Peak body ACOSS and over 20 community leaders have come together to express concerns in a civil society statement about the media treatment of Duncan Storrar and what this says about the current state of democracy.
Greg Barns Barrister and Former National President of the Australian Lawyers Alliance, Jackie Brady Executive Director Family Relationships Services Australia and Julian Burnside Human Rights and Refugee Advocate were among the leaders in support of the statement.
On the ABC’s Q&A program on Monday 9 May 2016 Storrar asked a question about the Budget, tax cuts, and income inequality. Storrar identified as a person with disability who is struggling to support a family while experiencing a low income.
The group said since asking the question Storrar has been subject to personal investigations, attacks, intrusion into his privacy, family and ridicule in a range of publications.
The group believes it’s time to ask why a member of the community is being targeted in an extreme way for simply asking a question about the fairness of a tax cut on a national broadcaster during an election campaign.
“It’s also time we heard where our leaders stand on the rights of all people, particularly community members, to participate in public debates without bullying and intimidation. Political leaders have a positive obligation to protect public participation by people who are less powerful, knowing that more powerful people will otherwise dominate our democracy,” said the group.
“It is a public right to ask questions. It is the job of the media to report them and the responsibility of parliamentarians to protect our ability to do so.”
The community leaders believe a member of the community has been targeted in an extreme and disproportionate way for peacefully expressing widely held views on income and equality issues on the national broadcaster during the federal election campaign.
“The treatment of Storrar sets a dangerous precedent across the democratic process. Any person who writes a letter, takes part in a newspaper ‘vox pop’ or rings a talk back radio station with views about income inequality or fairness now has a reasonable basis for feeling under threat of retribution through intrusive and personalised attacks,” said the group.
The NFP leaders have called on national leaders including the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to publicly reaffirm the rights and responsibilities of all people regardless of background, disabilities or income level.