Laurie Ferguson (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday night, with colleagues Craig Kelly and Chris Hayes, I attended the annual fundraising event of the Autism Advisory and Support Service based in Liverpool. I have to say that both of those members have personal family involvement in this issue and that Craig is actually on the committee of the organisation.

I want to commend the service for the way in which they have mobilised, in particular, the Italian community and the broader society around these annual fundraisers. This organisation is grassroots, coming from people who are nonprofessionals. They have managed to create an organisation that is now funded on a very big scale by the state government. Even last week, Grace Fava, the inspiring leader of this group, was called to Silverwater prison for the release of a young person who, because of his very, let's say, concentrated repetitive behaviour was detained without any kind of real interest by the police force in what was happening. She intervened there.

This group runs a 24-hour telephone service to advise people. Usually it is parents who are involved in this—once again, not professionals. They have gained a loss of support from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and other groups for musical enrichment for the kids. I just want to commend their fundraising and their broader efforts.