Disability advocates can be forgiven for being underwhelmed by the Albanese Government’s response to the Disability Royal Commission, writes Fr Justin Glyn SJ. Source: Eureka Street.
The royal commission was billed as an opportunity (after plenty of previous reports), to get real government action on the multitude of issues facing those of us with disabilities: in the workplace, in school, in the justice system, in care and indeed, in everyday life.
After months of harrowing testimony and ten months after the commission’s final report, of the 172 recommendations falling wholly or partially under the federal Government’s purview, the government has fully accepted … 13 (or just under 6 per cent).
These included many reforms that were already partially in progress (such as reviewing the Disability Discrimination Act, continuing the Primary Care Enhancement Programme, improving the accessibility of complaints processes and providing data on unregistered providers).
The Government would not commit to a dedicated Disability Rights Act, setting out the rights of disabled people and effective enforcement of these rights.
While it was prepared to consider some of this as part of the ongoing review of the possibility of a Human Rights Act more generally, it would not commit to more specific protections.
Basic protections in line with international law (like those against involuntary sterilisation or the requirement to involve people in decisions made on their behalf) were likewise only “accepted in principle”, i.e. with no commitment to implement them.
The response to other areas was equally lacklustre. There was no commitment to raise subminimum wages, to end segregation in employment or housing or to agree an integrated set of principles for adult safeguarding – nor even to appoint a minister for disability issues.
Indeed, even the recommendation for a national agreement on reviews of deaths of disabled people was kicked into the long grass for “further consideration”.
Fr Justin Glyn SJ, General Counsel of the Australian Province, was appointed by Pope Francis as consultor to the Dicastery of Laity, Family and Life.
FULL STORY
Government delivers lacklustre response to Disability RC (Eureka Street)
