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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 11 Hansard (26 September) . . Page.. 3277 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

differences lightly. We are committed to continuing to work closely with the reform group, as well as the new advisory group, to close the gaps between us.

Mr Speaker, what will the government's strategy of action deliver for people with disabilities? It will provide an integrated quality service system that will be flexible and responsive to need. People with disabilities and their significant support networks will participate fully in the development and ongoing improvement of the disability service sector. In other words, services and policy will be driven through consumer involvement.

Services will be person centred, directly based on the needs of people. The disabilities sector will be more accessible and transparent. Information on services will be readily available and will be crafted to assist people with disabilities and their families to make the right choices for them.

Government and the broader sector will listen to and value the contributions of people with disabilities, their families and carers. We will work in partnership with them. Importantly, we will have a policy framework that will support people with disabilities in the Canberra community in an equitable way.

With my total commitment and the willingness of all in the new department, people with disabilities and their carers and support groups will, at all times, be able to speak freely-fiercely, if they wish-about their worries, complaints, views and aspirations. This is a major, essential aspect of the reform.

Mr Speaker, this government readily accepts both the need to build and the challenge of building a better disability services system. We have engaged and will continue to engage the community in establishing the path to reform. In order to assure members of our commitment to the reform agenda we have laid out, I will be reporting to the Assembly on our progress every six months.

While in opposition, Labor, with Ms Tucker, called for an urgent inquiry into disability services. We did this because the community was telling us that there were problems in many areas of service delivery. They were right. However, the importance of this issue must raise the debate above political point scoring. It is time to move forward.

With the assistance of the DRG, this government has developed a far-reaching response to the findings of the board that will significantly improve services and support for people with disabilities. The comprehensive, systematic reform process will remain a top priority of the Labor government. We are absolutely committed to listening to people with disabilities, their families, carers and representative groups.

This commitment will continue into the future as we work in close consultation with the disability sector to implement the initiatives already announced and to pursue the further substantial reforms mapped out over the next three to five years. Under this government, people with disabilities, the families and carers can be confident that they will be supported, valued, consulted and respected throughout the process of reform and beyond.

Debate (on motion by Mr Smyth ) adjourned to the next sitting.

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