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Mr River Night
Leading National Disability Sector Advocate
Co-founder at Developing Australian Communities
Public Officer at the National Disability Leadership Organisation
Mr Night is physically located in Brisbane this week, Melbourne Friday 6/9/2024 and back in Brisbane Saturday 7/9/24 onwards and is available to travel.
Mr Night is an adult Living with Disability, a National Disability Sector Advocate, carer, father and outspoken supporter for reform and improvements in the Disability and NDIS sector with a 30+ year career working across Disability, Youth Justice, Guardianship, Child Safety, Education, TAFE, Aged Care, Forensics Disability and Mental Health sectors.
"The response to Mr Shorten's resignation this week is a mixed one for all of us I believe in the disability sector", said Mr Night today.
"A politician's life and career is very much about popularity and re-election. Take any stance too strongly and risk ratings in some way.
"Mr Shorten has been involved in some major changes and responses to huge events and sector issues, like a Disability Royal Commission and NDIS review.
"Mr Shorten's work with legislation change and sector responses to the Royal Commission has been extremely divisive with some behaviour and announcements extremely distressing for a large population in Australia.
"It is easy to consider that an outgoing Minister is best suited to making such huge changes and taking such major, hard stances, as it is certainly going to damage the popular vote.
"I for one will say I have never seen a Federal Minster so willing as Mr Shorten, to attend events, talk to people at the grassroots level in public and have personal, authentic conversations. I will forever be grateful for his authentic approach.
"I have personally witnessed Mr Shorten's passion to talk to everyday Australian's without fear in public and I always had a laugh seeing his handlers work hard to drag him away from public conversation, to get him to the next appointment because he is so genuine.
"I talk to and meet thousands of NDIS participants and providers all over Australia and we are all talking about and working on the announcements made and legislation passed through Mr Shorten's efforts.
"Regardless of politics, belief in codesign really occurring or not, disagreements about legislation change and process, when it comes to his grassroots, face to face works with people, Mr Shorten is the most human Federal Minister we have seen in the NDIS to date and we thank him for that.
"I remember the time he attended the Disability Connection Expo and opened for us, Australia's largest community events for the Disability and NDIS space. These ran during COVID times in Melbourne and Sydney and he was ready to talk to any of the thousands of attendees there, just walking up to people and engaging. I never saw that from any other Federal Minister in over 10 years and never saw someone as comfortable walking through the crowd as Mr Shorten.
"Love him or hate him, in person he was real and authentic and never felt shy to drop the occasional swear word and speak his mind like a true bloke.
We certainly hope he will join us next month for Victoria's biggest Disability and NDIS related event for 2024.
https://developingauscommunities.com.au/melbourne-expo-2024/
Contact details:
M 0401429403
