Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes that:

(i)

Wednesday, 3 December 2008 is International Day of People with Disability,

(ii)

the theme for 2008 is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,

(iii)

Australia became a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in July 2008,

(iv)

the Government is currently developing a national disability strategy, and

(v)

the recent Council of Australian Governments funding round provided a welcome increase in the rate of indexation and the overall level of funding to the states and territories for the provision of disability services and support; and

(b)

calls on the Government to ensure that the national disability strategy:

(i)

contains a strong emphasis on human rights, and

(ii)

provides a suitable platform through which to address the current lack of consistency between the states and territories in the provision of services, supported accommodation and aids to people with disability.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—On behalf of the coalition, I would like to make a short statement about our position on that last motion. The coalition’s position is that we support in principle the ideas and sentiments behind the motion. However, we do not agree with the increase in the rate of indexation, because the government has simply changed the rate of indexation in regard to disability funding, and, as we are entering into a deflationary environment and a potential Rudd recession in 2009, the actual rate of indexation may indeed be negative. We have grave concerns about the motion for that reason.

Question negatived.