It’s the perennial dilemma. Do you want a capable person too busy to focus full attention on the NDIS, or someone less sought after who can pay attention to the NDIS exclusively?

The shortage of affordable housing has soared to prominence as one of the critical issues of this election campaign. That’s great. As a result, Liberal housing spokesperson Michael Sukkar has shot to prominence.

What’s not so great is that Sukkar also shadows the NDIS and Social Services portfolios. Oh, and he’s Manager of Opposition Business. Oh, and after a 4.5% swing against him in 2022, he needs to pay attention to his own seat as well. At the last election Sukkar only managed to hold his eastern Melbourne electorate of Deakin by just 500 votes.

There’s been a redistribution since then (and with Victoria’s state Labor government on the nose) there’s no indication of any threat Sukkar will lose the seat. But he still holds what is, theoretically, the most marginal seat in parliament.

This might explain why the desperate need for accessible housing is being overlooked in the election campaign.

At lunchtime today Sukkar will debate Labor’s Housing Minister Clare O’Neill at the National Press Club. There he’ll be besieged with questions and housing will, once again, be the big issue. But just as on the ABC’s Q&A on Monday night, disability housing will be lucky to get a mention.

It’s the perennial problem.

Both sides have recognised disability as an important issue. That’s why the Liberals allocated the portfolio to somebody perceived as highly capable. Unfortunately, and exactly because Sukkar is seen as that way, he’s responsible for other complex portfolios as well.

Disability gets shoved to the sidelines.

Today abilityNEWS will definitely be speaking to Sukkar at the Press Club before his speech today. And - as long as the answers don’t run on for too long - we might even manage to get a televised question in.

We’ll be bringing you his answers tomorrow. Regretably, the mainstream media probably won’t be focusing on disability. They have other fish to fry.