Parents of children with disabilities have slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison over comments made overnight, in which he said he and wife Jenny were 'blessed' not to have a child who was 'disabled'.
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The PM, who was facing off against Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese in the first debate of the election campaign, televised on Sky News, made the double gaffe while answering a question from an audience member regarding cuts to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
He has since apologised for any offence caused while on the campaign trail today but it was too late to appease Illawarra residents who have a child with a disability. They described the PM's comments as 'disappointing'.
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Mother-of-two Erin Jamieson runs the Sensory Studio in Fairy Meadow, near Wollongong on the NSW south coast, which she opened after her daughter Stephanie, 11, was diagnosed with autism at the age of eight.
"I'm exceptionally saddened to hear the comments made last night at the political debate, and whilst I don't want to get involved in political commentary, I'm exceptionally disappointed that such a comment would be made," she said.
"I'm blessed to have a daughter with autism.
"Yes, it's a journey full of ups and downs, however my daughter has opened my eyes and ears to another way of thinking, and for that I am incredibly fortunate.
"I wouldn't be on the journey I am today without her.
"Regarding the NDIS funding cuts, I'm seeing and hearing of it every day. I speak to parents and carers on a daily basis and hear of how their allied health therapies are being cut and how these therapies are not seen to be as reasonable and necessary by the NDIS.
"However, many of these therapies are there to enhance and improve the daily lives of those living with all disabilities, not just autism. Isn't that what the NDIS is all about?"
The 'bigger issue' is cuts to NDIS
Justine Leonard has a disability, and an adult son, grandchild and three nephews all with autism. She runs Wollongong-based Real Life Assistants, an NDIS-approved provider that supports people with disabilities in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions of NSW.
She said while she understood what Mr Morrison was trying to say, he had gone about it the wrong way.
"I sort of understood what he was trying to say. He just never seems to say it right," she said.
"He is saying he is lucky, but my child with autism would not be who he is if he did not have autism.
"I think every child is a blessing.
"I have been thinking about his comments a lot. I am upset because I feel the comment would be very negative to people with autism and disabilities."
She said people with disabilities wanted to be treated the same as everyone else and the disability support workers she employed did not wear uniforms as their clients did not want to be singled out in public.
As for his second gaffe, referring to children being 'disabled' instead of the preferred 'people with a disability', she said she often referred to herself as 'disabled' but understood others could take offense.
Ms Leonard said the bigger issue was the cuts to the NDIS, which were having a detrimental affect on those using the scheme.
"We have almost 100 clients and I would say that most of them have had between 30 and 50 per cent funding cuts," she said.
She said those who have psycho-social problems, such as a diagnosed mental illness, severe anxiety or depression have been amongst the hardest hit.
One client had 3300 hours of core support funding replaced with 1.2 hours of recovery funding.
'Your words speak volumes about how you perceive people'
Mr Morrison's gaffes came as he responded to a question from Catherine, who said, "Hello, I have a four-year-old autistic son. We are grateful to receive funds through the NDIS, but I've heard many stories of people having their funds cut recently under the current government, including our own," she said.
"I've been told to give my son the best future I should vote Labor. Can you please tell me what the future of the NDIS looks like under your government?"
"Well, thank you Catherine, what's your son's name?" Mr Morrison began "Ethan, he's four? I can't ... Jenny and I have been blessed, we've got two children that don't, 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 and I think that is the beauty of the National Disability Insurance Scheme," he continued, before crediting former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard for initiating the scheme.
The comments have been widely attacked over the past two days. Autism Awareness Australia labelled the PM's comment 'disgusting'.
"All children are blessings. Your words speak volumes about how you perceive people with a disability," the organisation wrote on Twitter.
"Perhaps you should spend more time fixing and fully funding our NDIS and less time counting your 'blessings'."
Both Anthony Albanese and former Opposition Leader Bill Shorten were among those on the attack, saying 'every child is a blessing'.
Labor Senator Katy Gallagher, who has an autistic child, said she found the comments "really offending and quite shocking".
"It is something that people who have a disability, children with autism, it is a kind of response they get all the time," she told media outlets.
Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott also commented yesterday. "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 lives does," he wrote on Twitter.
But some senior Liberals defended the comment. Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes, who has a son with autism, told media outlets she "didn't take anything negative" away from the comment.
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The PM himself told 2GB radio listeners this morning that his opponents were twisting his words in bad faith.
But during a press conference later in the day he said he meant "no offence" by the comments, but now accepted it "caused offence to people" and had contacted Alcott to apologise.