❓ Mr. Huston questions the Minister for Disability Services about the low representation of people with disability in the WA public sector and the failure to meet the 5% target. The Minister acknowledges the issue and outlines efforts to improve employment opportunities.
AnsweredQoN 184Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Public sector—People with disability
184. Mr Jonathan Huston to the Minister for Disability Services:
I refer to the very
recent State of the WA Government Sector Workforce
2024–25 report, which states there is only 1.75% representation of
people with disability in the public sector, which has flatlined—not changed—in
five years.
(1) Does the minister concede that she
has failed to meet even half her target of 5%?
(2) Does the minister still stand by the
5% target, or has Labor now downgraded it to merely an aspirational goal?
184. Mr Jonathan Huston to the Minister for Disability Services:
I refer to the very
recent State of the WA Government Sector Workforce
2024–25 report, which states there is only 1.75% representation of
people with disability in the public sector, which has flatlined—not changed—in
five years.
(1) Does the minister concede that she
has failed to meet even half her target of 5%?
(2) Does the minister still stand by the
5% target, or has Labor now downgraded it to merely an aspirational goal?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member very much for the
question. Employing people with disability is a passion area for me. I have
worked really closely with the Public Sector Commissioner on that. I would also
like to point out that a lot of people are living with neurodiversity in our
community and a lot of neurodiverse people are employed in our public sector
and therefore have a disability but do not identify as such. That is absolutely
fair in terms of their safety and what they want to protect themselves from,
potentially.
We are absolutely committed to
employing people with disability. We have opened up employment by taking down
the barriers through the Public Sector Commission for how we employ people in
the public sector. We are leading by example and also funding special programs
through the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia and Leadership
WA to connect people with disability to employers. We are breaking down those
barriers with employers so that they realise that employing people with
disability is not difficult and they do not have to make as many adjustments as
many of them believe.
question. Employing people with disability is a passion area for me. I have
worked really closely with the Public Sector Commissioner on that. I would also
like to point out that a lot of people are living with neurodiversity in our
community and a lot of neurodiverse people are employed in our public sector
and therefore have a disability but do not identify as such. That is absolutely
fair in terms of their safety and what they want to protect themselves from,
potentially.
We are absolutely committed to
employing people with disability. We have opened up employment by taking down
the barriers through the Public Sector Commission for how we employ people in
the public sector. We are leading by example and also funding special programs
through the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia and Leadership
WA to connect people with disability to employers. We are breaking down those
barriers with employers so that they realise that employing people with
disability is not difficult and they do not have to make as many adjustments as
many of them believe.
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