Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Senator Arbib. Last week the Federal Court ruled that the Business Service Wage Assessment Tool, which is used by Australian Disability Enterprises that are funded by the federal government to set the wages of intellectually disabled workers, does not breach anti-discrimination laws. This is despite the fact that the BSWAT tests disabled workers only of their knowledge of workplace health and safety practices, not how well they do their jobs. Further, other employers of disabled workers use a different test, which also considers disabled workers' productivity and therefore results in higher wage rates. Does the government think it reasonable and truly non-discriminatory that, under the BSWAT, workers who are intellectually disabled are paid as little as $1 an hour?