A mother whose plight with the NDIS prompted the Prime Minister to remark that he was “blessed” to not have children with disabilities has criticised Scott Morrison for the comment.
But Catherine Yeoman said she was more concerned that Morrison had failed to address the concerns that she and other parents have over NDIS funding cuts.
![Catherine Yeoman,her son Ethan,and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.](https://static.ffx.io/images/$width_300%2C$height_150/t_crop_auto/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/d8aa4d5d59732837aa2cd2e08256da76b9b847f1)
Catherine Yeoman,her son Ethan,and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.Supplied
The Brisbane woman,whose four-year-old son Ethan has autism,used the first leaders’ debate on Wednesday night to ask Morrison about issues with the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
In response,Morrison told Yeoman and the audience - and those watching on television - that he and wife Jenny were “blessed” to have “two children who don’t,haven’t had to go through that[autism]” .
“It was a poor choice of words and I do believe every child is a blessing,” Yeoman said today. “I don’t want this comment to overshadow the intent of the original question.”
Morrison and his staffer approached Yeoman after the debate and took her details,she said.
“He did live up to his promise. He came directly to me ... I have had a phone call first thing this morning very early from the PM’s office and they’ve invited me to call again,” she said.
Labor seized on Morrison’s reference to being “blessed” to have children who did not have autism,sparking a debate on social media.