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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-04-02 Daily Xml
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Neuro-inclusive Workplaces

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:14): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Minister for Autism on the topic of neuro-inclusive workplaces.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: As has been mentioned already by the minister in this question time, today we do celebrate World Autism Awareness Day. It's a day for acceptance and inclusion and celebration, and I thank her for including members of parliament in the wonderful event this morning at the morning tea.

During the event, though, the thing that always happens in Parliament House when the bells start going off and some of the physical impediments in this building become real and the challenges are great, I am reminded that more can probably be done to ensure not just a neuro-inclusive strategy of workplaces across the state, but one for this Parliament House. So my question to the minister is:

1. Is she aware of other parliaments facing the challenges of being more inclusive and neuro-inclusive in their workplaces?

2. What can be done in this state parliament to address that challenge?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Autism, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:15): I thank the honourable member for her question and ongoing support and interest in this space. We had a great conversation afterwards. It was a very testing environment with the bells going off constantly—finally, they decided to work this morning in the other house—with many divisions in a very short period of time.

Something we have thought about before is how can we make this a more inclusive space. This is a very old parliament and based off of a very old institution, and we have seen over the times different requirements needed to make it more inclusive. It's a long, long way to go though. I have had conversations with the President already in regard to what that could look like, and I guess I would welcome any feedback from members within this parliament about what could make a more inclusive workplace, not only for the members who work here but for guests that are coming in. At the end of the day, this is their house—

The Hon. T.A. Franks: And our staff.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: —and our staff, exactly. I welcome any ideas that can be put forward and that could be considered. It is a very challenging topic because no-one wants to miss a vote, so how can we go about best communicating to people about getting to the chamber if there was an alternative put forward?

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