Page 1936 - Week 05 - Thursday, 6 May 2010
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After all, with the government’s initiatives around the ACT solar facility and electric cars, one would think that Canberrans should be properly skilled and able to compete for the jobs that these investments generate.
Turning now to my portfolio of disability, it was already apparent that the government’s education and disability agencies need to work better together on the issue of student disabilities. The recent inability of Minister Burch to articulate relevant aspects of the Department of Education and Training’s commissioned Shaddock review was telling.
Deny the importance of disability needs as you may; the truth remains that we need to ensure quality of life for people with disabilities. According to figures released by National Disability Services, 45,000 or approximately 14.2 per cent of Canberra residents have a disability. Looking at this in greater detail, 24,000 people report a disability requiring assistance, 13,000 people have profound or severe activity limitations, 12,400 people over the age of 65 have a disability and 4,284 people access the accommodation, respite, community access and support services funded by government and community organisations. My question to the government is: are you aware of the gravity of this portfolio?
I have no doubt that the Labor spin machine was hard at work selling Minister Burch’s piecemeal initiatives—for example, $425,000 over four years to help families having to care for a child with autism. Well, that sounds well and good on the surface. But this money is salary to employ a coordinator to provide an information service. This is another example of Labor not properly consulting the community. Autism Asperger ACT had provided the Treasury a submission with a minimum budget request—a minimum budget request that they felt would do some justice to their requirements—of $2.16 million. It is there for all to see on the website. The amount announced by Ms Burch of $425,000, which does not give any direct cash to Autism Asperger ACT, is over four years and less than five per cent of what was requested by Autism Asperger ACT.
The needs are huge and there are obviously competing requirements, but this is one of the aspects of the anger that is rapidly becoming more and more apparent against this government, when we cannot give $424,000 directly to a community need, but we can give 22—26—$28 million for an arboretum. We can give money of that scope and that generosity to something that is basically the Chief Minister’s legacy, his version of the pyramids of Egypt, a legacy to Jon Stanhope.
The model of support is probably replicated with the $424,000 for the Carers Advocacy Service. My question is: will we end up with a situation similar to that with Therapy ACT, where we are faced with a mammoth waiting list for too few services?
Minister Burch, you noted in one of your media releases that the government is investing in our disability community. The fact is that salaries are not investments. Your government intends to lower the school leaving age of students with disabilities to 18. When this happens, if this happens, how will you handle this two-year pipeline of school leavers transitioning to the next stage of their lives? How will you handle this when these students and others with disabilities show up at—to use your words— the government’s “front door”.
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