Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am grateful to the member for Gilmore for raising this issue again, and for the opportunity to speak about a subject that is very important in my own family. On the substance of the motion, though there is more to be done, the government should certainly be congratulated on its delivery in this policy area. Most importantly of course, the government has committed to repairing Labor's $6 billion black hole in the funding of the NDIS, ensuring that one of the largest social and economic reforms in our history is able to make the life-changing difference that people with disability deserve. The government has also rightly recognised the vital role of unpaid carers in improving the lives of many Australians. This government is investing $166 million in support for carers, including respite care to give them time to participate in education and employment.

The government should be especially commended for the creation of the Carer Gateway online and telephone system. The 24-hour needs of many people who are living with disability can make it very difficult for their carers to get out and access government services. An online portal and phone service is a long overdue and highly effective tool to overcome this challenge. I look forward to the outcome of the co-design process, which forms the next phase of developing future services for carers. This co-design process, along with the government's National Disability and Carers Advisory Council, are examples of the collaborative and consultative approach that we are taking to the development of policy in this field. I am grateful that the voices of people with a disability are being heard.

As a society, we have made a substantial effort in recent years to set aside days, weeks and months to raise awareness about many of the challenges that people face and to celebrate their accomplishments. Many of these causes are deserving, and the intentions behind the creation of these programs are, for the most part, admirable. The National Disability Awards and the International Day of People with Disability are fantastic initiatives, and this House should undoubtedly celebrate them both. However, as the parent of a child who lives with disability, I also want to remind the House that these excellent schemes, seeking as they do to highlight and celebrate, must not distract us from an important reality. In my experience, people living with disability, of all ages, typically do not want a fuss. They prefer to be treated just like everybody else. The people with disability that I have encountered are striving, like all of us, to build the most successful and rich lives for themselves and their families that they can. If they want to be celebrated, it is for the same things that we all want to be celebrated for—our successes and achievements.

Just over one week ago I had the opportunity to attend the Queensland state swimming championships with my wife and my daughter Sarah. I saw an inspiring and truly impressive performance from a young lad named James Fitzgerald. I am grateful to James and his family for letting me tell the chamber a little bit about his swimming. James is 11 years old, but, like most good athletes, he started swimming when he was quite young. For the last five years or so, James has been working on his technique with enthusiastic determination. Like all of us, he began with flotation aids, but for the past two years he has been swimming entirely unaided. He joined a local Queensland club, the Somerset Hills Seals, and decided to take his swimming to the next level.

With the support of his club and his family, James has been working towards being classified, so that he can swim competitively—and 'competitively' is exactly the right word for it. James has cerebral palsy, a condition which mainly affects his legs and means that he needs to use a wheelchair. I can tell the chamber, however, that what James and his family would want us to talk about today is how much James loves his sport. They would want us to talk about how James was cheered home by the crowd at the state championships, and, most of all, they would want us to talk about the fact that at three recent meets James has beaten his personal best on each occasion. That kind of progress and consistency is an achievement that any athlete would be proud of, and, on behalf of all members, I say congratulations to James on your outstanding performances. As we celebrate the International Day of People with Disability, James's story, like those of a great many others like him, remind us of the many ways that people with disability and their families are improving and enriching their own lives.

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