Disability Employment

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (14:54): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations relating to employment of people living with a disability:

1. Can you provide an update on the number of people living with a disability who are currently working for the public sector?

2. What programs or supports are in place to increase public sector employment for people with disabilities?

3. What is the targeted employment rate for people with disabilities in the public sector?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:54): I thank the honourable member for her question. Making sure that the public sector is a welcoming workplace for all South Australians is of critical importance. I have regular meetings with the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment, who provides at our meetings verbal updates about actions that are being taken across a range of areas to make sure we are an inclusive workplace—an inclusive workplace for women, an inclusive workplace for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and an inclusive workplace for people living with a disability—and also promoting things like a strategy for inclusiveness across our public sector.

In terms of the exact numbers of public sector employees who are living with a disability, I do not have that figure with me, but I am more than happy to go away and bring back a reply for the honourable member. I know that there are regular reports like the State of the Sector report that are published. I do not have a full copy of that report in front of me, but I suspect it will be in there. I suspect it is publicly available, but I am happy to go and get those numbers and bring them back.