The first press release that actually meant something was released in November 2017, in response to the reckless remark made by Queensland Senator Barry O’Sullivan.

He was appearing on the ABC’s RN Breakfast presentation and was being quizzed about the pressure at the time on the government to call for a Royal Commission on the Banking Sector. O’Sullivan, a member of Queensland’s Liberal National Party on the Nationals side, was criticising the banks when he said the banks “show an almost autistic disregard for prudential regulation and law and it’s time for these people to have their day in court”.

This anti-Autistic slur was highly offensive to the Autistic community, and spread stigma and misinformation about Autism. Nicole Rogerson was brilliant in reply and this should have been quoted in the press release but it wasn’t.

It was just appalling and offensive. He clearly thought this was a very clever thing to say. The target was clearly the banks, not people with autism, but people with autism just got thrown under the bus. Imagine you’re a young person with autism, and you’re in the car, and you heard that. He was explaining how ruthless the banks are, they don’t have any empathy for human beings, they are inhuman – that was just equated to who you are. When you say things flippantly for a soundbite, somebody is behind that soundbite and words really matter.

Nicole Rogerson in the SBS article on November 21, 2017

Spectrum Labor in fact supported the Royal Commission. The suggestion that Autism somehow makes us disregard prudential regulation and law is out of line and ignorant. In fact the opposite is the case – Autistics are renowned for our honesty and respect for rules and fairness, and indeed our sense of justice (as indeed my successful prosecutions of defamation matters in court is a testament to). O’Sullivan was totally out of line conflating Autism’s social issues with the banking sector’s moral issues and an unreserved apology from the senator should have been issued – and wasn’t.

This woeful ignorance is sadly reflected throughout society. At the time Spectrum Labor called for a nationwide community education campaign, led by Autistic self advocates, to highlight the strengths of Autism and promote equality and acceptance. That was in fact a sign of the reverse ableism, because such a campaign should be taking into account all aspects of the Autistic community, not just self advocates. We need to be a team.