Will Australia ever pass an Autism Act?

I am very concerned as an adult on the Autism Spectrum about whether or not the necessary level of awareness of Autism is going to occur in Australia. I feel my recent attempts to contact an independent member of parliament to put forward the proposal for a Private Members Bill has fallen in the wayside for an Autism Bill. In the conference I attended with Professor Tony Attwood, some serious concerns were raised about how Australia has ebbed and flowed in the last few years. Instead of moving forwards, it seems that Australia is regressing and this is of serious concern to me. I feel in all honesty that politicians seem removed from the realities that are happening around them. It seems that parliament is in itself a "Cosey Club" and all the perks and benefits tend to blind politicians from the realities of life in everyday Australia. I am personally annoyed by the current leader of the opposition in particular as he tends to always want to attack and want to become involved in mud slinging and personally I think a lot of Australian are sick of it. Politicians are not all bad and there are some good ones in power but what I find alarming and concerning is that too much and for too long the Australian and State Governments have resorted to mud slinging rather than governing the country. It seems that the Independents, especially Robert Oakeshott need a power base and perhaps an engagement with big business or to listen to the silent majority. Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies once said that "we not only support the people who voted for us but those who voted against us" and I believe that despite personal differences, politicians need to listen to people more! I was in contact with Mr Robert Oakeshott prior to the election and I mentioned to him and provided him with some important information concerning the passage of the Autism Bill prior to the election. Since the election and post election, it seems that my and other people's efforts have just fallen in the way side. Mr Oakeshott informed me that he would contact me in around August and September 2010 but here it is the end of the month and no correspondence has been received at all. I think the likelihood of an Autism Bill similar to the one passed in the UK is going to be fraught with difficulties and complications and I don't see anything happening soon. The only person we can call upon for hope seems to be Bill Shorten. I don't care whether he has certain ambitions in his life, I am more concerned about what he can do in terms of disability. He seems to be the only member at a federal level interested in disability and I have not seen much from other members of parliament. We can only hope that one day an Autism Bill will be passed but for now, those of us affected by Autism can only do our best to survive as best we can.