me things every day. Our lives are enriched by her. #auspol#ausvotes#autismhttps://t.co/qU9rRZF06f

— Katy Gallagher (@SenKatyG) April 20, 2022

“She teaches me things every day,” she said.

“Our lives are enriched by her.”

Ms Tame, who is autistic, said “Autism blesses those of us who have it with the ability to spot fakes from a mile off” while sharing a photo of her now-infamous side eye towards Mr Morrison.

Autism blesses those of us who have it with the ability to spot fakes from a mile off pic.twitter.com/Ck41YcqAAq

— Grace Tame (@TamePunk) April 20, 2022

Mr Alcott tweeted “Woke up this morning feeling very blessed to be disabled – I reckon my parents are pretty happy about it too.”

Woke up this morning feeling very blessed to be disabled - I reckon my parents are pretty happy about it too.

Feeling sorry for us and our families doesn’t help. Treating us equally, and giving us the choice and control over our own lives does

— Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) April 20, 2022

“Feeling sorry for us and our families doesn’t help,” he said.

“Treating us equally, and giving us the choice and control over our own lives does.”