Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to talk about the visit of Senator Mitch Fifield, the coalition shadow minister for disabilities, carers and the voluntary sector, to my electorate of Hasluck last week. When I am out doorknocking or visiting constituents, I am consistently taken aback by the sheer number of people that are impacted by disability either personally or through caring for someone with a disability. As a result, I invited the senator to come to Hasluck to hear firsthand the challenges that some individuals and families in Hasluck face. Firstly, we met with workers at the Swan Volunteer Centre in Midland who match prospective volunteers by evaluating their skills and interests and placing them with the community group that most requires that skill set. This group provides an invaluable service not only to the City of Swan but to the whole eastern metropolitan region of Perth.

Next I took Senator Fifield to see the great work done by the people at the Friendship Cafe in Midland. The owner of the cafe, Maria, provides young adults with disabilities the opportunity to be trained and develop skills that assist them later in life as workers and volunteers. This is a fantastic example of what can be achieved with dedication from both employers and employees. Seeing the satisfaction Maria takes from helping these young people realise their ambition of meaningful employment is inspiring.

Another local organisation we visited was People Who Care, which is a not-for-profit, volunteer independent group that specialises in providing services to people with high care needs. This service is provided to avoid premature or inappropriate admission to long-term care facilities by assisting the frail, the aged and people with disabilities to remain as independent as possible. The staff at the People Who Care touched me with their compassion and dedication to helping our elderly. Senator Fifield and I were also presented with a People Who Care beanie, which we will proudly wear—particularly to keep our heads warm in Canberra.

The final group that Senator Fifield and I met with was the ACTIV Property Care, which is part of the ACTIV Foundation. At ACTIV we were shown the specialised training opportunities they offer to people with disabilities and the help they provide in finding employment opportunities right across Perth. People with disabilities are able to receive training in a wide range of topics, from business to horticulture to manufacturing. ACTIV CEO, Tony Vis, has a strong vision for the group and its workers.

Having seen some examples of the support network that exists for people with disabilities in Hasluck, I had invited a number of my constituents to a forum to discuss their concerns with Senator Fifield later that evening at a community forum. The forum was well attended and received by the community, who were appreciative of the opportunity to come and hear Senator Mitch Fifield; the Hon. Helen Morton, the Western Australian Minister for Mental Health and Disability Services; Monica Feldman, the disabilities participation coordinator at Centrelink; and Tony Vis, the CEO of ACTIV Foundation, talk about a range of issues.

A key issue people often face is not only a lack of services but a lack of knowledge of these services. I wish to thank Senator Fifield and all of the people who took part in that day.