Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Chandler for her question. The government is absolutely committed to ensuring that people who live with disability are included in all aspects of community and also to making sure that we provide them with the equal opportunity that they deserve. We recognise that part of that has got to be making sure that we are well-informed about the requirements of people with disability, and that's why research funding is so important in achieving understanding as well as being able to achieve good outcomes. That's why we've recently announced a partnership with the Melbourne Disability Institute at the University of Melbourne, a National Disability Research Partnership. The government is providing 2½ million dollars in seed funding to establish this partnership, which will focus on disability and mainstream services, including such things as health, education, housing and justice. Over the next two years this partnership will prepare and progress a research agenda, a research capability road map, and practical guides for disability-inclusive research into partnerships with the disability community.

We recognise that data and evidence is absolutely essential when it comes to developing good policy and evidence based policy. That's why we've provided a further $15 million to make sure that we can develop a national disability data asset. This asset will help governments across the whole country, as well as policymakers, understand how people with disability are supported through services, through payments and through programs, across the multiple levels of services and service systems that exist within the country at many levels, including state and federal. The sharing of this de-identified data through the data asset will allow governments to better understand the life experiences and outcomes for people with disability. We believe that this is an essential part of developing an inclusive and equal opportunity for all Australians, including those with disability.