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

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that:

(a) 3 December 2020 was International Day of People with Disability; and

(b) the theme for this year's International Day of People with Disability was 'Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world';

(2) notes that:

(a) the world leading National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is empowering people with disability all over Australia to make decisions about the supports that they receive, and to participate more fully in all aspects of our society as we recover from the COVID-19 crisis;

(b) the NDIS is now available to all eligible Australians, wherever they live;

(c) the NDIS is currently assisting more than 400,000 participants; and

(d) more than 175,000 NDIS participants are receiving supports for the first time;

(3) commends the Government on completing the successful roll out of the NDIS to all states and territories; and

(4) welcomes the Government's extension of temporary additional supports for NDIS participants during the COVID-19 pandemic until February 2021.

Last Thursday was International Day of People with Disability and across the country, where possible, Australians held events and celebrated the day in many unique ways. There are 4.4 million Australians living with disability and, according to the World Health Organization, there are more than one billion others around the globe. Globally, we have a long way to go to improve the lives of people with disability and this tough year has made the challenge even more difficult. This year's theme for International Day of People with Disability is building back better, to order a disability inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.

The Morrison government is working hard to make a difference. Following the government's successful rollout, the National Disability Insurance Scheme is now available to all eligible Australians wherever they live and is currently assisting more than 421,000 participants. More than 175,000 are receiving supports for the very first time.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government ensured that Australia was one of the two earliest nations to have a special dedicated COVID response plan for our disability community. The NDIA made more than $666 million in advanced payments to ensure that more than 5,000 NDIS providers could continue to deliver their desperately needed services. Now, to mark last week's international day, the government released a new Australian Public Service employment strategy, which sets out a goal to increase employment of people with disability across the service to seven per cent by 2025. We know that securing employment is one of the best ways to improve the quality of life of anyone, including people living with a disability. I welcome this very worthwhile initiative. In fact, my daughter Sarah went for her first job interview last week. She should find out about it sometime this week, so good luck, Sarah.

In my own electorate of Fisher, we've recently seen, with the Morrison government's support, new projects aiming to improve the lives of people with some of the most severe disabilities. For more than 20 years, Suncoast Spinners sports club, based at the University of the Sunshine Coast, has offered wheelchair basketball in my community. With the reverse inclusion approach, they made wheelchairs available for able-bodied people to give the sport a go. However, until now, there's been no provision for people with quadriplegia, those who have impairment of all four limbs. Thanks to a Morrison government grand of $243,140 the Suncoast Spinners are offering weekly sessions free of charge in wheelchair rugby—an intense physical team sport for athletes with quadriplegia. I encourage all people to give it a go. The sessions are led by two terrific quadriplegic sportsmen living in our community: Ryan Scott OAM, a long-time captain of the Australian wheelchair rugby team; and Chris Bond OAM, a Paralympic gold medallist and two time gold medallist, alongside the President of Suncoast Spinners, Dr Bridie Kean, who is a dual Paralympic medallist. The grant is paying for the program for two years. I had the opportunity to go along and give it a go earlier this month, and it was the best fun I had as an MP.

Yesterday I saw the results of another Morrison government investment in my community when I took part in the STEPS Autism Treehouse Christmas party. STEPS is a terrific charity in my electorate, which, amongst many other projects, helps young people with a disability to live a fuller life through training and support at the STEPS Pathway College and through the STEPS Autism Treehouse. This coalition government has provided extensive funding to support these programs, including a grant of $487,000 for the STEPS Positive Autism Connection Program, which works with children and young people and their families with autism spectrum disorder to support their social and economic participation within their communities. It was great to see some of the results of the work at the Christmas party this weekend, walking around in the 38-degree heat. There were so many different rides, functions and facilities for kids and their families to enjoy that in a safe environment. A big shout-out to Ariana, who turned out on Santa's Harley-Davidson.

These projects are just a couple of the many that this government is investing in to help ensure Australia is an inclusive and accessible environment for people with a disability. I look forward to seeing the leading role that I'm sure Australians living with disability will take with the support and to build back better from COVID-19.

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