Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Payne. Can the minister inform the Senate how the government is helping people with autism spectrum disorder to find skilled employment?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Reynolds very much for her question. I am very proud that the Department of Human Services is participating in this groundbreaking initiative. We are providing traineeships for people with autism spectrum disorder working in our ICT hub in Adelaide. We are partnering with Hewlett Packard Australia and with a Danish organisation called Specialisterne or Specialist People Foundation to provide those 11 traineeships in our department's ICT testing teams.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why did you cut traineeship support programs?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron!

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is a program which will provide trainees with incredibly valuable work skills in an environment that enables them to perform their roles effectively.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think that families that have children with autism might be interested in this answer and not the rank politics emanating from Senator Cameron.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Order on my left.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Both sides, order! Senator Cameron, Senator Macdonald and Senator Ronaldson! Order Senator Macdonald!

Senator Cameron interjecting—

Senator Cameron, you are so persistent with your interjections. Can you at least lay off for a little while?

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

You too, Senator Macdonald.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For Australia to be involved in a groundbreaking program like this, to see those extraordinary young men—and their families—who have an amazing capacity for precise attention to detail, who are able to systematically process information, who have long concentration spans that make them ideal for and make them love work in information technology is actually quite rewarding. It is quite heartening to see that a collaboration like that, working on something like critical IT testing, can actually come together with Autism SA, with Hewlett Packard and with these young men and their families.

They have settled in incredibly well. I think that they expected to be welcomed by the Australian parliament when I made these observations this afternoon, not trashed by those opposite in the way Senator Cameron and Senator Collins did. They have settled in really well. They did their induction and training with Hewlett Packard and then they came to work with us. They are incredibly bright; they are incredibly talented. They have very impressive academic records, but, unfortunately, they found it hard to get jobs in the routine workplace. This partnership has been able to assist them and their families.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate of—

Senator Cameron interjecting—

Senator Payne interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Minister and Senator Cameron, let's just settle.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister inform the Senate of feedback from the trainees themselves and their families about this initiative?

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She might be able to tell us about the number of women.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What do you know about autism, Jacinta?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Ignore the interjections, Minister; you have the call. Cease interjecting, on my left.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The trainees and their families—their mothers, fathers and siblings who were there last week—had incredibly positive initial feedback. One small business owner and his wife reported that their son, who had gone to work in the Department of Human Services, was now not in the truck with the father, which was fantastic for the son. He was able to come home and talk about the socialising that he had done at work and talk about going to work on the train with his colleagues. Of course, it meant that his mother was back in the truck now, so she was not necessarily thrilled by that arrangement, but in family terms it was overwhelmingly positive. To see the trainees talk amongst themselves, to see them engage in this discussion and to see the enormous potential that this has for other young Australians with autism spectrum disorder—no matter where they are on the spectrum, in very many cases—to work in this environment that supports and understands them is an incredibly important step. I am very proud that the Department of Human Services has been able to play a role in this.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister advise the Senate what else the government is doing to support diversity in the workplace?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do thank Senator Reynolds for that question. As a number of those opposite will know, and may actually consider to be meritorious, the Department of Human Services is really a leader when it comes to promoting diversity in the workplace, particularly across the Australian Public Service. Speaking in relation to disability, for example, over 4½ per cent of our employees self-identify as having one or more disabilities. Over four per cent self-identify as Indigenous; over 45 per cent—and I am not sure whether or not this number includes me—are mature age workers 45 years old or over; and 25 per cent self-identify as being from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. We reflect the community that we serve.