Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

Can I acknowledge Senator Boyce's important contribution to disability policy in Australia and also all that she has done to engender a cross-party approach to disability in this place. Today, thousands of Australians will come together to celebrate International Day of People with Disability, with more than 700 local events being held across the nation. This year is a significant milestone for the international day, being the 21st anniversary of its inception. It is occurring in a landmark year, the year that the NDIS has launched in Australia. This day is important and it is a great opportunity to acknowledge the contributions made by Australians with disability. It is also a good time to reflect on the achievements that we have made and the progress that we have made in providing Australians with disability with a better deal. But it is also an opportunity to reflect on the work that we still have to do.

Last week, I was delighted to present 12 awards to exceptional individuals and organisations at the National Disability Awards—people who have made an important contribution to improving the situation of Australians with disability. This year there was a terrific field of more than 200 nominations in nine categories. It was an opportunity to give the winners and the finalists well-deserved recognition for their commitment and contributions.

As I have said on a number of occasions recently, it is great that disability issues are no longer at the margins of Australian public policy. This has been no better demonstrated than by the cross-party support for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It is important that we recognise that there is more to do, and the National Disability Strategy has an important role to play.