Disability and the Federal Election

In just under a month, Australians will be heading to the polls to decide the fate of our National Government.

This election, like all others, is a critical opportunity for everyone to have their say on how the country should be run. It’s an important opportunity to vote on how and where you want the country to go.

With approximately 20% of Australians living with a disability, it’s important to understand what each political party has identified as a key policy for people living with disability. Orana has compiled the major parties’ points of view and summarised their policies and promises to this community.

The Australian Electoral Commission has announced the 2022 Federal Election will take place on Saturday, 21 May 2022.

Australian Labor Party

“Labor will stop the cuts to the NDIS and put people with disability at the heart of decision making about disability services and policies.

Millions of dollars are being wasted on fraud, consultants, and legal costs while the money going NDIS plans to support people living with disability is being cut.”

The Australian Labor Party has promised to put people with disability at the forefront of all policies and decisions. Labor will stop unfair cuts to NDIS plans, lift the cap on staffing levels at the NDIA, and will strengthen the NDIA and NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, to enable proper support for people with disability who rely on the scheme, their families, carers, and service providers.

“An Albanese Labor Government will protect the NDIS and get it back on track, so it works for people with disability and their families, carers, disability service providers and workers.”

Read more about the Australian Labor Party disability policies here.

The Coalition – Liberal and The Nationals

“The Morrison Government is backing Australians with disability, their families, and carers.

We proudly support the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which is transforming the lives of people with disability, their families, and carers.

We are committed to providing individual choice and control to people with disability, to create opportunity and so they can achieve their goals.”

“A re-elected Morrison Government will:

• Continue to ensure the NDIS is fully funded by building a stronger economy and keeping the budget in the black.
• Roll out 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 time frames 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.
• 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.
• 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.”

Read more about the Liberal and The Nationals disability policies here.

The Greens

“The Greens plan to ensure everyone can live a life free of harassment, discrimination, violence, and poverty.”

“The Greens plan includes:

• Fully resource the NDIS so it meets the needs of disabled people, their families, and carers
• Make disabled people’s physical and digital worlds accessible, including by establishing a new $3billion Accessible Infrastructure Fund
• Champion inclusive education and employment by establishing a 20% quota for full disabled employee representation in the Australian Public Service by 2030
• Create more accessible housing and healthcare through co-designed planning, policies, and implementation of Liveable Housing Australia Silver Standard across the country
• Ensure disabled people are at the centre of decision-making, policy, and planning through the $30million increase in Commonwealth funding for disability advocacy organisations over four years

“The Greens will, remove the barriers, fix the systems, and eliminate the structural discrimination disabled people face.”

Read more about The Greens disability policies here.