Page 3826 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 24 August 2011
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Implementation of the strategy will not be confined to the disability sector. It requires whole-of-government as well as industry and community involvement to achieve its goal to increase participation and the inclusion of people with a disability in mainstream society and services.
The Assembly would be aware that in September 2009 the ACT government released Future directions: towards challenge 2014—I might have been around at the time—a policy framework designed to improve the outcomes and opportunities for Canberrans with a disability, their families and their carers. Importantly, future directions and the national disability strategy go beyond the national disability insurance scheme and the provision of disability services. These initiatives seek to improve the quality of life for people with a disability, their families and carers across all experiences and areas of community life. As such, priorities under these initiatives will continue throughout the discussion and implementation stage of the national disability insurance scheme and beyond.
There is a long way to go and much work to be done to fully realise the intent of the scheme. However, a great outcome today would be to see all members of this place get behind this motion and back it to the hilt. It is a rare day to have the opportunity to support such an important national initiative, one that will help improve the quality of life of fellow Australians with disabilities now and into the future.
Finally, I am aware, thank you very much to my colleagues Ms Bresnan and Mr Doszpot, of amendments that they propose. Turning to the Greens’ amendment first, the government will be supporting this amendment. Actually, the amendment, as suggested by Ms Bresnan, improves the motion and I thank her very much for bringing it forward, for embracing the intent behind what we are trying to do, understanding that intent and actually bringing forward this amendment which, as I say, improves it.
As for the opposition’s amendment, the government will not be supporting it because we believe that this amendment merely seeks to turn the whole motion into an educational focus, and this is not what the motion is about. It is about all people with a disability. It is all about—
Mr Doszpot: Is disability in education not a disability? Is it not a disability?
MR HARGREAVES: You will get your time, Mr Doszpot.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Doszpot, thank you. Mr Hargreaves.
MR HARGREAVES: Settle, petal. You will get your time.
Mr Doszpot: That is the whole problem.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves. Order, members!
MR HARGREAVES: You will get your time and if you just sit there quietly you will see why I disagree with you. There are people in nursing homes who have a disability.
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