Tennis champion Dylan Alcott has delivered a brutal serve to Scott Morrison after the Prime Minister said he was ‘blessed’ not to have children with any disabilities.
Mr Morrison made the remark after an audience member questioned him about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) during the first election debate last night (April 20) in Brisbane.
“I have a four-year-old autistic son, we are grateful to receive funding under the NDIS. I have heard many stories from people having their funding cut under the current government, including my own,” the woman said.
“I've been told that to give my son the best future, I should vote Labor. Can you tell me what the future of the NDIS looks like under your government?”
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In his response, Mr Morrison said: “Jenny (his wife) and I have been blessed. We've got two children who haven't had to go through that.
"So parents of children who were disabled - I can only try and understand your aspirations for those children. And then I think that is the beauty of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.”
The comments have understandably gone down like a lead balloon.
Alcott, who was honoured as Australian of the Year for 2022, took to Twitter to criticise the PM.
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The Golden Slam winner explained: “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.”
His sentiments were backed up by his Australian of the Year predecessor, Grace Tame, who is autistic.
She also panned Mr Morrison's 'blessed' remarks.
She wrote: “Autism blesses those of us who have it with the ability to spot fakes from a mile off.”
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Liberal senator Hollie Hughes, who also has a son with autism, has leapt to the defence of Scott Morrison.
She said that fixating on the word ‘blessed’ is unproductive in achieving any strides in the disability community, according to ABC News.
She said: "It's not looking at us as families or our children as a burden, it's a recognition that we do have additional challenges.
"If you want to talk about the word 'blessed' as the biggest problem we've got facing us as parents and carers of those with a disability, this is why the disability community struggles to make constructive gains."
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Mr Morrison has now apologised for the remarks.
“The points Dylan made are right. It’s about equality, and it’s about access, and it’s about being able to live life on the same terms as everyone else,” Mr Morrison said, according to Sky News Australia.
“I meant no offence by what I said last night, but I accept that it has caused offence to people.
“I think people would also appreciate that I would have had no such intention of suggesting that anything other than every child is a blessing is true.”
Topics: Australia
Charisa Bossinakis