Tuesday, 20 September 2022

Victorian Disability Advisory Council

Mr BROOKS (Bundoora—Minister for Child Protection and Family Services, Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers) (12:46): I rise to acknowledge and thank the outgoing members of the Victorian Disability Advisory Council, who recently concluded their term. The challenges faced in the disabled community have been immense in the last few years, and Victoria has been fortunate to have a disability advisory council who more than met that challenge. The wisdom, patience, insight and experience they brought while working alongside the Victorian government during the pandemic meant outcomes for Victorians with disability have been materially better. From disability liaison officers in hospitals to free RATs and access to COVID testing and vaccines appropriate to the needs of people with disability, they embodied the mantra of ‘Nothing about us without us’ when it was truly needed.

The work of the council goes beyond the pandemic, from helping embed universal design principles in our infrastructure to playing a central role in developing Inclusive Victoria, our state disability plan. The plan’s central pillars will embed inclusion and the social model of disability in our community, a living testament to their work. The nation-leading disability inclusion bill now open for consultation is an example of this. I would like to thank Amanda Lawrie-Jones, Caitlin Syer, Gabrielle Hall and Martin Heng, who are continuing as council members; outgoing members Jax Jacki Brown, Karen Fankhauser, Colin Hiscoe and Brent Phillips; and in particular the leadership of Dr George Taleporos, who has been an important source of wisdom to me and my predecessors in the role.