Disability Unmet Need

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (15:44): As I said in question time just last week, when I was first elected to this place four years ago one of the early issues I raised in question time was public monthly disclosure of the growing unmet needs list for disability services in SA. As of January 2012 that information has been publicly available and it does not paint a pretty picture. I know that the government will say that it has funded this and increased that when it comes to disability funding, and I acknowledge that some positive steps have been taken, but we are not getting on top of this disability crisis.

Despite South Australia being the first to sign up to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), adults in South Australia will not be rolled onto the scheme until 2019. Telling them that their urgent accommodation, respite, community access and community support needs ought to wait another five years is not acceptable. Despite all the increases in disability funding and the rhetoric that the NDIS will be the panacea that solves all the issues in the disability community, the numbers being reported on a monthly basis show otherwise.

Back in January 2012, category 1 reported unmet need of 1,217 services across 995 clients. However, in March 2014, the most recent report available, the same category (category 1) figures show that there is an unmet need of 1,807 services across 1,514 unique clients. This is an increase of 50 per cent in both cases—unmet need services and unique clients—and, remember, this is just category 1, critical need, which means that clients are either homeless or at immediate risk of homelessness or harm to themselves or harm to others.

I believe that it was on Easter Monday this year that I was phoned by The Advertiser for comment on whether I would support Mr Gazzola or Mr Wortley for the position of president in this place. Since that time, just a month ago, the factions within the Labor Party have fought it out, eventually resulting in your taking up the position of president in this place, Mr President. Events in the last 24 hours have yet again seen this ferocious factional fight descend into chaos again, arguably bringing this parliament and this chamber into disrepute. I note that the Premier is quoted on Adelaidenow's website as saying:

I expect everyone to get on with the job of actually representing the people of South Australia and not indulge themselves in these personal attacks over what is essentially about who gets what job in the Parliament.

Well, yes, Premier, so would Dignity for Disability like to see this. Since this stoush erupted a month ago, two constituents my office has advocated for since I was elected to this place in 2010 have died. Their family carers, who have both passionately advocated for both women over many years, are grieving terribly. Both constituents had significant disabilities, and one was an 11-year-old girl.

Mr President, while you and your factional mates and enemies indulge in the most disgraceful displays of behaviour, both inside and outside of this place and outside to the media, I would ask you to think about what service you are doing for our community, this state, as an elected paid member of this chamber. You might want to consider that in the context of the state's escalating unacceptable unmet needs list in disability, whilst later in the week I attend the funerals of two South Australians who have never and never will have the privilege of warring over who gets a $100,000 pay rise and a chauffeur-driven car. Please, as your own Premier suggests, get on with doing a better job for South Australians, particularly those who are struggling with disability, chronic illness, mental illness, homelessness, family breakdown and all the other disadvantages you seem to be completely oblivious to.