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Federal Election 2019 – Responses from the parties.
We launched the Down Syndrome Australia Advocacy Platform some weeks ago and asked the major political parties to tell us how they would address the main issues for people with Down syndrome and their families. Long before that, we also asked the parties, to produce their own information in accessible formats to help people with intellectual disability read it.
So, with just a few days to go until polling day, we thought it was a good time to have a last look at how the parties have responded on their disability specific policies
In summary, Labor has produced a document specifically about their ‘plan to fix the NDIS’. They have also produced a policy regarding support for people with a disability which includes commitments relating to a range of other issues important to people with disabilities including terms of the Royal Commission, education, funding for Disability Representative Organisations, health, employment, sport, carers and the National Disability Strategy.
The Liberals have also released a disability policy which includes commitments regarding the NDIS, information, housing, education and employment.
The Greens have produced a policy paper called “An Accessible Australia”, with a focus on upholding the rights of people with disabilities to enjoy full and active lives through inclusive physical and digital communities, education, employment, housing, justice and empowerment, and services. We are very glad to see that The Greens have also produced Easy English materials including a how to vote guide, as well as some videos about access and inclusion for people with disabilities.
Here is more detail about each of these parties’ commitments, so you can compare them yourselves. We’d also be interested to hear from those of you who have approached your local candidates regarding disability issues and the Down Syndrome Advocacy Platform 2019.
Please note: this document relates only to policies that are disability specific in the fields discussed below. While every effort has been made to cover every policy announcement, we cannot guarantee that every announcement has been included here or that more announcements won’t be made between now and election day.
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General disability policiesLiberal
The Liberal party has produced a document which outlines their disability policies and recent achievements. This can be viewed here: https://www.liberal.org.au/our-plan-support-people-disability
Labor
Labor also committed to issues relevant to Australians with disabilities and families/carers. Their policies are linked in the relevant sections below.
The Greens
The Greens have produced a policy paper called “An Accessible Australia”. You can read it here: https://greens.org.au/sites/default/files/2019-04/Greens%202019%20Policy%20Platform%20-%20Accessible%20Australia%20%20%28April%202019%29.pdf
An Easy Read version is here: https://greens.org.au/sites/default/files/2019-02/Greens%202019%20Policy%20Platform%20-%20Accessible%20Australia%20Easy%20Read%20%28Feb%202019%29.pdf
The Greens have also produced an Easy English how to vote guide and some videos on disability issues.
NDISLiberal
The key Liberal party policies for the NDIS are:
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Continue to ensure the NDIS is fully funded by building a stronger economy and keeping the budget in the black.
Rollout new NDIS participant planning pathways – making sure people with disability have a single point of contact with the NDIS and can choose to be on a longer NDIS plan of up to 3 years if their disability is stable.
Expand the NDIS community connectors program to support and assist hard to reach communities - including Indigenous Australians, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and ageing parents of children with disability - to navigate the NDIS and get the services they or their children need.
Introduce a new NDIS Participant Service Guarantee – setting new standards for shorter timeframes for people with disability to get an NDIS plan and to have their plan reviewed, with a particular focus on children, and participants requiring specialist disability accommodation (SDA) and assistive technology.
LaborLabor produced a document entitled ‘Labor’s Plan to Fix the NDIS. You can look at it here: https://www.alp.org.au/media/1855/labors_plan_to_fix_the_ndis.pdf
You can see their policy on NDIS jobs here: https://www.alp.org.au/policies/ndis-more-jobs-better-services/
Labor says:
A Shorten Labor Government will establish a National Disability Insurance Scheme Future Fund – guaranteeing that every dollar budgeted for the NDIS, goes to the NDIS.
The $1.6 billion the Liberals are taking from the NDIS 2019-20 will be put into the NDIS Future Fund, along with any future underspends.
$40 million in local NDIS workforce trials and urgently developing a national NDIS workforce strategy.
Changes to the scheme will include:o A new culture that puts people with disability first.o Establishing an NDIS Future Fund.o More, better-trained staff.o Better planning, more choice and easier reviews.
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o Ensuring equitable access to the NDIS.o Fixing the gaps between the NDIS and mainstream services.o Valuing a skilled disability workforce.o Keeping people with disability safe and boosting advocacy.o A strong disability services sector.o Improving research and evaluation
The Greens
NDIS policies from the ‘Accessible Australia’ document:
Fully fund the NDIS. Provide adequate staff training and remove unnecessary staffing caps. Improve IT systems and interfaces for participants and service providers.
CarersLiberal
A number of the policies that they have announced regarding NDIS also relate to carers (e.g. NDIS Participant Service Guarantee). The National Disability Information Gateway will also provide information to carers.
Labor
Labor’s policy on carers can be found here: https://www.alp.org.au/policies/putting-people-with-disability-and-carers-first/
$66 million to boost carer respite – the equivalent of more than 42,000 extra overnight care sessions per year from July 2020. Carers report that access to respite is the single most important issue they face.
$7 million for 25 extra Centrelink Carer Specialists – to reduce phone and processing waiting times and provide accurate advice to carers.
Making it easier to balance caring and work – allowing Carers Allowance recipients to meet their mutual obligation requirements for other payments by applying for part-time rather than full-time work.
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A 18/71 Victoria Crescent, Abbotsford VIC 3067E [email protected]
P 1300 881 935
Better processes – Labor will work with carers to co-design and improve the Carer Allowance, Carer Payment and Department of Veterans Affairs application processes.
Two-year review of the Integrated Carer Support Service – to make sure the new system is working for carers.
$250,000 in catch-up funding for Carers Australia – ending the indexation freeze and delivering better support for carers and improve recognition through Carers Week.
National Carers Strategy – Labor will re-instate a National Carers Strategy and make carers a cross-government priority. This will include annual reporting on the contribution and wellbeing of carers, the actions government will take to support carers, and establishing an advisory group to support the development of the strategy.
Better NDIS planning – Labor will make the completion of a Carer Statement a standard part of the NDIS planning process, to make sure NDIS plans help people to care sustainably.
The Greens
A number of the policies announced regarding NDIS and access will also relate to carers.
EducationLiberal
The Morrison Government will invest almost $29 billion for students with disability from 2018 to 2029. This funding is in addition to the base per student funding amount provided for all students at each school, and in addition to the funding provided by the states and territories. (not a new announcement- just current funding levels projected out)
Labor
Labor’s education policy can be found here: https://www.alp.org.au/policies/students-with-disability/
Labor had committed to:
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the development of a National Inclusive Education Strategy in collaboration with the States and Territories to meet Australia’s obligations under the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
an additional $300 million funding over the first three years of a Shorten Labor Government and a broader commitment to restore $14 billion of cuts imposed by the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government that have disproportionately affected public schools, where a large majority of students with disabilities are educated
review of the processes related to the National Consistent Collection of Data and the “Students With Disabilities” loadinga proposal for new Initial Teacher Education Standards with emphasis on inclusive education and supporting students with disabilities
ongoing professional development for teachers and principals increased training and support for learning support staff to ensure that they are contributing effectively to learning outcomes of students with disabilities, including the creation of Australian Professional Standards for learning support staff
a National Evidence Institute for Schools, which will also conduct a “review of the efficacy and most effective use of learning support staff, including guidance for principals and schools on how learning support staff can be best utilised in our classrooms”.
The Greens
The Greens policies are:
Support schools to develop inclusive education practices in line with existing human rights commitments, as part of our commitment to a well-funded world-class education system
Develop a new national standard of inclusive education training in alignment with professional standards for teachers and world’s best practice
Give all pre-service and in-service teachers and principals the opportunity to train, retrain and be regularly upskilled in inclusive education practices, by providing a pool of $100m per year for four years to universities
www.downsyndrome.org.au
A 18/71 Victoria Crescent, Abbotsford VIC 3067E [email protected]
P 1300 881 935
EmploymentLiberal
The Liberal party’s policies are:
Introduce a new 7 per cent employment target for people with disability across the Australian Public Service (APS) by 2025.
Provide $2 million to support people with autism to find and keep a job, including a $1.5 million national expansion of the successful Dandelion Program in partnership with DXC Technology.
Labor
Labor’s employment commitments are:
Six per cent Australian Public Service disability employment target by 2022 – increasing the number of people with disability in the federal public service by 3,500 in Labor’s first term. This is an interim target on a pathway to further improvement, not a distant promise two elections away.
The Greens
The Greens employment commitments are:
Improve Australian Public Service (APS) disabled participation rates, setting a full employment representation target for disabled employees of 15% by 2030 and ensuring we meet our international human rights obligations
$9.7million would be provided to carry out workplace adjustments for new APS employees with a disability.
HousingLiberal
National action plan to reduce numbers of young people in aged care (already announced prior to the election)
Labor
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Labor has a number of affordable housing initiatives which will also benefit people with disabilities including:
Building 250,000 new affordable rental homes over the next decade in partnership with the community housing sector for Australians on low and moderate incomes.
The Greens
Construct 500,000 fully accessible public and community homes under the Federal Housing Trust
Disability Royal CommissionLiberal
The Liberal party established a Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability – with funding of $527.9 million over five years.
Labor
A Shorten Labor Government will amend the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry to include the investigation of redress.
More information on Labor’s policy can be found here: https://www.alp.org.au/policies/royal-commission-into-violence-and-abuse-against-people-with-disability/
The Greens
From the Greens:
As well as wanting to ensure redress is included, the Greens will also push for the Royal Commission to include other elements, particularly
o Including a focus on investigating and addressing the systemic causes of violence
o having the power to create individual investigative units (as per the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse).
www.downsyndrome.org.au
A 18/71 Victoria Crescent, Abbotsford VIC 3067E [email protected]
P 1300 881 935
Disability Representative Organisations and informationThis section includes policies that include funding for organisations such as DSA and provision of information sources for people with a disability
Liberals
The Liberals have a policy on providing more information for people with a disability:
Commit $45 million to develop a national disability information gateway, including a website and 1800 number, to assist all people with disability and their families to locate and access services in their communities.
Labor
Labor has a policy on funding for Disability representative organisations:
$10 million advocacy boost – doubling federal investment in disability representative organisations. With the NDIS continuing to roll out, and the demands of the Royal Commission, the work of advocates will only become more important.
The Greens
The Greens policies are:
Increase federal advocacy funding to disability advocacy bodies by $11.3 million over four years so they can adequately support disabled Australians and their families, particularly during this time of transition to the NDIS
Establish a safe, dedicated online platform for the promotion of discussion, debate and cultural development within the disability community (similar to ABC’s defunded Ramp Up), costing $1.1 million over four years
National Disability StrategyLiberal
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The Liberal Party announced $10.5 million to fund initiatives to help build inclusive communities in the final two years of the current strategy and build the foundation for delivery of a new strategy for beyond 2020. Consultation on a new strategy for beyond 2020 has now commenced
Labor A new National Disability Strategy – Labor will act on the recommendation
of the Productivity Commission and develop a new strategy in the context of the NDIS. We will seek agreement from the states to close the gaps between mainstream services and the NDIS. The new strategy will set clear and reported targets for employment, education, housing, transport, justice, health and reducing young people in nursing homes.
The Greens
Establish an Office of Disability Strategy within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet with the responsibility to coordinate and monitor progress of the National Disability Strategy
Intellectual Disability and HealthLiberal
The Liberal party has committed to:
a Roundtable focused on intellectual disability and health
Labor
Labor’s commitment on health is:
$9.5 million to improve healthcare for people with intellectual disability – including better training for nurses and doctors and piloting intellectual disability health workers in 10 Primary Health Networks.
The Greens
The Greens have committed to a proposal put forward by the Council for Intellectual Disability to improve health outcomes for people with intellectual disability – cost $50m
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A specific funded program in each Primary Health Network to improve the capacity and efficiency of GPs and other primary health services.
Curriculum enhancement in medical and nursing schools. A national inquiry to decide next steps.
SportLabor
$2 million for disability sport – including $1 million to help more athletes attend the next Special Olympics Junior and National Games and $1 million so RecLink can expand AAA Play and connect more people with disability and their families with sport and recreation activities
Improved AccessibilityThe Greens
The Greens have a range of commitments to improve accessibility for people with disabilities included in its ‘An Accessible Australia’ document:
Invest an extra $400 million to boost accessible public transport across Australia over four years.
Establish a new $1 billion Accessible Infrastructure Fund and $5 million Accessible Nature Fund, available to state, territory and local governments to improve accessibility of existing public places and infrastructure, including increasing access to nature and tourism activities for disabled people.
Invest $58 million over four years to advance captioning, audio description, relay and translation services, and access to Auslan, as well as pursuing the necessary regulatory amendments.
Establish a National Disability Telecommunications Service, providing a national resource for telecommunications products and services information, training, and support at a cost of $3.5 million over four years.
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A 18/71 Victoria Crescent, Abbotsford VIC 3067E [email protected]
P 1300 881 935
ConclusionDown Syndrome Australia will work with whichever party is elected on Saturday and looks forward to advocating on behalf of all Australians with Down syndrome and their families to create a more accessible and inclusive society and improve programs and services they rely on.
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