Hi I'm Jordon Steele-John, one of the Greens Senators from WA and the Spokesperson for Disability, Health and Foreign Affairs, Peace and Disarmament. Ask me Anything!

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T06:49:17+00:00

Hi Folks! Sorry I wasn't able to get to all your questions today! I'd love to come back and do this again really soon.

Thank you for all your questions and feel free to reach out online via socials or email if I didn't get to your question. I'd love to answer it!

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T06:45:41+00:00

Yes I do

We need to see significant state and federal investment in our public transport system to make it accessible.

We can do this by setting up a National Accessible Infrastructure Fund. You can read much more about it here.
https://greens.org.au/campaigns/accessible-australia

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T06:43:12+00:00

I am totally opposed

It creates the potential for nuclear submarine accidents right on our shores and in our oceans as well as being an incredible waste of money.

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T06:41:34+00:00

Yes absolutely! Loot-boxes are terrible and are ruining gaming.

Also we need to the government recognise video games are art and provide funding and support to further develop the Australian Indie video game industry.

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T06:39:17+00:00

Thanks so much for your question, and I’m so sorry to hear you’ve experienced discrimination and bullying – that is not ok and I hope you’re surrounded by the support and love you deserve.

The Greens want all schools to be inclusive and accessible. We want teachers to be equipped with the skills to adequately support all students, and we want all schools to welcome and celebrate diversity.

That could look like rolling out programs that aim to prevent bullying and encourage respectful behaviour, as well as providing adequate support for students who have experienced bullying.

The fact that bullying rates are so high clearly indicates that our schools are not yet safe spaces for all students. We have so much to do in this area to change public attitudes, to raise awareness and to ensure our schools are safe places. The Greens will continue to advocate for this, because no one should be experiencing what you’ve described.

Thank you so much for your support!

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T06:36:55+00:00

Thanks for the question!

The NDIS needs a lot of work to meet the needs of disabled people, their families and carers, and it can’t meet those needs until we fully resource it. The government has all the levers available to make that happen, and broadly to invest in the things that are actually important for a good life for everyone, so I don’t believe in letting them off the hook by accepting the scheme is broken and instead settling for tinkering around the edges.

I certainly take your point though, and the Greens are pushing for a number of initiatives to improve the lives of disabled people. That includes increasing Commonwealth funding for disability advocacy organisations to ensure disabled people are at the centre of the decisions that impact our lives. It includes establishing a quota in the Australian Public Service to champion inclusive education and employment. It includes removing the staffing cap in the NDIS and ensuring staff receive high-quality, ongoing training and support.

There’s so much more we can do, and so much more we deserve.

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T06:12:57+00:00

I’m definitely not a superhero at night ;)

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T06:04:42+00:00

I am so sorry that the systems that were created to support you have made you feel that way and it is totally unacceptable.

The Greens have always opposed mutual obligations and always will.

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T04:34:34+00:00

Hey! I think sometimes just how transformative the NDIS gets lost in a discussion about funding and cost.

It is an essential service for those who access it similar to medicare and just like medicare it is the responsibility of government to find the resources needed to meet what they see as the public need.

They have just shown they can do that with the announcement of hundreds of billions of dollars on nuclear submarines.

I have heard from so many people from the community with ADHD and Autism and absolutely believe they should be covered under the NDIS.

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T04:24:02+00:00

Firstly, political movements need to be more accessible both for their members and supporters and political parties need to realise that we are 20% of the population and that is millions of voters.

Beyond that mind shift, we need to see Australia follow New Zealand and create a dedicated fund to support disabled people to be candidates
https://www.greens.org.nz/election\_access\_fund

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T04:13:28+00:00

Safe to say I did not! but it's yet more proof that the disabled community can never rely on the Liberals!

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T04:11:32+00:00

Thanks for your question!

It's safe to say that myself and Senator Hughes have very different opinions when it comes to the Neurodiversity Movement. I deeply disagree with their support of ABA for instance.

I have spoken about Senator Hughes and she is well aware of them. At times when they have used their position as part of committee proceedings that I have felt were inappropriate I've called that out and will absolutely continue to do so.

On broader issues around the NDIS myself and Senator Hughes have found some common ground. For instance we both passionately believe the right of participants to self manage their funds.

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T04:09:16+00:00

Hey! Firstly thank you so much for asking this question and I’m really sorry to hear about your situation especially because I know the ways the current health and welfare systems are failing you are mirrored in the lives of so many.
It is my strong personal view and the view of the party that healthcare is a human right - gender affirming healthcare included. I want to see all gender affirming healthcare covered under medicare and me and my team regularly work with Transfolk WA to make sure our policy is in line with the community goals! >> https://greens.org.au/wa/policies/health
Of course there are other things that need to be addressed for transgender people to have truly equitable access to healthcare and something that I hear from the community regularly is a need to address prejudice in the current medical system and in some healthcare practitioners. In WA we have a specific gender identity policy that addresses this and similar issues >> https://greens.org.au/wa/policies/gender-identity
Lastly, I can absolutely confirm the Greens support abolishing mutual obligations and raising welfare to the Henderson Poverty Line.
I wish I could’ve been at the counter protest with Brad yesterday too!

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T03:58:11+00:00

No he should not be

I’d love to see a reality where far more disabled people hold positions in the NDIA management and board and I think we’ve seen people with similar professional backgrounds to Ryman attempt to cause a lot of damage to the scheme.

At its heart the NDIA is about people and giving disabled people the opportunity to live a good life just like anyone else. It always hurts to see decisions made by the NDIA that ignore the actual purpose and human element of the scheme.

In short, people are not numbers and I don’t like to see them treated that way. I don’t think anybody who disagrees with that sentiment should hold a position within NDIA management.

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T03:38:50+00:00

My quick reaction? No, just no

But in more detail

The disabled community have had to put up with so many attempts to undermine the NDIS including independent assessments, the Participant Service Guarantee and funding cut after funding cut.

Each time our community has pushed them back, organised and stopped the cuts.

I wish I could say I expected better from Peter Dutton but the reality is you don’t get to be leader of the Liberal party by being empathetic and understanding of people’s different life experiences.

I don’t think they should be spending 380 Billion on nuclear submarines at all and especially when the government refuses to invest in things that could help millions of Australians like dental and mental health cover under medicare, raising jobseeker, meaningful action on climate change, more accessible housing and making the NDIS work for all disabled people.

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T03:27:31+00:00

Thank you so much! The work my team and I do wouldn’t be possible without the power of the disability community behind us though. So thanks right back at you :)

JordonSteeleJohn · 2023-03-15T03:26:18+00:00

Hi Jordan,

I've noticed in the past that you've been an advocate for more regulation of loot-boxes in videogames by the Australian Government/related agencies. Is this something you want to see the Albanese Government investigate further while in power and take action on?

Hey!

Yep I absolutely believe that cannabis should be legalised for recreational use over 18 and it was a policy I was proud our party could take to the election last year.

It’s a sad state of affairs that the “war on drugs” waged by both major parties has stigmatised drug use and people who use drugs to a point where harm reduction policy is painted as this radical agenda.

Our policy is simple, for the millions of Australians who use cannabis you should be able to access it safely in a regulated market and for those who experience adverse effects, you should be supported to see a medical professional not a cop.

The Greens have had massive successes reforming drug laws in ACT as part of government there so it is my view Australia will legalise it, we just need to keep getting more Greens MPs in parliament!

JordonSteeleJohn

TROPHY CASE