Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week, parliament was visited by an amazing and inspiring individual. Warren 'Woz' Ascott was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, MND, in July 2023, and he has made it his mission to mow down MND by riding his lawnmower from his home in Toolleen, in my electorate, to Parliament House in Canberra. I say 'my electorate' because Toolleen is one of those areas that is half in Nicholls and half in Bendigo, so the member for Nicholls and I are both claiming Warren Acott. But he is somebody who is larger than life and somebody who came here with a mission.

Warren has asked the government to make MND a notifiable disease. At the age of 66, prior to his diagnosis, Woz worked as a truck driver, but, in just seven months, MND has made a significant impact on his health. On his journey to Canberra, he briefly stayed in a hospital in Wagga Wagga. At the time, he spoke to the media about how this is just MND and what you live with. Woz said this about his journey, to the Bendigo Advertiser:

Hopefully we can achieve something out of (this trip) for the people in the community and for future generations (affected by MND) so they can come see this place.

Woz did complete his 12-day journey, arriving at Parliament House last Thursday. It was 800 kilometres from Toolleen to Canberra, and last Thursday, 21 March, he was met by the co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Motor Neurone Disease group, Senator Carol Brown and the member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke. I thank them both for their generosity and their welcome for Woz. In the Prime Minister's courtyard, Woz was met by the Prime Minister, who thanked him for his amazing effort to raise awareness of MND.

MND is a devastating disease that affects nerve cells. These cells carry messages to muscles via the spinal cord. Severe MND gradually leads to weakness in muscles, swallowing and speech disturbances, respiratory failure and, ultimately, death. The cause of MND is not yet understood, and there is no cure. But all of us would know somebody, or at least someone high profile, who has been affected by this disease. In Australia it's estimated that, at any one time, there are around 2,100 people living with MND, and we wish to acknowledge them today. Every day, two people are diagnosed with MND and two people die from the disease.

I commend Woz for his inspirational journey to 'Mow Down MND' and for the practical way he brought this about. It was a long journey, and he did well. I also really want to acknowledge the way he has put a spotlight on this terrible disease, and I want to acknowledge the people living with the diagnosis and those who've already lost their battle to MND.