Page 2912 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 14 August 2019
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On reviewing my motion, it has come to my attention that 2(b) may be causing some concerns. At this stage I reserve my right to speak on that until the close of the debate.
MS ORR (Yerrabi) (3.22): Thank you, Ms Cody, for bringing forward this motion today. The national disability insurance scheme is crucial for securing better outcomes for Australians living with disability. The ACT was the first jurisdiction to sign up to the NDIS and we continue to be committed to supporting Canberrans with disability.
I am disappointed, but not surprised, to see the federal Liberal government’s mishandling of the NDIS, specifically their inability to listen to the wants and needs of some of our most vulnerable members of the community. In recent years we have seen vital disability services cut. Funding has been withdrawn, and the pressure is being felt by individuals and families operating under the NDIS. In contrast, the ACT government is committed to supporting Canberrans living with disability, and this includes supporting their sexual health needs. Currently, there is a lot of debate about whether the NDIS should include funding for sex therapy for individuals living with disability.
This motion today calls on the federal Liberal government to display more humanity in their approach to this issue. The federal Liberal minister for the implementation of the NDIS, Mr Stuart Robert, has been adamant in preventing the NDIA covering the costs of sexual services, including sexual therapy. Minister Robert fails to acknowledge that sex therapy is a form of counselling, encouraging mental, emotional and physical wellbeing to individuals living with disability. For a government that proclaims to be “committed to the individual choice and control of people with a disability”, it is completely hypocritical to deny people with disability access to sexual therapy. Governments and our communities must recognise the needs of people with disability and encourage access to individual autonomy that able-bodied individuals take for granted.
I know that Canberrans value and respect our inclusive city. When it comes to supporting our predominantly marginalised allies, it is great to know that most of the community can recognise that sexual expression and the need for intimacy are fundamental human qualities and that having a disability does not erase that.
I came across a story about a 39-year-old woman named Ange McReynolds living with cerebral palsy. Like so many other Australians with disability, Ange is unable to engage in any form of sexual activity independently. Ange expressed in an interview with Hack on Triple J that she pays to see a sex worker once a month and would ideally like to see one once a fortnight but cannot currently afford to. While it is necessary to commend the valuable contribution of organisations like Touching Base, which assist people with disabilities connect with sex workers, it is unreasonable to rely solely on charitable organisations to provide services that should be funded by the federal government. And Ange is not the only person living with a disability who wishes to engage in sexual activity.
I commend Minister Stephen-Smith on ruling out any support from our government for any rule change that would exclude sex services under the NDIS. This
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