Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services, Senator Fifield. Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a day which not only recognises the four million disabled Australians and the contribution we make but also acknowledges that we still face discrimination at all levels of society, including in employment, education and social participation. Minister, it is in this spirit of dual recognition that I first draw your attention to one of the most horrific ways in which this discrimination manifests itself. I talk, of course, of the violence, abuse and neglect we are so often subjected to. In the light of the 184 incidents of violence, abuse and neglect which have been reported to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, will the government now commit to establishing a royal commission into the violence, abuse and neglect of disabled people in institutional and residential settings?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Steele-John, for your question. The government, as I'm sure do all colleagues in this place, takes abuse and neglect of people with disability extremely seriously. The government is engaging in substantial reform to improve the treatment of people with disability. There have been, as colleagues are aware, a number of inquiries that have looked at issues of abuse and neglect of people with disability at both a federal and a state level.

As responsibility for specialist disability services shifts from the states and territories to a national system through the NDIS, the government has established new, significant and comprehensive safeguards in relation to abuse and neglect of people with disability. The government has committed $209 million to establish the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Steele-John, on a point of order?

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order goes to relevance. I've given him a minute. I'm aware of the safeguards you have established, Minister Fifield, and my question goes to the fact that, under those safeguards, there have been over a hundred cases reported—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Steele-John, you're stretching the liberties of a point of order. Your point of order is on direct relevance. I will say that you are referring to the part of the question at the end. The minister is being directly relevant to the question asked, because he needs to be directly relevant to all or part of the question asked. I cannot instruct him on how to answer a question. There's an opportunity after question time for debate. Senator Fifield.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. The government has committed $209 million to establish the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, which commenced operation on 1 July 2018. The commission continues to provide the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline. The royal commission to investigate the quality of care and safety provided in residential, home based aged-care services announced by the Prime Minister will complement the action the government is already taking to improve the treatment of people with disabilities. The establishment of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, in large part, forms the basis of the government's response to the Senate committee report into violence, abuse and neglect against people with disability in institutional and residential settings.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Steele-John, a supplementary question.

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Secondly, I would like to draw the minister's attention to the fact that there are well over 400,000 Australians who are not able to access free-to-air television due to Australia's absence of audio-description capability. There have been two audio-description reviews and one working group. Given that we are now the only nation in the OECD not to have audio description, when will the government take action?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government understands that audio description can provide people who are blind or vision-impaired with improved access to television services. The government formed the Audio Description Working Group to examine options to increase the availability of audio-description services in Australia. The working group included representatives from the broadcast industry, audio-description service providers and consumer representatives. The report identified a number of new and cost-effective methods to sustainably deliver audio-description services. The government is grateful to the working group for its deliberations and is undertaking further work to determine the appropriate next steps towards the delivery of audio description.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Steele-John, a final supplementary question.

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given the minister's failure to outline any new, concrete steps that are being taken to alleviate the discriminations that I have outlined, I would like to ask him very directly: how does the government intend upon apologising to the millions of disabled people for whom his inaction leaves them at risk and excluded?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The report I referred to in my answer to the previous supplementary question has been released to enable greater public discussion and engagement with stakeholders. Since the finalisation of the report, the government is aware that there have been further technological developments in some of the options identified. The government will, in the coming weeks, further explore these developments and consider the policy steps necessary to give effect to the findings of the report. This is an area which is important and where more work is being done upon, and I can indicate to Senator Steele-John that, as always, we're very pleased to work together on this issue.