Judi Moylan (Pearce, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend the motion in terms circulated to honourable members in the chamber.

Leave granted.

I move:

That this House:

(1)

appreciates that meaningful employment is essential to the financial security, physical and mental health and sense of identity of all individuals;

(2)

remains concerned with the low workforce participation rate of individuals with a disability;

(3)

recognises the challenges faced by people with a disability in successfully obtaining work, particularly in surmounting barriers;

(4)

notes that:

(a)

According to the 2009 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, 18.5 per cent of all Australians suffer from a disability;

(b)

Among persons aged 15-64 living in households, the participation rate for people with disability increased from 53.2 per cent in the 1998 SDAC, to 54.3 per cent in the 2009 SDAC, while the participation rate for people without disability increased from 80.1 per cent in the 1998 SDAC to 82.8 per cent in the 2009 SDAC; and

(c)

the Australian Public Service Commissioner’s Statistical Bulletin shows employment of people with a disability in the Australian Public Service has linearly dropped from a high of 5.5 per cent in 1996, to 3.1 per cent in 2010;

(5)

acknowledges the findings of chapters 2.4 (The employment experience of people with disabilities) and 2.5.2 (‘Lack of Access to Transport’) of the National Disability Strategy Consultation Report: Shut Out, that:

(a)

there are still widespread misconceptions and stereotypes influencing the attitudes and behaviour of employers, recruiters and governments;

(b)

there is considerable misunderstanding in the community and overestimation about the cost of workplace adjustments for people with a disability;

(c)

there is confusion about the impact of occupational health and safety requirements on people with a disability; and

(d)

without access to transport, participation in critical activities such as education, employment and health care is difficult, if not impossible;

(6)

notes that recent reforms have increased the ability for Disability Support Pension recipients to gain and retain employment including:

(a)

uncapping access to disability employment services;

(b)

abolishing the automatic review of eligibility of the Disability Support Pension when they register with an employment agency; and

(c)

measures such as wage subsidies for employers of people with disability introduced as part of the National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy; and

(7)

calls on the Government to provide leadership and improve participation rates of people with a disability.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Joanna Gash (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The original question was that the motion be agreed to. To this the member for Pearce has moved amendments. The immediate question is that the amendments be agreed to.

Question agreed to.

The question now is that the motion, as amended, be agreed to.

Question agreed to.