Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that:

(a) Saturday 3 December 2016 is International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD);

(b) the United Nations proclaimed IDPwD for the first time in 1992 as a way of promoting better understanding of disability issues and as a sign of support for the dignity, rights and wellbeing of people with disabilities; and

(c) each year, the United Nations chooses a theme for IDPwD and this year's theme is 'Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want', which draws attention to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and how these goals can create a more inclusive and equitable world for people with disabilities;

(2) encourages all Members of Parliament to support IDPwD in their electorates; and

(3) reaffirms its commitment to:

(a) ensuring Australians with a disability get the support they need; and

(b) an adequately funded and resourced National Disability Insurance Scheme.

This Saturday, 3 December, will be International Day of People with Disability, a very important day for many people in my electorate of Lindsay, and also across the country and, indeed, around the world. As I have noted in my motion, International Day of People with Disability was proclaimed for the first time by the United Nations in 1992 as a way of promoting better understanding of disability issues and, importantly, as a sign of support for the dignity, rights and wellbeing of people who live with disability. Paragraph (2) of the motion is incredibly important. This is a day where communities can demonstrate their support for those among us who live with disability, whatever it may be. It is a day when we can reflect on what it is that we are doing to ensure that every life has dignity and purpose, and that every person is valued and can contribute.

This year, the theme of International Day of People with Disability asks us to consider the role of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in building a more inclusive world and a more equitable world for people with disability. Some of the key development goals include the provision of quality education and learning, so people with disability can pick up the transferable skills so vital to a sense of self-worth. Also among the development goals is an increase in decent and supported work, so people with disability can contribute to society and build an independent life for themselves.

Perhaps the most important development goal relevant to those with a disability is the goal to end poverty. We know that in Australia people with disability are significantly more likely to live below the poverty line. In fact, this year's Poverty in Australia 2016 report by ACOSS shows us that more than 300,000 Australians who are severely impacted by disability live below the poverty line and a further 500,000 Australians with various levels of disability who live below the poverty line. According to ACOSS, people with a disability are between 50 per cent and 100 per cent more likely to live in poverty, compared to Australians who live without disability. That is simply unacceptable. It is a continuing injustice and it must be addressed.

The NDIS presents a remarkable opportunity to ensure all people with disability live with dignity and not in poverty. Importantly, this motion recommits us and the government to adequately funding and resourcing the NDIS, a reform from the previous Labor government that has the power to deliver life-changing benefits to people with disability, their carers and their families. We all know the preceding system of disability care in Australia created huge swathes of further disadvantage for people with a disability right across the country. In fact, the Productivity Commission labelled the past system 'underfunded, unfair, fragmented and inefficient.'

The NDIS was created to address these concerns and establish a fair and necessary system where participants are given a say in the services they use and the rigid service delivery structures of the past are broken down to make way for more flexible and personalised models of care. People with disability and their families then knew how important this reform was and they know it today. However, time and time again I hear from people who fear the NDIS is stuck in a rut, and this government is not doing all it can to ensure service providers and the National Disability Insurance Agency have the resources they need to deliver the scheme. Critically, I am hearing that care plans are often expiring without new plans being in place. I have spoken before about the impact of a plan expiring, leaving families without the supports their children need and leaving adults without access to the assistance they absolutely require.

Of course, this scheme was created to provide long-term certainty around disability care, and it seems to me that the government is letting down scheme participants and it is letting down the service providers, who are constrained by the level of resourcing and the lack of funds flowing from this government. I am sure we can all agree that on the eve of International Day of People with Disability the best thing we can do as a parliament to support the dignity, rights and wellbeing of those who live with disability is to ensure the NDIS is able to live up to its promise of fairness.

I encourage all members of parliament to join with me in celebrating International Day of People with Disability on Saturday, 3 December. And I extend that invitation to everyone in the wider community: visit www.idpwd.com.au and check out the community event calendar to find out what local events are being held near you. I am actually looking forward to visiting the No Boundaries Art Group, which meets in my electorate every Monday to support people living with disability and their carers to get access to creative and practical arts.

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