December 2007 Issue 4, Vol 1
AFDO Election Special Newsletter
December 2007
Welcome to the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations’ (AFDO) 2007 Federal Election newsletter.
Australia now has a Labor Federal Government with Kevin Rudd and his team being swept to victory on the weekend of 24 & 25 November.
In this special edition of the newsletter, you will find:
• a report about the success of Campaign Enable
• an article by the Campaign Enable campaign director about the lessons learnt during the campaign
• a report about the success of Deafness Forum of Australia’s election campaign
• a summary of the ALP election promises related to disability
Happy reading and Merry Christmas!
Strategic Campaigning Pays Off
A Report from Campaign Enable
People with disability had an historic opportunity to influence the outcome of the 2007 election by lobbying for parties to adopt policies that would have a positive effect on people living with disability. As part of the Australia Fair initiative, AFDO supported Campaign Enable, which focused on 16 key seats where the numbers of people living on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) were predicted to have an effect on the result of the election.
Our predictions appear to have been accurate. The seats Campaign Enable focused on are the seats that have now shaped the landscape of the Federal government. Of the 16 seats that were targeted, 14 changed hands, one was retained by the sitting Liberal member and one was retained by the sitting Labor member (see overleaf).
Of course one of the key seat changes was John Howard’s own electorate of Bennelong with Labor parliamentarian Maxine McKew now the sitting member. This was the seat where Campaign Enable was launched on 10 October this year.
So what can we, as people with disability, deduce about the change of government and our support of Campaign Enable? Well, we can say that the evidence certainly indicates that the seats chosen were crucial to the outcome of the election. Forums were held in these seats, letters were written to the major party candidates in each of the seats, and a strong media campaign with extensive exposure focusing on DSP voter numbers was achieved.
In practical policy terms, the campaign achieved several important wins. Both the Coalition and the ALP promised extra financial help to people in receipt of the Disability Support Pension and the ALP committed to the introduction of a National Disability Employment Strategy. The Greens supported all of the Campaign Enable aims:
- the introduction of an Access to Premises Standard by 2008
- the introduction of a National Disability Employment Strategy &
- more financial assistance to help people with disability find and keep work.
The new Labor Government has released a number of policy initiatives that will have an impact of our lives. A summary of the ALP policy announcements that relate to people living with disability is at the end of this newsletter.
Campaign Enable Targeted Seats
Click here to view the outcome of the targeted seats.
If We Fight Clever We Win
Report from the Director of Campaign Enable
“National Director Campaign Enable ‘I Have a Disability and I Vote’ 2007” could be the most recent entry in my CV.
On election eve [literally] Campaign Enable asked me to help out as Campaign director.
Always ready to learn new skills and with some pre-existing pressure group experience [some going back to the 1960’s and the anti-Vietnam war movement] I said ‘yes’.
That ‘Yes’ began a busy six-week campaign and ended with some lessons learnt. Most of the lessons will be familiar to regular campaigners - some of them though we must learn from enough to correct our future practice.
Lesson #1
Expertise helps. The Campaign had T-shirts printed and research so we had a ‘hook’ to the media. Photos and article in the Australian, TV interviews, radio on AM – Radio National……..
Remember: find a hook and use it as a photo opportunity. A good time to start is just before the campaign begins officially. Much of this exposure was in the lull between the pre campaign and the announcement of Election Day. We had an ideal hook with the statistics on people on the DSP in each electorate.
Lesson #2
Begin with a budget not a ‘debt’. By day one, the entire Campaign Enable budget had been – wisely - spent on T-shirts. This meant we had to recoup the money spent on shirts and had no funds left to campaign with on the ground.
Lesson #3
The T-shirts were brilliant, they stood out and we had them on waiters in restaurants, they decorated podiums - we sold the lot. If you have one you will be able to wear it as proudly and for as long as an ‘ITS TIME’ T from 1972.
Lesson #4
Campaign eve is way too late for the director to start. I spent the first week trying to memorize the campaign policies while talking to journalists! The ACTU ran a surprisingly similar campaign in 24 key electorates. They had funded organisers embedded in each electorate 2 years ago! Plus they have decided to keep their ‘Work Choice’ campaign structure in place for ongoing community campaigns.
This strategy can work for us. While the ACTU is bigger and richer we have the advantage of being time rich. We could set up something similar for on going campaigning - we must if we are to compete with well-organised carer groups who have the sympathetic ear of governments at the moment.
Lesson#5
We must organise better. You can NOT run a campaign from Melbourne without active politically knowledgeable coordinators in each state. Western Australia worked well for us they ran a self sufficient and savvy campaign. People in other states tried but they needed support and training.
Lesson #6
Do NOT put these lessons away until the next election we must build on our success. This is just the beginning, the ALP has announced a social inclusion policy with a board and a unit working from Julia Gillard’s department. Will it have any disability focus? Will it have anyone with a disability on the board?
Lesson # 7
Lobbying is not just for elections. The lobbying networks we establish should be state based and work constantly at influencing governments. AFDO could play a valuable role in training these organisers and state members should be head hunting appropriate people and supplying them with a workstation and a few dollars to begin the campaign. Through the Australian Council of Social Service we could arrange training by state Councils of Social Service.
In Victoria I will continue the work using the axes4all logo I used for this campaign [An organisation with a close to CBD location and a spare broom cupboard might like to offer me some space; others might finance some business cards or internet access].
Lesson #8
Be positive not negative. Learn from our lessons. Do not grumble but do something because this campaign shows we can have influence.
Lesson #9
The wins are sometimes other than what you expected. A small rally in Deakin Victoria attracted 2 local councillors. With a bit of work in the New Year their council will appoint Disability Advisory Council.
Lesson #10
No one can juggle more than 8 things in their head at one time so there is no lesson 10 - choose one other to ignore!
David Brant
Campaign director ‘I have a Disability and I Vote’
Axes4all@tpg.com.au
If you don’t fight clever you lose
Deafness Forum of Australia Election Campaign Report
Nicole Lawder
Chief Executive Officer
Deafness Forum of Australia
Email: nicole.lawder@deafnessforum.org.au
Web: www.deafnessforum.org.au
After much soul-searching Deafness Forum of Australia decided to produce an election questionnaire booklet. Our members wrote to their local candidates, asking them to respond to the 20 questions in the booklet. Our questions were divided into 4 categories:
1. Health and wellbeing
2. Education and training
3. Workforce participation
4. Access
and covered a range of topics within those categories such as Auslan interpreters, teachers of the deaf, education, justice, tourism, hearing aids, cochlear implants, Auslan for Employment, real time captioning, indigenous hearing health, and more.
Along with each question, a reasonable amount of background material was provided in the booklet, as we recognised that not all candidates would be knowledgeable in the area of deafness. For example, one question about newborn hearing screening contained the following information:
Newborn Hearing Screening and Early Intervention
Newborn hearing screening is still not universal in Australia. The current situation in the States and Territories is as follows: in NSW, state-wide newborn hearing screening has been running for 4 years; in SA, 98 per cent of the population is currently being screened. The ACT has 100 per cent coverage. Tasmania and Queensland are introducing universal hearing screening, in Victoria screening is limited to at risk only.
In those areas and communities where newborn hearing screening is available, it has had a very positive impact in the community (both amongst parents/families and professionals) in raising the awareness of potential hearing loss in infants.
Research, clinical practice and experiences reinforce the tenet that children who enter early intervention before six months of age will have the greatest opportunity to achieve their fullest potential across all developmental domains. The most effective way of detecting infants with hearing loss early enough to promote the best possible outcomes is through universal neonatal hearing screening for all newborns.
The failure to deliver a universal Newborn Hearing Screening program would result in unfavourable outcomes for Deaf and Hearing Impaired children in terms of communication skills, educational achievement, mental health and quality of life, not to mention the substantial costs to the government and the community as a whole.
“I wish we had found out sooner. I can not waste any more time – he is so behind already.” Dad of three year old Jayden who is hard of hearing, Melbourne.
Deafness Forum supports partnership with the States and Territories to ensure a comprehensive delivery of the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening program and other early intervention services. This should mean greater certainty and consistency for parents.
Prevention, early detection and early intervention should result in vastly improved outcomes for Deaf and hearing impaired children in terms of communication skills, educational achievement, mental health and quality of life. This then would ultimately translate into substantial cost savings, both to the government and the community as a whole.
Once a hearing loss or deafness has been identified there must be effective early intervention programs implemented in response.
Parents of children who are Deaf or have a hearing impairment do not always have access to the information they need to make an informed decision regarding their child’s schooling. In order for parents to make an informed choice of schooling for their children it is essential that they should have all options explained to them clearly and in a non-biased way.
Question 2: Would you support Universal Newborn Hearing Screening throughout Australia?
Deafness Forum also wrote to the national President of each political party asking for their views on the issues facing Australians who are Deaf or have a hearing impairment. The response to both Deafness Forum and to our members, was mixed. In some cases very detailed responses were received, in other cases no response at all. Unfortunately we received no response from the federal Australian Labor Party, although most other parties responded with lengthy and detailed responses to each of the 20 questions. The responses were available on our website, as they were received, but have since been removed given the elapsed time since the election.
However we believe that the booklet encapsulates our systemic advocacy agenda and will be a useful resource for the future.
It was an interesting experience for us. Hopefully the ALP in government will provide responses in action rather than words.
Summary of 2007 Federal ALP Policy
Announcements Related to Disability
Below are summary details of ALP election commitments relevant to people with disability. The full text of the ALP commitments around income support is provided at the end, as is the full text of the ALP Disability and Carers Policy.
Whole of Government/Strategic Planning
Announcement:
Social Inclusion Board and Unit
Date of announcement:
23 November 2007
Detail:
“Labor has already announced its intention to establish a Social Inclusion Board, the main advisory body which will be required to consult widely and provide views and advice on various aspects of social inclusion, including who should be targeted, how this can be achieved, how communities will be engaged and ongoing review of what is and what is not working. This consultation process will involve the community and not for profit sector, advisory groups and all levels of government.
The Board will provide input to a Social Inclusion Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department and will bring together community leaders from across the country, all with significant networks, experience and knowledge. They will be champions of their own communities and networks, with the ability to work together and to work with all spheres of government, providing leadership and advice.
Labor’s whole of government approach will also be characterised by partnerships with State and local governments, the not for profit and private sectors to deliver targeted and tailored interventions which address localised systemic disadvantage. Social Inclusion Plans would include clear targets, clear benchmarks, their ongoing measurement, data collection and defined roles and responsibilities for all parties involved. Labor has also stressed the importance of matched funding pools to ensure that all partners, whether they are in the government or the not for profit and private sectors, make their contribution to achieving targeted outcomes.”
Announcement:
UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disability
Date of announcement:
8 November 2007
Detail:
“Labor supported the signing of the International Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons… A Rudd Labor Government will continue this strong support, and will investigate how best to implement the Convention at a federal level.”
Announcement:
Creation of a National Disability Strategy
Date of announcement:
8 November 2007
Detail:
“A Rudd Labor Government will implement this recommendation by negotiating a National Disability Strategy with the States and Territories to tackle the complex needs of people with disabilities and their carers. The National Disability Strategy will be overseen by the relevant Ministerial Council and have a clear place for the involvement of consumers, carers and providers of disability support services.
Disability policy must be about more than individual services. All portfolios have a role to play and some of the most important issues can only be addressed across government.
A National Disability Strategy would be a document that canvasses the full range of issues that impact on disability policy including:
• How to fund, finance and deliver disability services in the future.
• Prevention and early intervention.
• Increasing social and workforce participation.
• The specific needs of various disability groups, particularly those that are increasing in number.
• Improving the research agenda.
• New models of care.
Over the last 11 years, the Howard Government have stepped away from a national leadership role in disability policy. The National Disability Strategy will replace the Howard Government’s failed Commonwealth Disability Strategy. It will move from a singular focus on information provision and Australian Public Service employees to the actual outcomes that Departments and programs ought to be delivering for people with disabilities.”
Announcement:
Inclusion in the Arts
Date of announcement:
8 November 2007
Detail:
“develop a Disability and Arts Strategy in conjunction with the Australia Council focused on the participation of people with disabilities in the arts.”
Income support
Announcement:
Additional financial assistance for people on the Aged Pension and Disability Support Pension - Making Ends Meet
Date of announcement:
1 November 2007
Detail:
“Eligible Australians will benefit from four key elements of Making Ends Meet. They are:
• Increased Utilities Allowance paid quarterly, rather than biannually; making the increased Utilities Allowance as regular as utility bills;
• $50 million to establish A National Reciprocal Public Transport Entitlement to ensure State Government Senior’s Card holders can travel at concessional rates anywhere in Australia;
• Increased Telephone Allowance by 50 per cent – from $88 to $132 a year - to help with the cost of an internet connection at home; and
• Establish a Seniors’ Internet Fund to provide grants of up to $10,000 for 2000 eligible community organisations to set up free internet connections for their members.”
Announcement:
Review of Job Capacity Assessments
Date of Announcement:
23 November 2007
Detail:
“There have been many concerns raised about the efficacy of this process, including the appropriateness of the qualifications required of Job Capacity Assessors and the guidelines for Job Capacity Assessments, which, among other weaknesses, are believed by advocates to discourage referrals to appropriate specialists.
Given that this is the tool that determines a person’s level of income support and level of assistance, Labor believes it is essential that this assessment process is reviewed and its flaws remedied.”
Employment and training
Announcement:
National strategy for mental health and disability employment
Date of announcement:
23 November 2007
Detail:
“Labor believes that people with a disability or mental illness who want to work should be encouraged. However, many find that they encounter a range of barriers that make it harder to gain and keep work.
These barriers can be very diverse, including resistance from employers in hiring people with a disability, difficulty accessing appropriate transport, the costs associated with managing a disability, and the unpredictable nature of some disabilities and illnesses. Labor understands that attitudes must significantly change to ensure that those with a disability or mental illness are given the vocational and employment opportunities they deserve. But more can be done to facilitate and promote employment opportunities.
Labor recognises that helping people with a disability or mental illness gain and retain work requires more than changes to welfare rules; it requires a coordinated national effort to tackle the many reasons why people with a disability find participation difficult.
In Government, Labor’s Social Inclusion Board will be required to develop a national employment strategy for those with a disability and mental illness, in close consultation with people with a disability, employers and experts.”
“A Federal Labor government will also work in partnership with business, unions and the community to develop employment opportunities for groups who are under-represented in the workforce.
Labor’s approach to increasing workforce participation will include both supply-side policy measures that address the barriers to participation – such as childcare and investment in skills and education – and demand strategies that encourage employers to provide employment opportunities for these Australians.
Labor believes that closer integration of education and training, employment services and income support is the basis for employment and skills development. This is the best insurance policy the nation has against unemployment in the long-term. It also helps rebuild
Australia’s skills base and provide a secure future for those who are low skilled or have low levels of educational attainment.”
Announcement:
Skilling Australia
Date of announcement:
14 November 2007
Detail:
“Skilling Australia will increase and deepen the skills capacity of the Australian workforce and ensure demand for skills and skills training are matched.
Federal Labor’s plan for our future skilled workforce will close the skills gap in the Australian economy in three key ways:
• Fund an additional 450,000 skilled training places over the next four years - 200,000 more than the Howard Government
• Ensure that 90 per cent of these places lead to a higher qualification than the Howard Government’s proposed new training places.
• Place industry demand at the heart of the skills training system – so that training providers equip Australians with the skills that industry needs.”
Announcement:
Support for business service employees
Date of announcement:
8 November 2007
Detail:
“Labor will create a two year transition period for people with disabilities working in business services who want to move to open employment.”
Education
Announcement:
Specialised Early Childhood Centres For Children With Autism
Date of announcement:
8th October 2007
Detail:
“Federal Labor will establish specialised child care and early intervention services – six in the initial stage – for children with autism.
….
“Federal Labor would make sure that our specialist child care centres would provide programs delivered by staff with specialist training, and a physical environment which provides appropriate stimulation. The specialised child care and early intervention centres will be built on appropriate sites across Australia to provide dedicated early intervention and care for children with autism spectrum disorders.
…
“Federal Labor’s new autism specific centres would follow similar developmental methods to the AEIOU program that currently operates in Brisbane, and the Lizard Centre in Sydney. These programs are designed to develop the skills of the child in the following areas:
• Social interaction and play skills
• Cognitive development
• Self-help/tasks of everyday life
• Communication
• Sensory integration
• Fine and gross motor skills
Federal Labor is working with parental, expert and carer groups to determine the most effective operational arrangements for these services. The final service models will take into account existing child care subsidies, including the Child Care Benefit and Child Care Tax Rebate.”
Disability Service Funding
Announcement:
Overview of disability services funding
Date of announcement:
21 November 2007
Detail:
“Increased recurrent funding includes:
* Funding for new services under the CSTDA – cost shared with States $1.9 billion
* $1000 payments for families with children with a disability $721 million
* Funding for Commonwealth only programs including employment $117 million
* Services for children with autism $190 million
Over and above this funding, Labor will also provide capital funding for 6 new early intervention and long day care services for children with autism.”
Announcement:
CSTDA Funding
Date of announcement:
30th October 2007
Detail:
“A Rudd Labor Government will guarantee services for people with disabilities and their carers – and provide certainty.
A Rudd Labor Government would ensure $962 million allocated by the Coalition for accommodation, respite and in home support is brought back into the Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) and available to the States and Territories on a dollar for dollar matching basis. This approach would result in an injection of $1.9 billion in funding for people with a disability.
Federal Labor would honour the outcomes of the recent funding round for respite services.
In addition, Federal Labor will fast track the renegotiation of the CSTDA. The CSTDA funds core disability services such as accommodation, in home support, respite, day programs, therapy and early intervention.
….
A Rudd Labor Government would also make system reform the priority of the next CSTDA.
Federal Labor will work with State and Territory Governments to implement changes with clear timelines and in partnership with people with disabilities and their carers. Federal Labor’s reform plan will include:
• Better measurement of current and future need for disability services
• Moving toward national population benchmarks for key disability service types;
• Making older carers a priority for all disability services under the CSTDA;
• Quality improvement systems based on the Disability Service Standards for all CSTDA funded services
• Improved service planning and strategies to simplify access to services
• Focusing on early intervention, life long planning and increasing the independence and social participation of people with disabilities
Access to the Community
Date of announcement:
8 November 2007
Detail:
• “Establish a National Companion Card Scheme and achieve national consistency on disability parking.”
• “Give people with disabilities who are ageing access to community aged care programs.”
• “work with all stakeholders in the blind and vision impaired community to modernise print disability services.”
Supporting the Community Sector
Announcement:
Renewing relationships with community sector organisations
Date of announcement:
23 November 2007
Detail:
“The community sector also plays a critical role in advising and developing public policy and advocating on behalf of the often marginalised groups it services. Both the 1995 Industry
Commission Inquiry into the role of charitable organisations and the Charities Definition Inquiry of 2001 recognised the legitimate role of peak community organisations as representative organisations that advocate for their members.
Despite these findings, the Howard Government has attacked both the right and capacity of community sector organisations to advocate and has rejected their contribution or role in public policy development or debate. The breakdown of the relationship between the community sector and government diminishes Australia’s democracy but also undermines our capacity to effectively combat disadvantage.
Labor believes that policy must reflect a range of perspectives and be based on evidence based outcomes, and rebuilding trust and reciprocity will form the foundation of a new relationship between a Federal Labor Government and the community sector. The
consideration of the role of the community sector in a social inclusion agenda will also involve the restoration of the sector’s right to advocate and participate actively in public debate. To this end, Labor will examine contracts between not for profit service providers and government with a view to removing clauses that constrain this advocacy role.
Furthermore, Labor will consult with the sector about whether such a compact, such as those that operate in Canada and the UK, could or should be developed in Australia, and what might be included in such a partnership.
Labor will also commission the Productivity Commission to construct a new tool to measure the contribution of third-sector organisations to our economy as the starting point for maximizing the sector’s contribution to social inclusion, employment and economic growth.
Finally, Labor will abolish the Howard Government’s Non Profit Australia and replace it with a truly independent and effective voice for the community sector.”
Announcement:
National Disability Advocacy Review
Date of announcement:
30th October 2007
Detail:
“Federal Labor does not support the current competitive tendering processes for the National Disability Advocacy Program based on the Coalition’s narrow criteria. Labor is committed to addressing gaps in service delivery through collaboration with advocacy providers.”
Making Ends Meet: More Information
(The following is taken directly from the ALP announcement)
1. More regular and more generous allowance payments
A Rudd Labor Government will implement the Government’s decision included in the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Outlook to pay additional Utilities and Seniors Concessions Allowance each year.
Federal Labor will provide:
o A quarterly Utilities Allowance of $125 to older Australians in receipt of income support payments such as the Age Pension and Veterans Service Pension. This equals a total annual payment of $500 for singles and $500 for a couple;
o A similar payment for people receiving Carer Payment or the Disability Support Pension. This equals a total annual payment of $500 for singles and $500 for a couple; and
o A quarterly Seniors Concession Allowance of $125 per person to eligible self¬funded retirees. This equals a total annual payment of $500 for each eligible individual.
Federal Labor understands that for people on fixed incomes need to plan ahead for large expenses. That is why from 20 March 2008, Federal Labor will pay the Utilities Allowance four times a year rather than twice.
This measure will benefit over 1.7 million aged income support recipients; 250,000 Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders, 700,000 Disability Support Pensioners and 120,000 Carer Payment recipients.
Households who receive the following payments will be eligible for the enhanced Utilities Allowance:
o People in receipt of Disability Support Pension
o People in receipt of Carer Payment
o People of Age or Veteran pension age and in receipt of the following payments:
Ø Age pension
Ø Veterans service pension
Ø Income support supplement
Ø War widow pension
Ø Mature age allowance
Ø Partner allowance
Ø Widow allowance
Ø Disability support pension
Ø Carer payment
Federal Labor also recognises that the cost of living for pensioners can rise faster than the general increases in costs of goods and services.
For this reason, a Rudd Labor Government will index pensions by the Living Cost Index for Aged Pensioner Households published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Consumer Price Index or 25 per cent of Male Total Average Weekly Earnings, whichever is the greater.
2. National Reciprocal Transport Concessions
Federal Labor will end the buck-passing between the States and the Commonwealth.
Before the 2001 federal election, Mr Howard pledged a national transport concession scheme for seniors - but he did not deliver on his promise. Federal Labor will deliver on this commitment.
A Rudd Labor Government will provide $50 million over four years from 2008¬09 towards a new national reciprocal transport entitlement for State Government Seniors Card holders.
This will mean around 3 million Australians including State Government Seniors Card holders will be able to access general public transport concessions that apply in the State or Territory they are visiting.
For example, a bus driver in New South Wales will be able to apply the standard concession when an older Australian presents a valid State Government Seniors Card even if it is from another State or Territory.
This will include long distance rail travel on routes like the Indian Pacific, the Ghan and the Overland.
Reciprocal transport concessions will help older Australians who like to travel to visit their grandchildren and see the country.
Currently, when they travel interstate many State Government Seniors Card holders cannot access local public transport concessions because their home state card is not recognised.
Previous efforts to enable State Government Seniors Card holders to access public rail, ferry, tram and bus concessions throughout the country have failed because the Howard Government has been unwilling to put sufficient funding toward realising this important outcome.
A Rudd Labor Government will negotiate with State and Territory Governments to ensure national reciprocal public transport concessions for seniors are in place by no later than 1 January 2009.
3. Helping older Australians, carers and people with disabilities to stay in touch – increased telephone allowance
Federal Labor wants older Australians, people with disabilities and carers to be able to access information and stay in touch with friends, children and grandchildren around the country and the world, via the internet.
That is why Federal Labor will make it more affordable for these Australians to access the internet at home, increasing the rate of the Telephone Allowance.
Federal Labor will increase the value of the Telephone Allowance for these Australians by 50 per cent – from $88 to $132 a year.
Eligibility for Telephone Allowance currently requires one member of a household to be renting a phone line.
4. A Seniors’ Internet Fund
Federal Labor will establish a $15 million Seniors’ Internet Fund to establish free Internet kiosks in key community locations such as senior citizens centres and neighbourhood houses.
Currently only one in five Australians over 65 years use the internet.
Federal Labor wants more older Australians to enjoy the benefits of the internet such as mastering new hobbies and accessing educational programs such as the University of the Third Age.
Federal Labor will provide one-off grant funding of up to $10,000 to seniors’ organisations to purchase desktop computers, a three year broadband internet connection and regular internet workshops to help build the confidence of seniors in using new technology.
Grants will be available to up to 2,000 eligible organisations and awarded on the basis of demonstrated need and willingness to provide a free service.
ALP Disability and Carers Policy: Election 07 Fact Sheet
(From
http://www.alp.org.au/media/1007/msdisc300.php)
Overview
Labor believes that all people should be able to participate as valued members of a civil society. Disability should not stand in the way of people being active members of their communities, workplaces, families and society.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that approximately 20 per cent of Australians have some kind of disability. Most disabilities are relatively minor and can be addressed by simple aids or equipment. Over 50 per cent of people with disabilities are older Australians who receive support through the aged care system.1
In 2003, the ABS estimated that approximately 700,000 Australians under the age of 65 across Australia were living with severe and profound disabilities. This included almost 250,000 children.
Labor convened the recent Senate Inquiry into the funding and operation of the Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA).
During that Inquiry people with disabilities and their families and carers made a compelling case for disability reform. People spoke of the blame game between governments. People gave examples of having to fight to get the services they need from a system that is constantly in crisis. People wanted simple, practical measures that give them greater control over their own lives.
The Inquiry made it painfully clear that disability policy currently has no national direction, is under-funded and does not work for people with disabilities or their carers.
As a result of the Howard Government’s failure to negotiate a new CSTDA, funding for disability services is not guaranteed beyond 31 December 2007. If an agreement is not finalised, the States and Territories will be forced to cut funding to existing services. No agreement has been reached on how governments will work together to improve the services offered to people with a disability over the next five years. No agreement has been reached on growth funds.
Federal Labor knows that effective disability policy includes many elements. To support people with disabilities and their carers we need to:
• Increase access to mainstream services like health, housing and transport.
• Provide disability services that meet the support needs of people with disabilities.
• Recognise the support the families and carers of people with disabilities provide.
• Offer practical assistance so that people with disabilities can participate fully in the community, including in the open labour market.
Most of all governments need to make a sustained commitment and provide policy leadership to fix a broken system. A Rudd Labor Government will:
• Guarantee the ongoing funding of disability services by fast tracking the renegotiation of a new CSTDA.
• Bring $962 million in funding for disability services, which is currently outside the CSTDA, back into the Agreement and provide it to the States and Territories on a dollar for dollar matching basis. This will increase funding by $1.9 billion in excess of indexation.
• Make disability services reform the priority of the next CSTDA. Reform priorities will include:
— Better measurement of current and future need for disability services.
— Moving toward national population benchmarks for key disability service types.
— Making older carers a priority for all disability services under the CSTDA.
— Quality improvement systems based on the National Disability Services Standards for all CSTDA services.
— Improved service planning and strategies to simplify access to services.
— Focusing on early intervention, life long planning and increasing the independence and social participation of people with disabilities.
• Build six long day care centres to provide early intervention for children with autism in addition to the $190 million Helping Children with Autism package.
• Establish a National Companion Card Scheme and achieve national consistency on disability parking.
• Give people with disabilities who are ageing access to community aged care programs.
• Negotiate a National Disability Strategy with the States and Territories to tackle the complex needs of people with disabilities and their carers.
• Create a two year transition period for people working in business services who want to move to open employment.
• Review the need for legislative reform to recognise the role and rights of carers through the Office of Work and Family.
Disability services in Australia
Specialist disability services are funded through the Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA). The Commonwealth Government has sole responsibility for disability employment. The States administer most other services such as accommodation support, community access, community support and respite services. The Commonwealth meets about 20 per cent of the cost of State administered services.
In 2006, there were approximately 220,000 users of CSTDA-funded services. The most common disability type was intellectual/learning disability followed by physical/diverse disability and psychiatric disabilities.2
There is strong evidence that many people with disabilities and their carers are not getting the services they need. The AIHW estimates that over 23,000 people are waiting for accommodation and respite services nationally and almost 4,000 need community access services.3 Many services have long waiting lists and the Senate Inquiry revealed that some people have stopped asking for support they know cannot be provided.
The disability blame game
Disability services are one of the worst examples of the blame game between the Commonwealth and the States. Roles and responsibilities are confused and too often both levels of government use shared funding arrangements as an excuse to avoid their obligations to people with disabilities and their carers.
Labor initiated the first CSTDA in 1991. A clear agreement of roles and responsibilities was needed to create a system that was easier to use for people with disabilities. During the first agreement, the Commonwealth and the States agreed on important reforms such as nationally consistent disability services legislation and National Disability Services Standards.
Fifteen years later the CSTDA has descended into a blame game between governments. The Commonwealth no longer exercises policy leadership and provides a declining proportion of disability services funding.
As one witness to the Senate Inquiry put it:
The States say they are doing their bit, but the Commonwealth is falling short. The Commonwealth says just the opposite. Frankly, I don’t care about playing the ‘blame game’, I just want the system to work.4
Nearly all witnesses told the Inquiry that disability must be the responsibility of all levels of government working together. The job cannot be done by one government alone, nor by each government working in isolation.
The CSTDA has been under renegotiation for over a year but has shown no sign of being finalised. The Howard Government has refused to provide growth funds to the States.
The last agreement expired on 30 June 2007. The Howard Government extended the agreement to 31 December 2007 and has provided part year funding to the States.
Under a re-elected Howard Government, there is no guarantee that Commonwealth funding for State and Territory run services will continue after this date. If the CSTDA is not agreed, State and Territory Governments will be forced to close critical services due to the withdrawal of Commonwealth funding.
The Howard Government has further undermined the chances of achieving funding certainty for disability services by tendering for accommodation and respite services outside the current system. These services will not be provided in all areas and will be targeted at specific groups of people with a disability with strict age criteria. The Howard Government’s approach will make disability services more difficult to use and impossible to plan.
A Rudd Labor Government will fast track the renegotiation of the CSTDA, providing certainty for disability services across the country.
Labor will bring $962 million in funds identified for supported accommodation, respite and inhome support in the Howard Government’s Disability Assistance Package back into the CSTDA. This funding will be provided to the States and Territories on a dollar for dollar matching basis, generating $1.9 billion in new funding for disability services from 2007-08.
The Senate Inquiry recommended significant new investment in disability services to address unmet need. Labor’s approach will make a down payment on the funding required to support people with disabilities.
To avoid uncertainty, Labor will honour the outcomes of the recent funding round for respite services.
A Rudd Labor Government will implement all other elements of the Disability Assistance Package, including annual payments to parents of children with a disability and measures relating to children’s services and employment services.
Labor does not support the current competitive tendering processes for the National Disability Advocacy Program based on the Coalition’s narrow criteria. Labor wants to create a system of advocacy that provides effective services for people with disabilities and their families. A Rudd Labor Government will address the gaps in service delivery that currently exist through collaboration with advocacy providers and all other stakeholders. Labor does not consider that an adversarial process of competitive tendering will deliver the best outcomes for people with disabilities needing advocacy services.
An agenda for reform
A Rudd Labor Government will make reform the priority of the next CSTDA. Change will be informed by the evidence given to the Senate Inquiry into the CSTDA.
Labor will work the States and Territories over the next five years on essential reforms. The CSTDA will include agreements on goals and timelines so that the hard work of fixing this system can begin.
Labor will improve the data that is used to plan and fund disability services. We will implement better measures of current and future need for disability services. We need to bring together population projections and data on the care needs of people to design a system that will meet the needs of tomorrow. Better measurement of need will support the development of national population benchmarks for key disability service types.
Service quality will be progressed over the life of the agreement. Labor will require States and Territories to put in place systems that measure the continuous improvement of disability services against the National Disability Services Standards. We will look for systems that focus on outcomes for people with disabilities and address issues such as the risk of abuse and neglect.
A Rudd Labor Government will focus the disability services system on the needs of carers, particularly carers who have been looking after family members for many years. Older carers want to make plans so that their children will have access to appropriate support when they are no longer able to provide care. For some the pressure of caring is so great that they are unable to continue in the role.
The Howard Government’s approach has been to provide specialised services in some areas once a carer has reached the age of 65. Labor will seek commitments from the States and Territories that older carers, not only those over the age of 65, are a priority for the entire system.
People with disabilities and their carers want services that are easy to use and well planned. A Rudd Labor Government will work with the States and Territories to make it easier for people to get to services with the least number of assessments.
The disability service system currently operates in crisis much of the time. There is not enough planning and preparation for predictable events such as young people moving from school to work or leaving home. Too often people miss out on opportunities for early intervention because funds are spent responding to crises. In some cases parents are spending over $30,000 on early intervention services that will prevent problems later in life.
A Rudd Labor Government will reform the system to focus on lifelong planning, independence and early intervention. Assessment and individual planning must include helping people with disabilities to develop new skills and preparing them for predictable life events.
Labor will start the early intervention agenda by building six specialist early intervention long day care centres for children with autism. The cost of operating these centres will be met through funding from the Inclusion Support Program, individual assistance funds for children with autism, parent contributions, the Child Care Benefit and Labor’s new 50 per cent Child Care Tax Rebate. Labor will aim to ensure that parent contributions to send children to specialist centres are no greater than other long day care fees.
Labor is also committed to implementing the $190 million Helping Children with Autism Package. This package will create new items in the Medicare Benefits Schedule, fund training for teachers, and support playgroups, early intervention and individual assistance packages for children with autism and their families.
A National Disability Strategy
One of the major recommendations of the Senate Inquiry was that all governments agree to a National Disability Strategy.
A Rudd Labor Government will implement this recommendation by negotiating a National Disability Strategy with the States and Territories to tackle the complex needs of people with disabilities and their carers. The National Disability Strategy will be overseen by the relevant Ministerial Council and have a clear place for the involvement of consumers, carers and providers of disability support services.
Disability policy must be about more than individual services. All portfolios have a role to play and some of the most important issues can only be addressed across government.
A National Disability Strategy would be a document that canvasses the full range of issues that impact on disability policy including:
• How to fund, finance and deliver disability services in the future.
• Prevention and early intervention.
• Increasing social and workforce participation.
• The specific needs of various disability groups, particularly those that are increasing in number.
• Improving the research agenda.
• New models of care.
Over the last 11 years, the Howard Government have stepped away from a national leadership role in disability policy. The National Disability Strategy will replace the Howard Government’s failed Commonwealth Disability Strategy. It will move from a singular focus on information provision and Australian Public Service employees to the actual outcomes that Departments and programs ought to be delivering for people with disabilities.
A Rudd Labor Government will provide the national leadership that is needed to make real gains and build the cooperation required from all levels of government to see that the National Disability Strategy is implemented.
Practical measures for inclusion and participation
Labor’s approach to disability is focused on the inclusion and participation of people with disabilities. There are many practical measures that can support the inclusion and participation of people with disabilities in the community that provide immediate and tangible
benefits.
Labor supported the signing of the International Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons. Labor has long supported strong action to remove discrimination against Australians with disabilities. It was the Keating Government that introduced legislation outlawing this discrimination in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. A Rudd Labor Government will continue this strong support, and will investigate how best to implement the Convention at a federal level.
Labor will make changes to the aged care and disability systems to allow people living in disability group homes to access community aged care under a blended payment system. Funds equivalent to the value of a community aged care package will be available to top up disability supports for people who are clearly demonstrating increased needs due to ageing. A small number of community aged care packages will be allocated from future years’ growth rounds to establish this model. People will disabilities will no longer be forced to move to a residential aged care facility in order to obtain a service to meet their ageing needs.
Labor will create a two year transition period for people with disabilities working in business services who want to move to open employment. As a consequence of the Howard Government’s welfare to work changes, business service employees are forced to resign before they even begin looking for work on the open market. Labor will give people with disabilities who wish to try open employment the capacity to return to a business service at any time within the first two years without penalty.
A Rudd Labor Government will work with States and Territories to create a national Companion Card scheme that allows people with disabilities dependent on full time care to take a carer to sporting and entertainment events for the price of a single ticket. Companion Card schemes currently operate in some States.
Evidence from Victoria indicates that people with disabilities in that State are able to go out twice as often once they have received a Companion Card.
Labor will work with States and Territories to harmonise rules for disability parking. Currently there are very different rules in each location and difficulties for people who travel across borders. A national approach to this issue will make it easier for people with disabilities to travel interstate and keep in contact with family and friends.
Labor will work with all stakeholders in the blind and vision impaired community to modernise print disability services. Current arrangements provide funding for material to be translated and posted but do not support new technologies that provide more immediate access to material.
Labor has already announced that it will develop a Disability and Arts Strategy in conjunction with the Australia Council focused on the participation of people with disabilities in the arts.
Support for carers
The daily care provided to people with disabilities by family members and friends is of immense importance. Without carers, the quality of life of people with disabilities would be significantly reduced and the demand for formal services would rise markedly.
Labor understands that one of the most important family responsibilities is caring for a partner, adult child or other family member.
Labor has already announced that it will establish an Office of Work and Family within the Prime Minister’s Department that will focus on the needs of people who are carers and in paid employment.
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has recommended that amendments be made to federal protection against discrimination on the grounds of family responsibilities
to ensure that this covers the needs of carers. Some States and Territories have passed Carers Recognition Acts to set a legislative standard for the treatment of carers by government services. The Office of Work and Family will consider what legislation may be needed at the federal level.
Labor is committed to streamlining respite services to create a more sensible system for carers. Responsibility for respite services is currently split between several departments and programs without any attempt at coordination.
Labor has already announced that it will provide additional support to the 120,000 Australians who receive the Carer Payment. Carer Payment recipients will receive a quarterly utilities allowance of $125, providing an annual amount of $500. People receiving telephone allowance who also connect to the internet will also be eligible for an increased allowance – up from $88 to $132 a year.
Conclusion
People with disabilities and their carers deserve better than to be treated as political targets during election campaigns and subjected to endless excuses and buck passing in between.
With funding certainty and new leadership at the federal level, Australia can have a disability service system that enables people to plan for the future and achieve their full potential.
A Rudd Labor Government will work with the States and Territories to end the crisis approach to disability services and to build a more inclusive society that truly values the contributions of people with disabilities and their carers.
Endnotes
1. ABS, Survey of Disability and Carers
2. AIHW, Current and future demand for specialist disability services, 2007
3. AIHW, Current and future demand for specialist disability services, 2007
4. Standing Committee on Community Affairs (2007) Funding and operation of the Commonwealth State /Territory Disability Agreement