Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

When the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability was first announced, I read into the Hansard the names of 35 disabled people. These people had died in the years leading up to the establishment of the royal commission as a direct result of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect. The year after the commission completed its work, I had five more names to add to that list.

This royal commission gave disabled people the opportunity to share their experiences of being disabled in Australia. Thousands of disabled people, their families and allies courageously shared the stories of discrimination, violence and ableism in the hope that sharing these darkest of days could bring this government to enact real change. The response from the government is a slap in the face to disabled people, their families and their allies. We asked for justice. We asked for an end to violent, discriminatory practice. We asked for an end to segregation. Labor did not deliver it.

There were three critical recommendations included in the commission's final report that would remove systemic segregation of disabled people in Australia. The recommendations were to phase out special schools, to phase out the group homes, which were found to be the settings absolutely rife with abuse, and to transition away from so-called ADEs, which uphold segregated employment and are empowered to pay workers far less than the minimum wage. The government did not accept any of these recommendations. In response to the recommendation to phase out segregated education, they said:

The Australian Government recognises the ongoing role of specialist settings in service provision for students with disability and providing choice for students with disability and their families.

How shameful to suggest that the continuation of segregation is in fact a form of choice. Disabled people deserve to be included in education, in housing and, yes, in employment.

On the issue of forced sterilisation, in 2024, forced sterilisation of many members of our community should not be possible. It should not be possible in 2024 to forcibly sterilise a member of the Australian community, yet this government could not even bring themselves to support the DRC's recommendation that forced sterilisation of disabled people should be banned. Disabled people and their families are still coerced into forced sterilisation by lingering ableist ideas surrounding disabled people and sexuality and by fear of how the system's failures may compound their abuse. Reproductive rights are human rights. As long as forced sterilisation of disabled people remains a reality in this country, disabled people will be subjected to horrendous human rights abuses.

The agency of disabled people must be acknowledged and must be respected. Disabled people are significantly more likely to live in poverty than the rest of the population, yet this government still condemns us to structures of income support that force us to cohabitate with our abusers. Still this government continues to cut the NDIS, cut people's plans and remove their vital supports. This response is not good enough. We do not accept it. We will continue to push for our full liberation. I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.