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

My question is to the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Ruston. Between 2014 and 2017, the New South Wales Ombudsman found that there were no less than 42 preventable deaths of disabled people in New South Wales residential care, including 11 deaths via choking. During this period, Commissioner Ryan was a senior public servant of the very New South Wales department responsible for the care of these individuals. Of these 42 preventable deaths, the Ombudsman found that there were two where a direct link existed between the death and a program that Mr Ryan oversaw. In light of these conflicts of interest, can the government understand why disabled people, particularly in New South Wales, feel like they are being asked to disclose to their abusers?

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

I thank Senator Steele-John for his question and his extraordinary advocacy on behalf of people who live with disability. The Morrison government stands by its appointments to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. The panel of commissioners is representative of a diverse range of backgrounds, which includes lived experience of disability, judicial and policy experience, and Indigenous leadership.

The two individuals to whom Senator Steele-John referred this morning in his motion, and the one he's just referred to in his question to me, have made significant contributions in their fields, as evidenced by their receipt of the Public Service Medal and the Member of the Order of Australia award. However, in relation to the specific appointments to the royal commission into disability, as with any other royal commission that is a matter for the Attorney-General, and I'll take the rest of the question on notice.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Steele-John, a supplementary question.

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

From 2010 to her appointment to the royal commission, Ms Barbara Bennett PSM was a senior public servant working for the Department of Social Services, the very agency, she would be aware, that has direct oversight of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Given that this process has at times, by the government's very own admission, failed and led to participants being harmed, can you understand the frustration felt that such individuals would be appointed to a position to investigate their own department's actions?

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

Thank you, Senator Steele-John. It's probably best to refer you to my answer to the previous question, because it's a very similar question to the one that you asked about the other commissioner that you're referring to. However, as I said in the previous answer, I will refer any of the details and the specifics of the question that you have asked me to the Attorney-General.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Steele-John, a final supplementary question.

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

Given that more than 60 disability organisations, senior disability advocates and now this very chamber have called on the government to replace both Commissioners Ryan and Bennett with individuals supported by the community that will give evidence before this commission, will the government now commit to urgently replacing these two commissioners?

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

The Morrison government stands by its appointments. But I would also like to put on record in this chamber that it is the Morrison government that set up the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, and that the Prime Minister himself is an extraordinarily strong advocate for supporting people with disability. I look forward to, in a minute, actually explaining to the chamber some of the initiatives that the Morrison government has put in place and intends to put in place to support people with disability. Senator Steele-John, I very much look forward to working with you in my capacity as the Minister for Families and Social Services to make sure that we can make the lives of all Australians, particularly those with disability, better.