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

Many people come through this place who've made really significant contributions to the lives of many Australians, but my special guest today takes the meaning of the word special to a whole new level. Today, my special guest was Odie. Odie has dedicated almost all of this life to being Chris's champion. He goes to work with him, he travels with him, he sleeps by his bed. In fact, Odie is Chris's eyes, for Chris is blind and Odie is his seeing eye dog. He was today the headline act in our Pups in Parliament event that showcased the amazing work of Vision Australia.

Today, Vision Australia's CEO, Ron Hooton; Chris Edwards; Odie; Olga; Dory; and Bingo joined us here in Parliament House, and Chris really kindly let all of us have an opportunity to spend some time with Odie while he explained to us the importance of seeing eye dogs across the country and tried to share with us the process of education around some of the issues that he and Odie have faced about accessibility while they've been trying to do their job.

Vision Australia has supported more than 25½ thousand people of all ages and circumstances since its inception in 1960. The seeing eye dog division of Vision Australia has been a client-driven organisation. Their training is entirely one on one, and they make sure that it's not based on a set training approach but they're reflecting the needs of the person, their clients, and matching the right personality of dog to the right personality of person.

The role and mission of seeing eye dogs is to enhance the mobility and independence of people who are blind or have low vision by providing dogs, mobility training and rehabilitation services. But, despite the fact I think absolutely everybody was delighted to meet Odie today, they would never have thought that Odie and Chris would have problems with accessibility. They do face some really significant barriers, as Odie and Chris, and many other Australians who live with blindness or low vision and their dogs, face as they go about their day-to-day lives.

Access for seeing eye dogs is enshrined in law in the Domestic Animals Act and Disability Discrimination Act, but, unfortunately, it is all too common to find situations where blind people or vision impaired people with their seeing eye dogs are denied access to public spaces. According to Chris, restaurants and movie theatres are probably the main culprit. But for taxis and ride shares like Uber they also find themselves denied access. That's not to say that all restaurants and theatres or all taxis or Uber or share rides deny access to seeing eye dogs, and we thank every single one of those that do, because that's the right thing to do—in fact, you have to, by law.

This is a systemic issue, unfortunately, but we hope through education and raising awareness and, hopefully when everybody sees the fact that Odie sat in this chamber today, in what I like to think is the highest chamber in the land—I like to think the Senate is the elite space in this parliament—it demonstrates we need to have an inclusive society for everybody, whether they live with disability or not. We need to make sure we educate the public about making sure life for people who live with blindness is as close as it possibly can be as for people who don't, and we need to recognise and fully understand the rights of people who live with disability, the rights that are granted to them by law.

We are absolutely committed to an inclusive society where people with disability can fully participate to the level they want and can. Our role is to make sure that we give Australians the tools that they need to engage in daily life with confidence and to guarantee that people like Odie—I thought he was so wonderful I thought he was a person—seeing eye dogs like Odie are able to undertake the caring role they do.

I want to thank Odie and his mates, and Chris particularly, for taking the time to come and share their experiences with us here today. I thank you, Mr President, for allowing Odie into the chamber, and I'll make sure I give you a little more notice next time. But, as an owner of a beautiful black labrador just like Odie—my Leila is the most amazing animal—I didn't realise, I think until today, that whilst I love my Leila and I love going home because she makes me feel fantastic the role that Odie plays in Chris's life and the role that these dogs play in people's lives around Australia just cannot be understated. So I thank Vision Australia, I thank Chris and Odie and all the others. Today was Odie's last day as a seeing eye dog with an active working life. He's now going to take on the role as Chris's pet, but: Odie, you're always welcome back in the parliament. (Time expired)

Senate adjourned at 19:50