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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-03-22 Daily Xml
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Motions

World Down Syndrome Day

Ms THOMPSON (Davenport) (11:00): I move:

That this house—

(a) recognises that 21 March 2023 is World Down Syndrome Day;

(b) notes that World Down Syndrome Day is held each year on the 21st day of the third month to signify the triplication of the 21st chromosome, which causes Down syndrome;

(c) notes only 8 per cent of people with Down syndrome are in open employment, with the majority working in Australian Disability Enterprises; and

(d) applauds the work of the state and federal governments on their work with people with disability, carers, family members and stakeholders in reforming the disability employment sector.

On 21 March, we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day, a day that is dedicated to raising awareness about Down syndrome and advocating for the rights, inclusion and wellbeing of people with Down syndrome. Down syndrome is a genetic condition that occurs when there is an extra copy of chromosome 21. It is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, accounting for approximately 15 per cent of people with intellectual disability, and it is estimated that there are between 13,000 to 15,000 individuals with Down syndrome in Australia.

World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on the 21st day of the third month to signify the triplication of the 21st chromosome, which causes Down syndrome. The day was first observed in 2006 in several countries around the world, and in 2012 the United Nations officially recognised World Down Syndrome Day. Since then, this day has become an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and the contributions of people with Down syndrome and to advocate for their rights and inclusion in all aspects of society.

As we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day, we need to remember that creating a kinder, more inclusive community is not just a one-day event: it is a continuous effort that requires our collective commitment and dedication. I can confidently assure the house that the Malinauskas government is fully committed to this cause.

One of the key areas where we need to do better is in disability employment. People with Down syndrome and other disabilities often face significant obstacles when it comes to finding employment, leading to feelings of isolation, low self-esteem and financial insecurity. Data from the National Disability Insurance Scheme reveals that only 34 per cent of people with Down syndrome over the age of 25 years have a paid job, compared to 76 per cent of those without Down syndrome.

Despite that, most participants are eager to work and have listed finding employment as an important goal in their NDIS plan. Of those who are employed, only 8 per cent are in open employment, with the majority working in Australian Disability Enterprises. Seventy-two per cent of all NDIS participants with Down syndrome are employed in an Australian Disability Enterprise.

As a society, we need to do better. We need to work to create more opportunities for people with Down syndrome and other disabilities to enter the workforce and to contribute to our community. We need to ensure that workplaces are accessible, inclusive and free of discrimination and we need to provide the necessary support to enable people to thrive. Beyond employment, we need to value diversity and recognise the unique contributions that people with Down syndrome can make to our community.

This year's World Down Syndrome Day theme of With Us Not For Us is a powerful reminder that supporters, community leaders and the government have to make decisions together with the community, not for the community. This message is being heard loud and clear by both state and federal governments. Our Minister for Human Services, the Hon. Nat Cook MP, recently appointed 12 people to her Disability Advisory Council, which will provide invaluable advice to government on issues that are of utmost importance to the 330,000 South Australians with a disability, to their families and to their carers.

Recently, consultation opened on the Disability Inclusion (Review Recommendations) Amendment Bill 2022, a direct result of feedback from the 2022 independent review of the act. This bill responds to the final report's proposed legislative changes. The Disability Inclusion Act is an important part of South Australia's legislative framework, designed to foster full inclusion of people with disabilities in the South Australian community and to empower them to reach their full potential as equal citizens.

The act promotes human rights in SA in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and interacts with national strategies, statewide initiatives and the NDIS. The public can have their say on this until 6 April. It is an important piece of legislation, and the review opportunities are invaluable.

People with Down syndrome have unique strengths and abilities and have so much to offer our world. They bring joy and happiness to those around them, and they remind us of the importance of kindness, compassion and love. In the week of World Down Syndrome Day, let us celebrate the achievements and contributions of people with Down syndrome, and let us pledge to do more to ensure that they are fully included in our schools, our workplaces and our communities. Let us work together to create a world that celebrates diversity and recognises the value of every human being not just on this day but every day.

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (11:06): I rise today to speak on the motion brought forward by the member for Davenport in regard to World Down Syndrome Day, held each year on 21March. The motion reads:

That this house—

(a) recognises that 21 March 2023 is World Down Syndrome Day;

(b) notes that World Down Syndrome Day is held each year on the 21st day of the 3rd month to signify the triplication of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome;

(c) notes only 8 per cent of people with Down syndrome are in open employment with the majority working in Australian disability enterprises; and

(d) applauds the work of the state and federal governments on their work with people with disability, carers, family members and stakeholders in reforming the disability employment sector.

I do have one small amendment that the opposition would like to add to the motion, namely:

(e) that calls on all governments to work to increase the percentage of people with Down syndrome in open employment across South Australia.

I am pleased to rise to make my contribution on this important motion. This is a very important global awareness day, now in its 18th year, and of course it has been observed by the United Nations since 2012.

In Australia, it is estimated that approximately 1 in 1,100 babies will have Down syndrome. With the birth rate as it is in Australia, this means that almost 300 babies each year are born with Down syndrome. It is pleasing that the life expectancy of those with Down syndrome in Australia has significantly improved over the decades, with an average lifespan now of 60 years.

The theme for 2023 is With Us Not For Us. This theme is focused on fostering a human rights- based approach that views people with disability as having the right to be treated fairly and to have the same opportunities as everyone else, working with others to improve their lives.

As noted in the motion and referenced in the amendment I will soon make, only 8 per cent of people with Down syndrome are in open employment, and we would like to see this percentage increase. Many people with Down syndrome wish to find work but find it difficult to get a job. According to an NDIS survey, as was referenced by the member for Davenport, 62.8 per cent of people have listed a work goal in their NDIS plan but are not in paid employment. This would mean that there are more than 37,000 Australians with an intellectual disability and Down syndrome who do not have a paid job but would like one.

People with Down syndrome want to work for the same reasons as everybody else: to have their own independence, to contribute to society, to earn their own money, to learn new skills, to meet new people and to feel valued. That is the mission statement for employment of Down Syndrome Australia.

We know that the barriers to employment are often due to misplaced community beliefs, perceived low expectations and how formal employment support systems work rather than people with Down syndrome being valued and viewed as contributing members of the workforce.

While there are many ways that this issue can be addressed, we do note that Down Syndrome Australia has a number of resources to encourage the employment of people with Down syndrome, work readiness programs for adults with Down syndrome, and to support people with Down syndrome to understand expectations and to identify their skills, capabilities and strengths. They have an Employment Connection Service that is run locally in most other states and territories to connect potential employers to people with Down syndrome, but unfortunately that is something that we do not have in South Australia yet.

In the spirit of the motion, which I believe to be wholly bipartisan, and in the spirit of World Down Syndrome Day, the theme for this year being With Us Not For Us, I think together this parliament should call on all levels of government to stand with those with Down syndrome and have an ambition to increase participation. I believe that the amendment being proposed adds to and strengthens this motion

Through my life I have had the fantastic opportunity of meeting, being good friends with, to be completely honest, and competing against a range of people with intellectual disabilities, including a number of people with Down syndrome. Each and every year, the member for Hurtle Vale and I are down with Special Olympics South Australia as they celebrate their local games. In more recent years, we have obviously had the opportunity to also host the national games here in South Australia, which has been a great thrill.

That ability to interact in a sporting sense is just another one of those key fundamental things that everybody seeks to have—to have not just the opportunity to have fulfilling employment but also the opportunity to participate in sport, to build those friendships and relationships that are important to us outside a work environment. They are the safety and support networks that allow us to fall back when things are going tough.

In that vein, it would be a good thing to recognise the leadership at Special Olympics South Australia and Matt Pearson and his good work over the many years. Also, given the local context of Henley and the area, to recognise SAPOL for their clear and definitive inclusion and participation in these events each and every year. They have run the Law Enforcement Torch Run alongside the Special Olympics events for a significant number of years now and their involvement and participation is very much enjoyed by all the participants at Special Olympics South Australia. The flame at times is larger than most of us would like but it is a very special part of what they do.

Government across all levels, whether that be law enforcement agencies, the parliament here today or more broadly the Public Service, I think there is still a lot that all of us can do to ensure that we raise the level of participation in the workforce not just in the area of those with Down syndrome as we discussed today, but more broadly across all sections of the disability community. That is, of course, one of the difficulties of disability, that we are not just referencing a group of people that is singular. There are many, many subfactions and many, many differences in those with disability.

No better example of that is the fact that you can have two people with the exact same disability who have differing levels of ability based on their life experiences, their support networks, the range of supports that they have had surrounding them and opportunity, for lack of a much longer list. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to many of these matters, but we can do better, we can do more, and we should be striving to have more people with Down syndrome in our workforces contributing their vast set of abilities and their vast set of values to our wider society, so I rise to support the motion and to move a small amendment to the motion proposed by the member for Davenport.

The Hon. N.F. COOK (Hurtle Vale—Minister for Human Services) (11:15): I, of course, want to put my wholehearted support behind this motion moved by the member for Davenport and thank her for bringing this motion to the house. It is so very important in terms of providing and amplifying a voice for people in our community not just living with Down syndrome but associated intellectual disabilities, and also to amplify and to really draw attention to the community of allies around people with Down syndrome who do such a wonderful job helping people, supporting people, and helping to educate the community and bring to light what we see is a vision for a more equitable society.

March 21 is a very special day in our community, celebrating World Down Syndrome Day, so doing this today, and having been able to host a morning tea just now with a number of people, I think we are making it the week, the festival of Down syndrome this week in South Australia. I am really pleased as well to acknowledge some of the people who are in the gallery who are part of our community living with Down syndrome, allies supporting, families supporting, and the community wrapping around and ensuring that we are striving for that equitable society.

In 2019, as shadow minister for human services, I moved a similar motion. As the member for Colton just pointed out, we often cross paths talking about, addressing, attending many events with people in them, hosting them, holding them, and competing in them through Special Olympics. People living with Down syndrome and this community—I am sure the member for Colton does not mind me saying—has taught us a lot over recent years in terms of how we provide and ensure the community is educated to amplify and escalate this equity.

When I moved the motion, going back about four years ago, I think I made those commitments around ensuring that life should be better and will be better, and I think there are certain things that are changing to ensure that that actually is the case. Through progressive and strong leadership, I think people with Down syndrome thrive. I think we are putting in place a range of measures in our community. That strong progressive leadership that demands equity and is such an important thing is here. We are doing this together.

In terms of our policies from our government point of view, we are working to create that more inclusive society and we believe that equal opportunity should not be just a token phrase. You actually need to make the commitment to set the policies to do so, and we are creating a society where people are valued, people are respected, and diversity in all its forms is not just accepted but celebrated.

As minister, I am pleased to continue the work of my parliamentary colleagues before, such as the Labor Minister for Disabilities in our previous government, the member for Reynell. Katrine Hildyard led the introduction of the first Disability Inclusion Act. There was a lot of consultation, community movement and collaboration that happened to bring that piece of legislation together. This was passed in the last parliament under the previous government, and I have now been part of the team, through Human Services, that has led a review into that act.

Currently, as part of that review, the amendment bill is out for consultation. I will be bringing that bill to the house to respond to a number of legislative changes that have been proposed, which will, again, lock us into commitments and certainty that will provide for a more equitable community throughout this year. That amendment bill is currently on YourSAy. The submission opportunity is there until Thursday 6 April, and I encourage people to have a look at that and provide their input.

I also understand that, if you are unable to participate in that process online, please reach out to us or to the department to provide verbal input. We are happy to listen to what you have to say. Sometimes completing those online things is a little challenging, and we acknowledge that. We do understand and acknowledge that people with Down syndrome have a challenging collective of things in life that they face, which is a combination of the pure intellectual disability challenges but also the medical physiological challenges that happen. We know that creates a whole other issue for people and for families.

I spoke before on this, so I will not speak at length, but being an older mum, I knew the potential of the challenges that we could face as a family given the increased likelihood and prevalence of a number of chromosomal disorders that can happen as an older parent. We were prepared to face that as a family. I know that today, with a whole range of good policy settings and really active advocates through the NDIS, we can together make sure that life for people with Down syndrome is much stronger.

In fact, today I have been given three business cards from people who have their own social enterprises, such as T-shirts and different ranges of teas that are being created. I know the member for Reynell is a tea addict, so she will gratefully receive the contact details for this beautiful social enterprise that is happening up in Nairne. We know as well, joyfully, that people with Down syndrome now live longer, healthier, better quality lives, and that is because of changes that have been made. That is because we know what interventions are needed, and I look forward to working across the governments in terms of trying to ensure that this continues.

I want to comment quickly on the member for Colton's amendment. I will not support the amendment, not because of any political reason but because we really have not had a chance to look at it and what the implications are more broadly. On the surface, I just want to guarantee that the member for Kingston, the current federal Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth, is doing a piece of work around disability employment reform, and we are absolutely in lock step in that. Jobs must be good paying, jobs must be supportive for the people who are in them, and we do not accept the current situation.

If you as an employer make a commitment to improve your workplace culture, you can look no further in mainstream employment than to employ a person with Down syndrome to your team to lift the calibre, to lift the quality of individual in your workplace and to improve your workplace generally. I make the commitment that we will ensure that dialogue happens, that that narrative is ongoing and that we do much better in terms of employing people with Down syndrome.

In fact, I just spoke to young Will this morning, who tells me that he is very excited that he thinks one of the local football clubs might be able to offer him some employment in coming years. He is already setting that in motion. He is in year 7, and he has already reached out and asked for a job. He feels that if he nags them enough he is going to get one, and he has had very good musings. I will watch that journey.

We will not support the amendment, but we will make that guarantee that we are working with the federal government now very solidly on improving workforce outcomes. We will advocate very strongly for mainstream workplaces to employ more people with Down syndrome in order to lift the quality of their workplaces. I think they can do that as a priority. I think it is a great suggestion. I am happy to work with the member for Colton on that moving forward, but I will also talk about it with our team and see where that leaves us.

On World Down Syndrome Day yesterday, and today and everyday, please let us join together, link arms and celebrate the strength, resilience and unique abilities of people with Down syndrome and show our support and our gratitude for the allies and for everybody to reach their full potential. I commend the member for Davenport for this motion and commend the motion to the house.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley) (11:25): I stand to support the motion. I also support the very sensible amendment by the member for Colton, because what it does is take the motion above platitude. It actually makes a statement to the Down syndrome community that there is a measure being put in place here, and it is a very open measure. It is not a hard target like 20,800 apprentices and trainees, for example. It is a message to those who this is important to, which is all of us but those of us specifically affected, that the government and the parliament itself is bipartisan on its mission to see more people with Down syndrome working in the workforce outside of what we call Disability Enterprises or, the old term, sheltered workshops.

I have seen people with Down syndrome working actively in the mainstream. I met a very entrepreneurial young lady at the Healthy Collective day, when they had a day when people with disabilities were able to display the businesses that they had started. This particularly young woman had started a business of printing T-shirts with her artwork. I was so taken by the artwork that I bought one and wear it most evenings to bed as a nightshirt. It is an amazing bit of work. This was a young woman who was running a business. I think it shows an incredible drive and an incredible ability for anybody to start their own business. This particular woman was there being supported by her family of course, who were very excited and very proud of what their daughter had achieved at a very young age.

We have also seen a large increase over the period of the Marshall government of people with disabilities working in mainstream businesses through the support that employers received for bespoke designing of support for taking on an apprentice or a trainee. There was no such thing as a disability bucket of money. There was a bucket of money available for each apprentice or trainee, which was able to be designed specifically to support that apprentice or trainee. We actually led the nation in the number of commencements of people with disabilities in apprenticeships and traineeships by doing that—people moving away from Disability Enterprises and working in the workforce, whether it be a small business or a larger business. We are seeing a lot more awareness of what value people with disabilities can bring to the workforce.

So it is disappointing that the government will not support this motion, because this is the can-do part of the motion. The motion that was moved by the member for Davenport, unamended, is a bit like ticking the Like box on Facebook. Paragraph (e) calls for action, and it is very flexible in the action that can be delivered. It sends a very strong message that, yes, we are very pleased to talk about it on days around World Down Syndrome Day, but this is an action that will be happening every day if this amendment is accepted by the government.

Of course, the government has the numbers, the government controls the chamber. They will be the ones who will decide whether this amendment is accepted. We have heard from the minister that it will not be accepted, which is disappointing. There is nothing political in this. This is just an addition to what is a very good motion in support of World Down Syndrome Day. Proposed paragraph (e) of the motion is actually in support of people with Down syndrome and their families, so I urge the government to either postpone the vote on this motion so they can consider this in their caucus or support the motion as it was put forward by the member for Colton.

Ms THOMPSON (Davenport) (11:30): I rise to close debate on this motion and thank those who have spoken to it. I thank the member for Colton for his contribution and for sharing his clear passion for ensuring a more inclusive society for people living with a disability. I thank the member for Hurtle Vale, in particular for hosting a morning tea this morning to help celebrate those in our community with Down syndrome, and their families and carers. I also thank the member for Unley for his contribution in particular regarding the value that people with Down syndrome bring to the workforce.

I thank everyone for their contributions, and thank you to those who have come to attend in the gallery today. It has been lovely to share the morning with you and celebrate some of the wonderful people in our community with Down syndrome. I commend this motion to the house.

The house divided on the amendment:

Ayes 13

Noes 24

Majority 11

AYES

Basham, D.K.B. Batty, J.A. Cowdrey, M.J. (teller)
Gardner, J.A.W. Marshall, S.S. McBride, P.N.
Patterson, S.J.R. Pederick, A.S. Pisoni, D.G.
Tarzia, V.A. Teague, J.B. Telfer, S.J.
Whetstone, T.J.

NOES

Andrews, S.E. Bettison, Z.L. Bignell, L.W.K.
Boyer, B.I. Brown, M.E. Champion, N.D.
Clancy, N.P. Close, S.E. Cook, N.F.
Hildyard, K.A. Hood, L.P. Hughes, E.J.
Koutsantonis, A. Michaels, A. Mullighan, S.C.
Odenwalder, L.K. (teller) Pearce, R.K. Piccolo, A.
Picton, C.J. Savvas, O.M. Stinson, J.M.
Szakacs, J.K. Thompson, E.L. Wortley, D.J.

PAIRS

Pratt, P.K. Malinauskas, P.B. Speirs, D.J.
Fulbrook, J.P. Hurn, A.M. Hutchesson, C.L.

Amendment thus negatived; motion carried.

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