NEWS UPDATE: ELECTION NEWS WEDNESDAY MARCH 17TH ATAC is running an advertisement in the 3 major papers in Tasmania on Wednesday March 17. ADVERTISEMENT COMPARING RESPONSES OF TASMANIAN POLITICAL PARTIES This ad asks all families affected by autism to consider when casting their vote the position of the three major political parties on the issue of provision of services to those with autism in our community. To assist in this we have published as part of that ad a summary of responses to a questionnaire sent by ATAC in December to all three major parties. The full responses can be accessed through the following links. TASMANIAN LIBERAL PARTY RESPONSE. PDF FILE DOC FILE TASMANIAN GREENS RESPONSE.    PDF FILE DOC FILE TASMANIAN LABOR PARTY RESPONSE. PDF FILE   DOC FILE

AUTISM POLICY OF THE 3 MAJOR TASMANIAN POLITICAL PARTIES LIBERAL PARTY Tasmanian Liberal Party PDF FILE      DOC FILE GREENS POLICY PDF FILE      DOC FILE UPDATE - SEE GREENS RESPONSE ABOVE LABOR POLICY Autism Policy of Tasmanian Labour Party    The Tasmanian Labor Party has NOT supplied us with a specific policy on autism, and have not indicated they will be releasing one. They have now responded to the ATAC questionaire distributed to the three major parties, and that response is posted above, alongside the responses from the Liberal Party and the Tasmanian Greens. MEDIA RELEASES FEBRUARY 2010 ATAC MEDIA RELEASE 15 FEBRUARY 2010 PDF FILE     DOC FILE WORLD BEST AUTISM SERVICES FOR TASMANIA - LIBERAL PARTY PRESS RELEASE MEDIA RELEASE A4, CANBERRA FILE PDF FILE DOC FILE

A.T.A.C. has taken an active and vocal position on behalf of families dealing with autism during the 2010 State Election campaign.

We approached Autism Tas to help sponsor the first ever autism forum in the lead up to an election. We invited representatives from each of the major parties and requested specifically that each of these parties present the forum with their policies on autism. This was then followed by questions from the floor.

In attendance were Brett Whiteley, Liberal MP and Shadow Minister for Health, Nick McKim MP, leader of the Tasmanian Greens, and Madeleine Ogilvie, a candidate for the Labour Party.

This forum was held at Glenorchy on Sunday February 14th, and saw a good turn up of Tasmanian families from around the state who deal personally with the issues of autism on a daily basis.

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ATAC invites ALL membersto read these policies, to make friends and families aware of them, and to relay their feelings on the same to their local representatives, as well as to the media.

HELP MAKE AUTISM A MAJOR ISSUE IN THIS ELECTION. WE HAVE BEEN IGNORED FOR FAR TOO LONG, AND OUR CHILDREN CONTINUE TO BE MISTREATED AND DENIED THE SERVICES THEY NEED. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

ATAC would not only like to thank those polticians in attendance, but all participants in this forum. We are mindful of the daily, and continual, difficulties every family facing the issues of autism experiences and appreciate the effort each of you made to attend.