Page 240 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 December 2008
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Last Wednesday, I went to a well-attended breakfast and celebration for the International Day of People with Disability, organised by the peak body at that time. I also attended a celebration by Capital Careers during the day. Capital Careers is one of the many organisations, both profit and non-profit, that play a role in offering training and development for people with a disability to enable them to participate in the paid workforce—an important aspect of participation in our society.
Like all Australians, those with a disability want to contribute to their full potential, and should be able to contribute to their full potential, in all aspects of their work life, leisure and community life. The proposed model for new employment services for people with a disability is aimed at ensuring that people can genuinely engage in the economic life of our nation. I often raised the issue of social inclusion in the previously Assembly, and I believe that all people, whatever their circumstances or abilities, need to have an equal opportunity to participate in our society.
Despite having enjoyed over a decade of unprecedented economic prosperity, it is concerning that severe disadvantage and social exclusion still exist in Australia. What do I mean when I refer to “social inclusion”? As is often the case, it is easier to describe something by that which it is not. Social exclusion can be seen in non-participation in the workforce, non-attendance or inability to succeed in education, being confined to one’s own home for any reason, or in a care facility, lack of engagement in the community, a lack of access to social networks, and a lack of access to technology or transport.
Socially excluded citizens often live on the margins, not fully engaging in the community. An individual may feel socially excluded because of their financial circumstances, their disability, their lack of education in areas such as literacy and numeracy or through illness, their living conditions or lack of transport. People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds may have difficulty with a new environment, a new language and a new culture.
Disadvantage is obviously a key factor and the complexity of this problem needs to be better understood. In Professor Tony Vinson’s report entitled Dropping off the edge he used data to map areas of disadvantage in Australia. Importantly, it was found that disadvantage was intergenerational and not just seen in identified geographical areas. As I said, it is a complex problem that requires flexible solutions that focus on causes and on specific solutions for a diverse range of problems. As I have often said in this place, there are no simple solutions to complex problems.
As a member for Ginninderra, I will remain committed to people in my community having access to their government, and I am committed to representing their needs. Members would hopefully be aware that during the last Assembly I made more representations to the government and other stakeholders on behalf of the community than any other member of the Assembly. Most of the matters that come to me through my mobile offices, telephone or email are of a local nature and they are often matters that affect people’s lives in a very personal way. A broken footpath or shrubbery hanging over a path may not seem earth shattering to some; however, I know that if someone does not feel safe to walk down a footpath or go out in the evening, this can lead to their becoming socially isolated. I am pleased to say that my representations
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