WEBVTT - Talking Vision 775 Week Beginning 7th April 2025 0:00:13.280 --> 0:00:18.920 From Vision Australia. This is talking vision. And now here's 0:00:18.919 --> 0:00:21.000 your host Sam Colley. 0:00:23.320 --> 0:00:26.520 Hello, everyone. It's great to be here with you. And 0:00:26.520 --> 0:00:29.520 for the next half hour we talk matters of blindness 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:33.280 and low vision. Welcome to the program. This week we 0:00:33.280 --> 0:00:38.000 chat with Alex Morris from the Australian Electoral Commission, who's 0:00:38.000 --> 0:00:41.320 here to chat to me about the ways that the 0:00:41.320 --> 0:00:47.479 Commission is making voting accessible, safe and private for voters 0:00:47.479 --> 0:00:51.080 who are blind or have low vision and others with 0:00:51.080 --> 0:00:57.000 disabilities more broadly. That conversation's coming up very shortly, so 0:00:57.040 --> 0:01:00.639 make sure to stick around to find out more. Then 0:01:00.640 --> 0:01:04.119 after we hear from Alex, we've got some news and 0:01:04.120 --> 0:01:08.930 information to share. Before we finish up with a reader 0:01:08.929 --> 0:01:13.850 recommended from Francis Kelland, I hope you'll enjoy this week's 0:01:13.850 --> 0:01:22.410 episode of Talking Vision. With the Australian federal election coming 0:01:22.410 --> 0:01:27.490 up in just under a month's time. The safety, accessibility 0:01:27.490 --> 0:01:31.490 and privacy of the votes of the blind and low 0:01:31.490 --> 0:01:36.569 vision community is, of course, paramount to not only the 0:01:36.569 --> 0:01:42.290 Australian Electoral Commission, but also blindness and low vision organisations 0:01:42.289 --> 0:01:46.970 around Australia. So with that in mind, it's my great 0:01:46.970 --> 0:01:52.050 pleasure to welcome today Alex Morris from the Australian Electoral 0:01:52.050 --> 0:01:57.730 Commission to talk to us about the accessibility measures in 0:01:57.730 --> 0:02:03.450 place for voters with disabilities. Alex, welcome to Talking Vision. 0:02:03.490 --> 0:02:05.970 Thank you very much for your time today. 0:02:06.650 --> 0:02:08.290 Thank you for having me, Sam. It's a pleasure. 0:02:08.610 --> 0:02:12.290 Now, firstly, Alex, I think let's get to the heart 0:02:12.290 --> 0:02:15.770 of the matter. As people may or no doubt be aware, 0:02:15.770 --> 0:02:19.370 the election is coming up in a few weeks. And 0:02:19.410 --> 0:02:22.650 for our listeners who are blind or have low vision, 0:02:22.650 --> 0:02:26.170 they might have a little bit of anxiety or, you know, 0:02:26.210 --> 0:02:30.130 trepidation about, oh, how is my how am I going 0:02:30.170 --> 0:02:33.090 to get an accessible vote? You know, what sort of 0:02:33.130 --> 0:02:36.810 measures are in place for me? So just to put 0:02:36.810 --> 0:02:40.450 their minds at rest, so to speak, what sort of 0:02:40.490 --> 0:02:45.290 accessibility measures can the AEC promise for voters who are 0:02:45.290 --> 0:02:46.490 blind or have low vision. 0:02:46.970 --> 0:02:49.770 Of course. And first of all, I completely understand where 0:02:49.770 --> 0:02:52.610 those listeners would be coming from. It's, uh, it's something 0:02:52.610 --> 0:02:55.570 that we've worked really, really hard at, uh, at the 0:02:55.570 --> 0:02:59.370 AEC for quite some time now, and I'm really hopeful 0:02:59.370 --> 0:03:01.690 that this is going to be, uh, good news for 0:03:01.690 --> 0:03:05.100 a lot of your listeners. So first and foremost, we 0:03:05.100 --> 0:03:09.380 do have a telephone voting option available for voters who 0:03:09.380 --> 0:03:12.260 are blind or have low vision. It's the same telephone 0:03:12.260 --> 0:03:15.940 voting option that was previously made available at the last 0:03:15.940 --> 0:03:19.420 federal election for voters who had tested positive for Covid 0:03:19.420 --> 0:03:23.020 as well. But thankfully, the Covid conditions have changed somewhat 0:03:23.060 --> 0:03:25.140 and we're no longer in a position of needing to 0:03:25.140 --> 0:03:28.180 do that, which means the service is now just for 0:03:28.180 --> 0:03:30.460 blind and low vision voters, as well as people in 0:03:30.500 --> 0:03:34.380 in Antarctica, those brave explorers down there now. It's a 0:03:34.380 --> 0:03:37.620 service that hasn't started yet at the time of recording, 0:03:37.620 --> 0:03:41.580 but will be opening for registration on Tuesday the 22nd 0:03:41.580 --> 0:03:42.340 of April. 0:03:42.900 --> 0:03:46.900 Okay, that's great news. Now, what is that number for 0:03:46.940 --> 0:03:50.660 people out there and how do people sign up? 0:03:50.900 --> 0:03:53.580 So from Tuesday the 22nd, which is the same day 0:03:53.580 --> 0:03:56.700 that early voting opens across the country, you will be 0:03:56.740 --> 0:04:03.180 able to call a number. It's A18 hundred number. That's 1800 913 993. 0:04:03.540 --> 0:04:10.170 Once again that's 1800 913 993. You can call that number between 0:04:10.170 --> 0:04:13.990 830 and 530 every weekday except for public holidays. And 0:04:13.990 --> 0:04:16.830 that's important because Anzac Day is a public holiday this 0:04:16.830 --> 0:04:20.830 year and we will register you for a telephone vote. 0:04:20.990 --> 0:04:27.670 Okay. Fantastic. Now, Alex, what's the process for people who've 0:04:27.830 --> 0:04:31.870 signed up to the telephone voting? They've rung up to 0:04:31.910 --> 0:04:35.350 cast their vote. What's the sort of steps that they 0:04:35.350 --> 0:04:37.030 can expect now? 0:04:37.030 --> 0:04:40.470 The telephone vote itself for people that haven't done it before. 0:04:40.510 --> 0:04:43.270 It's a two stage process, and it's in two stages 0:04:43.270 --> 0:04:46.590 to preserve the privacy of your ballot. Of course, Australia 0:04:46.630 --> 0:04:49.470 invented the secret ballot, and we wouldn't be doing our 0:04:49.470 --> 0:04:51.990 jobs if we just took that away for people who 0:04:51.990 --> 0:04:55.150 were blind or had low vision. So it's a two 0:04:55.190 --> 0:04:57.909 call setup. So first and foremost, you give us a 0:04:57.910 --> 0:05:01.230 call after you've registered. We verify your identity and check 0:05:01.270 --> 0:05:05.280 you off the electoral roll. We then provide an anonymous code, 0:05:05.640 --> 0:05:09.160 so you then call a second number and provide that 0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:12.440 code without providing your name. And someone on the phone 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:14.880 will take your vote and walk you through the ballot paper. 0:05:14.920 --> 0:05:19.040 Of course, in a completely anonymous way. So the privacy 0:05:19.040 --> 0:05:21.800 of your vote is absolutely guaranteed through this process, which 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:25.960 is a really, really important part of the process. Now, 0:05:25.960 --> 0:05:28.680 with that said, telephone voting is not the only thing 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:31.040 that we're doing to make voting accessible. And there are 0:05:31.040 --> 0:05:32.920 a range of measures that we're going to have in 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:36.560 place at polling places as well, including some that we 0:05:36.560 --> 0:05:40.520 have collaborated with through Vision Australia. We're looking at working 0:05:40.520 --> 0:05:44.960 with Vision Australia to develop and distribute accessible information about 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:47.440 voting all the way through this election period. 0:05:47.480 --> 0:05:50.960 I'm very keen to hear about those. I mean, telephone 0:05:50.960 --> 0:05:54.720 voting is fantastic, but people, when they do feel like 0:05:54.720 --> 0:05:57.040 they would like to, you know, show up to the 0:05:57.040 --> 0:06:00.760 polling place in person and cast their votes that way, 0:06:00.800 --> 0:06:04.320 and they might have some mobility issues or they may 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:08.480 have issues with different surfaces with their cane or their 0:06:08.520 --> 0:06:11.200 seeing eye dog, and they might have to deal with 0:06:11.200 --> 0:06:13.920 those sort of things. Or, you know, how do they 0:06:13.920 --> 0:06:18.039 fill out their vote in person? So I'm very keen 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:20.480 to get those details as well. Alex. 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:24.880 Absolutely. So the most important thing I will say is 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:28.880 when the AEC publishes information about the locations of all 0:06:28.880 --> 0:06:30.520 of the polling places, which will be in a couple 0:06:30.560 --> 0:06:33.360 of weeks time on our polling place finder tool, you'll 0:06:33.360 --> 0:06:36.480 be able to find information about accessibility options that are 0:06:36.480 --> 0:06:40.560 available at the polling place. These will be including things about, 0:06:40.600 --> 0:06:43.640 you know, whether a polling place is fully wheelchair accessible. Now, 0:06:43.680 --> 0:06:45.320 if you're working with a cane, or if you're working 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:47.200 with a guide dog, you might want to avoid stairs 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:50.000 as well. So that is something that you can definitely 0:06:50.200 --> 0:06:53.240 monitor and choose a polling place or even a pre-poll 0:06:53.240 --> 0:06:56.320 voting place as well based on those criteria. We'll also 0:06:56.320 --> 0:07:00.120 have information about some of the accessibility options that we 0:07:00.120 --> 0:07:02.600 have in place, particularly for people who are blind or 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:03.490 have low vision. 0:07:03.850 --> 0:07:07.410 And Alex, it's not just people who are blind or 0:07:07.410 --> 0:07:12.130 have low vision that the AEC is looking to make 0:07:12.130 --> 0:07:15.050 things more accessible for. Of course, you've got quite a 0:07:15.050 --> 0:07:19.050 few resources for voters who are deaf or hard of hearing, 0:07:19.050 --> 0:07:20.130 isn't that right? 0:07:20.170 --> 0:07:22.610 Of course, we have hearing loops in place in selected 0:07:22.610 --> 0:07:25.050 polling places. That's a technology that's been around for some 0:07:25.050 --> 0:07:28.170 time now. We're continuing to roll it out, and information 0:07:28.170 --> 0:07:31.050 about where those hearing loops will be available will be 0:07:31.050 --> 0:07:34.330 available on our website. It's not every polling place, of course, 0:07:34.330 --> 0:07:37.170 because with polling places, we're booking out things like school 0:07:37.170 --> 0:07:40.290 gymnasiums and church halls. Some of them just don't have 0:07:40.290 --> 0:07:42.530 the technology in place to offer that. But where we can, 0:07:42.570 --> 0:07:45.410 we do. And that information is on our website. 0:07:45.650 --> 0:07:50.170 And Alex, there's some other technology for voters who are 0:07:50.170 --> 0:07:54.370 blind or have low vision. On top of the telephone voting, 0:07:54.370 --> 0:08:00.490 there's some digital technology available at some polling places for 0:08:00.490 --> 0:08:04.180 voters who do show up to the polling place. 0:08:04.580 --> 0:08:07.540 The other really important technology that we're offering in some 0:08:07.540 --> 0:08:10.740 polling places. So again, check the polling place finder to 0:08:10.780 --> 0:08:13.860 work out which polling places you can find this technology at. 0:08:14.220 --> 0:08:16.500 Text to speech pens. Again, this is something that you 0:08:16.500 --> 0:08:19.620 might have used at previous elections. It's a great technology 0:08:19.620 --> 0:08:22.380 for the people that need it. And you can find 0:08:22.420 --> 0:08:24.620 all of that information on our website. 0:08:24.620 --> 0:08:27.820 And if all else fails, Alex, of course, there's the 0:08:27.820 --> 0:08:32.460 traditional methods of getting assistance at the polling place. So 0:08:32.819 --> 0:08:35.980 tell our listeners a little bit about how they go 0:08:35.980 --> 0:08:39.380 about that and potentially call ahead of time to let 0:08:39.380 --> 0:08:42.260 the polling place know that they might just need a 0:08:42.260 --> 0:08:43.980 little bit of extra help. 0:08:44.219 --> 0:08:46.940 Now, the other thing that is available at any polling 0:08:46.939 --> 0:08:49.860 place in Australia is, of course, the old favourite of 0:08:49.900 --> 0:08:52.980 putting your hand up and asking for assistance. You can 0:08:53.020 --> 0:08:54.780 if you have a friend with you, you can ask 0:08:54.780 --> 0:08:58.979 your friend for assistance with casting your vote. You can also, 0:08:59.140 --> 0:09:01.580 if you prefer, not to, you know, share your vote 0:09:01.579 --> 0:09:04.140 with with a with a friend or or you'd prefer 0:09:04.140 --> 0:09:06.220 to to keep that a bit more anonymous, you can 0:09:06.219 --> 0:09:09.260 talk to an AEC staff member directly and we can 0:09:09.260 --> 0:09:11.620 help you out with that process. We're not going to 0:09:11.620 --> 0:09:13.699 tell you how to vote. Of course, that's not our 0:09:13.699 --> 0:09:15.699 role and that's not something that we do. But we 0:09:15.699 --> 0:09:17.900 will walk you through. Who's on the ballot paper. Where 0:09:17.900 --> 0:09:21.300 would you like to allocate your first preference, your second preference, etc., etc.? 0:09:21.300 --> 0:09:23.380 That is something we can do if you're in a 0:09:23.380 --> 0:09:26.979 circumstance where you have there are some more serious accessibility 0:09:26.979 --> 0:09:29.740 limitations and you're not even able to get out of 0:09:29.740 --> 0:09:32.219 your car to get into a polling place, we can 0:09:32.219 --> 0:09:34.860 actually bring ballot papers out to you as well. Just 0:09:34.859 --> 0:09:36.820 flag that with our staff when you get to a 0:09:36.819 --> 0:09:39.699 polling place, or if you'd like more information about that 0:09:39.699 --> 0:09:43.500 as well, you can give us a call on 0132326, 0:09:43.500 --> 0:09:45.459 and we can talk you through the best way to 0:09:45.459 --> 0:09:47.140 approach that situation as well. 0:09:47.339 --> 0:09:50.980 And for voters who are deaf or hard of hearing, Alex, 0:09:51.020 --> 0:09:54.579 there's more options for them as well if they head 0:09:54.579 --> 0:09:58.340 along to certain polling places. Tell us a bit about that. 0:09:58.819 --> 0:10:01.739 Of course, the most important one as well. Yep. One 0:10:01.740 --> 0:10:04.469 of the options that is new at this election, I believe, 0:10:04.469 --> 0:10:06.790 or is being rolled out more at this election and 0:10:06.829 --> 0:10:09.229 is something that we're really, really proud of, is a 0:10:09.229 --> 0:10:12.790 virtual Auslan interpreter service that we're actually offering in collaboration 0:10:12.790 --> 0:10:16.390 with Convo Australia. So when you get to a polling place, 0:10:16.390 --> 0:10:18.550 there'll be a QR code that you can actually scan 0:10:18.550 --> 0:10:21.589 with your phone, and that will give you access to 0:10:21.630 --> 0:10:24.630 a virtual Auslan interpreter that you can then use while 0:10:24.630 --> 0:10:27.790 you're talking to our staff. And that will walk you 0:10:27.790 --> 0:10:31.070 through the entire voting process as well. So a really, 0:10:31.069 --> 0:10:34.989 really important accessibility measure and something that I hope people 0:10:34.990 --> 0:10:36.550 are okay. 0:10:36.589 --> 0:10:40.150 That is fantastic news for, you know, both the blind 0:10:40.150 --> 0:10:45.189 and low vision and deaf and hard of hearing communities. Now, Alex, 0:10:45.189 --> 0:10:49.189 let's get all of those contact details, all those websites, 0:10:49.229 --> 0:10:52.710 all those emails, all those phone numbers for all of 0:10:52.709 --> 0:10:56.469 our listeners out there. So that's, you know, how to 0:10:56.589 --> 0:11:00.670 sign up for telephone voting or visit some websites or 0:11:00.709 --> 0:11:03.880 emails to find out about that, how to find out 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:09.040 about the accessibility measures at polling places, or any general 0:11:09.040 --> 0:11:13.119 information they might be interested in. What are some first 0:11:13.120 --> 0:11:17.640 call go to places for people to contact the Aacn 0:11:17.679 --> 0:11:18.400 find out more. 0:11:18.959 --> 0:11:24.239 Of course the repository of all wisdom is AEC. That 0:11:24.240 --> 0:11:26.880 is our website. It has been updated for the election 0:11:26.880 --> 0:11:29.559 and will continue to be updated as as the election 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:32.759 continues and we roll out the locations of polling places, 0:11:32.760 --> 0:11:35.839 we'll also have information up about the names and the 0:11:35.839 --> 0:11:38.839 ballot paper position of candidates. Once we've done the draw 0:11:38.839 --> 0:11:42.400 for ballot paper position that's happening next Friday. So look 0:11:42.439 --> 0:11:46.319 out for that. And we have information available specifically about 0:11:46.319 --> 0:11:53.599 the accessibility options available to voters at AEC. Accessibility. You 0:11:53.599 --> 0:11:55.960 can visit that page at any point during the period 0:11:56.160 --> 0:11:59.439 and give us a call on 0132326. And our staff 0:11:59.439 --> 0:12:01.440 can help you out with the answers to the questions 0:12:01.599 --> 0:12:03.440 that you have. But the other thing that you can 0:12:03.439 --> 0:12:06.120 do is that you can contact the AEC through the 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:09.400 National Relay Service. Now we have information about how to 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:12.600 do that on our website. But the National Relay Service 0:12:12.599 --> 0:12:14.319 have been a partner for us for some time, and 0:12:14.319 --> 0:12:16.120 we're really happy to be working with them again at 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:18.999 this election. And they are a great resource to get 0:12:19.000 --> 0:12:22.280 you some more accessible information and to contact us in 0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:25.520 a more accessible way. If you're on social media. You're 0:12:25.520 --> 0:12:27.960 also welcome to reach out to us, either in a 0:12:27.959 --> 0:12:30.120 public tag or just by sending us a DM. We 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:32.999 are active on Facebook, we are active on Instagram. We 0:12:33.000 --> 0:12:36.319 are active on threads. You can find us on TikTok 0:12:36.319 --> 0:12:39.520 for the first time. We're also on the site formerly 0:12:39.520 --> 0:12:42.400 known as Twitter, now known as X, and you can 0:12:42.400 --> 0:12:44.359 even find us on LinkedIn if you're feeling a little 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:47.199 bit more professionally minded, but you're welcome to reach out 0:12:47.199 --> 0:12:49.479 to us via a DM or a tag on those platforms. 0:12:49.479 --> 0:12:51.719 We'll be happy to answer your questions there as well. 0:12:52.040 --> 0:12:56.040 Oh wow, that's certainly covered all bases there. Thank you 0:12:56.040 --> 0:13:00.280 so much, Alex. I've been speaking today with Alex Morris 0:13:00.280 --> 0:13:04.410 from the Australian Electoral Commission here to chat to me 0:13:04.410 --> 0:13:09.369 about the range of accessibility measures for voters who are 0:13:09.370 --> 0:13:14.969 blind or have low vision or otherwise. Voters with disabilities 0:13:14.969 --> 0:13:19.850 heading to polling places or signing up for telephone voting 0:13:20.010 --> 0:13:25.929 in the lead up to the Australian federal election in May. Alex, 0:13:25.929 --> 0:13:28.290 thank you so much for your time today. It was 0:13:28.290 --> 0:13:31.170 great to catch up with you and hear about all 0:13:31.209 --> 0:13:35.850 the ways that the AEC is making voting accessible for 0:13:35.849 --> 0:13:38.849 all voters in Australia with disabilities. 0:13:38.969 --> 0:13:42.689 It's been my pleasure, Sam. Have a lovely election and 0:13:42.729 --> 0:13:44.530 I look forward to seeing you at a polling place. 0:13:50.209 --> 0:13:53.929 I'm Sam Culley and you're listening to Talking Vision. On 0:13:53.929 --> 0:13:59.209 Vision Australia Radio, Associated Stations of Reading Radio and the 0:13:59.209 --> 0:14:04.260 Community Radio Network. I hope you enjoyed that conversation there 0:14:04.260 --> 0:14:08.059 with Alex Morris. If you missed any part of that 0:14:08.059 --> 0:14:11.540 conversation with Alex or you would love to hear it again. 0:14:11.780 --> 0:14:16.780 Talking vision is available on the Vision Australia Radio website. 0:14:16.819 --> 0:14:22.340 Simply head to VA radio Dot. That's VA radio all 0:14:22.460 --> 0:14:27.259 one word.org. Or you can find the program on the 0:14:27.260 --> 0:14:31.940 podcast app of your choice or through the Vision Australia library. 0:14:32.060 --> 0:14:35.979 And now it's time this week for some news and information. 0:14:36.500 --> 0:14:42.460 Noble May is conducting a national research project entitled Understanding 0:14:42.500 --> 0:14:49.020 Election Accessibility for Australians with disability to better understand how 0:14:49.020 --> 0:14:54.300 accessible the voting process is for people with disabilities, particularly 0:14:54.300 --> 0:14:58.700 in the lead up to the 2025 federal election. This 0:14:58.700 --> 0:15:03.710 work is not about political views or party preferences. Instead, 0:15:03.710 --> 0:15:08.550 it focuses on the accessibility of voting itself, including how 0:15:08.550 --> 0:15:14.350 to vote information, candidate materials, physical and digital voting environments, 0:15:14.350 --> 0:15:19.550 and the overall ease of participating in our democracy. What 0:15:19.550 --> 0:15:24.470 they're looking to achieve is to identify common barriers to 0:15:24.510 --> 0:15:30.390 voting for people with disability across different formats, such as in-person, 0:15:30.390 --> 0:15:37.149 postal or telephone. Explore how accessible and inclusive election information is. 0:15:37.190 --> 0:15:42.190 For example, how to vote guides and candidate policies. Collect 0:15:42.229 --> 0:15:47.470 lived experiences that illustrate what's working and what's not. And 0:15:47.470 --> 0:15:53.870 to inform future improvements in election accessibility through insight led advocacy. 0:15:54.750 --> 0:15:58.910 The research includes a short screener survey open to all 0:15:58.950 --> 0:16:03.950 knowable Me May members and the wider community. Participants who 0:16:03.950 --> 0:16:08.550 provide detailed responses may be invited to participate in a 0:16:08.590 --> 0:16:14.550 longer $15 paid follow up survey, available either online or 0:16:14.550 --> 0:16:18.590 by phone. In terms of who they're looking for, they're 0:16:18.590 --> 0:16:23.350 seeking feedback from people with disability or access needs who 0:16:23.350 --> 0:16:27.110 have voted before or planned to vote in the upcoming 0:16:27.150 --> 0:16:33.519 federal election. The eligibility survey went live on the 2nd 0:16:33.520 --> 0:16:39.350 of April 2025, and rolling invitations for paid survey interviews 0:16:39.630 --> 0:16:43.390 are going out from the 7th of April. If you 0:16:43.390 --> 0:16:47.509 haven't already taken part in the survey, there's still time 0:16:47.790 --> 0:16:51.489 as the survey is open until the end of the 0:16:51.490 --> 0:16:58.550 14th of April, 2025. To find out more, visit noble.com. Me, 0:16:58.750 --> 0:17:03.400 that's k n o w a b l e dot 0:17:03.640 --> 0:17:15.720 m or call 043518557. That's 04351855. Double seven to take part. 0:17:16.760 --> 0:17:22.680 In other news, the Australian Disability Network Internship Program is 0:17:22.680 --> 0:17:28.560 still open for applications until the 20th of April. Australian 0:17:28.560 --> 0:17:34.680 Disability Network's internship program provides paid, practical work experience for 0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:40.760 university students and recent graduates with disability. They understand the 0:17:40.760 --> 0:17:44.359 unique challenges you may face, such as gaps in your 0:17:44.359 --> 0:17:48.600 resume or limited access to part time work while studying. 0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:52.679 Through this internship program, you'll have the chance to work 0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:57.680 with inclusive employers who value diverse talent and are committed 0:17:57.680 --> 0:18:03.250 to creating accessible workplaces. These internships are designed to help 0:18:03.250 --> 0:18:07.729 you build your confidence, gain valuable experience, and take the 0:18:07.730 --> 0:18:13.570 next steps toward your career goals. The internship period runs 0:18:13.570 --> 0:18:19.770 from July to September 2025, and as mentioned, applications are 0:18:19.770 --> 0:18:24.570 open until the 20th of April. If you have any questions, 0:18:24.609 --> 0:18:28.970 please don't hesitate to contact Paula or the programs team 0:18:29.169 --> 0:18:41.770 at applications at Ausdance. That's applications at. Now you might 0:18:41.770 --> 0:18:45.650 be thinking Who's Paula? I haven't heard of Paula before. Well, 0:18:45.690 --> 0:18:48.369 here and there you may have heard Brooke Carter on 0:18:48.369 --> 0:18:53.889 the program. She was previously the program coordinator at Australian 0:18:53.889 --> 0:18:59.409 Disability Network. But that's now Paula Bushell as Brooke is 0:18:59.409 --> 0:19:02.970 moving on to another role in the organization, which is 0:19:02.970 --> 0:19:06.369 very exciting. So all the best to Brooke. But yes, 0:19:06.369 --> 0:19:09.330 if you'd love to find out a bit more about 0:19:09.330 --> 0:19:12.490 the internships, get in touch with Paula. Get in touch 0:19:12.490 --> 0:19:16.409 with the applications team. Or you can also head to 0:19:16.450 --> 0:19:25.090 the Australian Disability Network website at Australian Disability Network. That's 0:19:25.129 --> 0:19:33.609 Australian disability network. And finally this week we've got some 0:19:33.609 --> 0:19:38.890 exciting news about 100 K yoga. The momentum from the 0:19:38.889 --> 0:19:43.810 first wake of 100 K has been incredible. Vision Australia 0:19:43.810 --> 0:19:49.170 radios for teams collectively raised over $12,000, which took us 0:19:49.169 --> 0:19:54.570 three weeks to achieve in 2024. What an incredible effort. Well, 0:19:54.570 --> 0:19:58.940 this week, 100 K yoga partners Specsavers will be doubling 0:19:58.940 --> 0:20:04.379 every donation received on Friday the 11th of April. Every 0:20:04.379 --> 0:20:08.500 $1 raised on Matched Giving Day will be worth $2, 0:20:08.700 --> 0:20:14.900 with Specsavers matching up to $15,000 in fundraising. This is 0:20:14.899 --> 0:20:18.820 for one day only, so spread the word for all 0:20:18.859 --> 0:20:22.460 those listeners out there who are hearing this today. Let 0:20:22.460 --> 0:20:26.380 everyone know, check it out and make a donation on 0:20:26.379 --> 0:20:31.180 Friday the 11th. So remind your friends, family, and even 0:20:31.180 --> 0:20:35.020 any friendly strangers you meet during the week to visit 0:20:35.020 --> 0:20:40.220 the Vision Australia Radio website and click on the 100 0:20:40.820 --> 0:20:45.300 way link to donate and double their impact on Friday 0:20:45.340 --> 0:20:49.459 the 11th of April. Once you click through from the 0:20:49.460 --> 0:20:54.140 front page, you'll find direct links to the Perth, Melbourne, 0:20:54.180 --> 0:20:59.389 Adelaide or regional radio teams to ensure they support Vision 0:20:59.389 --> 0:21:03.149 Australia radio and the vital work we do for the 0:21:03.149 --> 0:21:08.190 print disability community. That website again for people out there. 0:21:08.230 --> 0:21:21.590 VA radio.org. That's VA radio all one word.org. And now 0:21:21.869 --> 0:21:24.830 here's Frances Cleland with a reader recommended. 0:21:24.830 --> 0:21:27.869 For those who like to follow the political machinations that 0:21:27.869 --> 0:21:31.830 go on behind the scenes sometimes. So if you're not 0:21:31.830 --> 0:21:33.949 sick of politics at this point in time, this is 0:21:33.950 --> 0:21:37.790 a book by Niki Savva. It's called Plots and Prayers. 0:21:38.550 --> 0:21:41.749 In an enthralling sequel to her best selling The Road 0:21:41.790 --> 0:21:46.110 to Ruin. Niki Savva reveals the inside story of a 0:21:46.109 --> 0:21:49.909 bungled coup that overthrew the Liberal Prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, 0:21:49.950 --> 0:21:53.389 and installed a surprise successor, Scott Morrison, who went on 0:21:53.430 --> 0:21:57.229 to take the party to a miraculous electoral victory on 0:21:57.230 --> 0:22:02.109 the 21st of August 20, 18, 35 Liberal MPs cast 0:22:02.109 --> 0:22:06.149 their vote against Malcolm Turnbull, effectively signalling the end of 0:22:06.149 --> 0:22:09.590 his leadership. Three days later, the deed was done and 0:22:09.590 --> 0:22:14.670 Scott Morrison was anointed prime minister. Tony Abbott's relentless campaign 0:22:14.710 --> 0:22:18.869 of destabilisation, helped along by his acolytes in the Parliament 0:22:18.869 --> 0:22:22.469 and by his powerful media mates, the betrayals of colleagues 0:22:22.470 --> 0:22:26.149 and the rise of the religious right climaxing in Peter 0:22:26.350 --> 0:22:30.710 Dutton's challenge, all played a part in Turnbull's downfall, but 0:22:30.710 --> 0:22:34.389 so did Turnbull's own poor political judgement. He was a 0:22:34.389 --> 0:22:37.230 good prime minister and a terrible politician. The good bits 0:22:37.230 --> 0:22:39.230 of Malcolm were not enough to make up for the 0:22:39.230 --> 0:22:43.430 bad Malcolm. Nevertheless, the sheer brutality of his removal left 0:22:43.430 --> 0:22:48.310 many liberals aghast. MPs were traumatised or humiliated by eight 0:22:48.310 --> 0:22:52.150 days of madness. Men and women cried from sheer anguish. 0:22:52.389 --> 0:22:54.750 They went through hell and feared when it was over 0:22:54.750 --> 0:22:56.910 that they would not make it back, and nor would 0:22:56.909 --> 0:23:00.840 the Liberal Party. As it turned out, redemption came with 0:23:00.840 --> 0:23:07.439 Morrison's unexpected single handed 2019 election victory. Turnbull's road ended 0:23:07.440 --> 0:23:09.960 in ruins as it was always bound to and as 0:23:09.960 --> 0:23:12.679 he always knew it would. As he predicted to Niki 0:23:12.720 --> 0:23:15.800 Savva less than three years before it happened. But when 0:23:15.800 --> 0:23:18.480 his end was imminent, he could not bear to let 0:23:18.480 --> 0:23:23.280 it go. And when it was over, he was defiant, fragile, and, yes, vengeful. 0:23:23.600 --> 0:23:26.640 This is the inside story of what happened and what 0:23:26.639 --> 0:23:31.000 happened next. Let's hear a sample of Plots and Prayers 0:23:31.000 --> 0:23:35.240 by Niki Savva. It's narrated by Daniel Wilks. 0:23:35.399 --> 0:23:39.119 Malcolm Turnbull does not believe that Scott Morrison's stunning election 0:23:39.119 --> 0:23:43.759 victory vindicated the coup against him. Turnbull remains confident he 0:23:43.760 --> 0:23:48.119 could have won in 2019 and besides, the revolt by 0:23:48.119 --> 0:23:52.119 the right was designed to install Peter Dutton, not Morrison, 0:23:52.119 --> 0:23:56.199 as prime minister. The last person Dutton and his backers 0:23:56.200 --> 0:23:59.770 wanted to lead the party was Turnbull. The second last 0:23:59.770 --> 0:24:04.409 was Morrison. Turnbull also firmly believes that by holding out 0:24:04.409 --> 0:24:09.090 against the insurgents during coup week by delaying a second ballot, 0:24:09.129 --> 0:24:12.850 he gave Morrison precious time to gather the numbers to 0:24:12.889 --> 0:24:17.169 triumph over Dutton. If there was any consolation for Turnbull, 0:24:17.169 --> 0:24:20.850 this was it, particularly as he and those closest to 0:24:20.889 --> 0:24:24.369 him had warned the plotters that if they persisted, the 0:24:24.369 --> 0:24:28.450 week would end with Morrison, whom they disliked, being sworn 0:24:28.450 --> 0:24:31.929 in as prime minister. It was only a part of 0:24:31.930 --> 0:24:36.090 Turnbull's strategy that Morrison should succeed. The other part, the 0:24:36.090 --> 0:24:40.770 primary objective, of course, was to save himself. Morrison, the 0:24:40.770 --> 0:24:45.210 most astute conservative politician of his generation, did need the 0:24:45.210 --> 0:24:48.850 extra time that Turnbull bought him. But the plotting and 0:24:48.850 --> 0:24:52.890 planning by his lieutenants was already well advanced. It is 0:24:52.889 --> 0:24:56.530 impossible to get to where he got in 24 hours, 0:24:56.530 --> 0:25:00.900 which is what he later wanted people to believe. Morrison 0:25:00.899 --> 0:25:04.100 had done what he could to save Turnbull from himself. 0:25:04.500 --> 0:25:07.300 He knew he would be damaged if people thought he 0:25:07.300 --> 0:25:11.020 had ascended to the Liberal leadership by being disloyal, or 0:25:11.020 --> 0:25:13.900 if he had blood on his hands. The image of 0:25:13.899 --> 0:25:17.100 him as a clean skin was vital to his success. 0:25:17.820 --> 0:25:20.460 This did not stop some of his backers from talking 0:25:20.460 --> 0:25:23.780 about how it happened. Nor his enemies from trying to 0:25:23.820 --> 0:25:27.619 sully his reputation. He would not allow any of this 0:25:27.619 --> 0:25:31.300 to distract him from his singular objective of winning an 0:25:31.300 --> 0:25:36.260 election already deemed lost through the disunity and the despair 0:25:36.300 --> 0:25:40.100 that had embedded itself in Liberal ranks after the knifing 0:25:40.100 --> 0:25:41.619 of two prime ministers. 0:25:41.619 --> 0:25:45.660 That was plots and prayers by Niki Savva. Niki is 0:25:45.659 --> 0:25:49.420 spelt n I k I sorry n I k I 0:25:50.139 --> 0:25:54.179 and Savva is sa double v a s a double 0:25:54.180 --> 0:25:58.980 v a. That book goes for about 14.5 hours. 0:25:59.220 --> 0:26:02.259 And that's all the time we have for today. You've 0:26:02.260 --> 0:26:06.379 been listening to Talking Vision. Talking vision is a Vision 0:26:06.419 --> 0:26:10.620 Australia radio production. Thanks to all involved with putting the 0:26:10.619 --> 0:26:14.780 show together every week. And remember, we love hearing from you. 0:26:14.780 --> 0:26:18.260 So please get in touch anytime on our email at 0:26:18.300 --> 0:26:24.100 Talking Vision. Vision Australia. That's talking vision all. One word 0:26:24.100 --> 0:26:28.460 at Vision Australia dot. But until next week it's Sam 0:26:28.460 --> 0:26:30.419 Corley saying bye for now. 0:26:34.020 --> 0:26:38.100 You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during 0:26:38.100 --> 0:26:46.940 business hours on one 384 746. That's one 384 74 six. 0:26:46.980 --> 0:26:51.419 Or by visiting Vision Australia. That's Vision Australia.