Sixth government backflip in six months, this time on disability commissioner

Victoria has quietly shelved a plan to axe the state’s disability commissioner on July 1, representing the Allan government’s sixth major policy walk-back in six months.

The about-face is the result of outrage from disability groups who had complained about a lack of proper consultation after the plan to replace the role with an overarching position was suddenly revealed in February.

Disability Minister Lizzie Blandthorn (left) with Premier Jacinta Allan in March.Credit: Justin McManus

The state opposition says the allegations show Labor has ignored a guiding principle from Victoria’s disability plan: “Nothing about us without us.”

But government insiders say retaining the disability commissioner into the new financial year is a sign Labor ministers are actively listening to stakeholders.

In February, the Allan government unveiled the new Social Services Regulator – a new harm and neglect watchdog that will provide family violence, sexual assault, homelessness and disability services not covered by the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

As part of that announcement, the government revealed Victoria’s Disability Services Commissioner would merge with the new Social Services Regulator.

The idea was for a one-stop shop for social services, but some disability advocacy groups learnt there would no longer be a standalone disability commissioner via the government’s February 1 press release. Others were worried that a broader service would lack specialist knowledge.

The disability sector union was also up in arms. Health and Community Services Union secretaries Paul Healey and Kate Marshall wrote to Premier Jacinta Allan and Disability Minister Lizzie Blandthorn in April to express their concerns.

Their letter, seen by The Age, stated that the abolition of a standalone disability commissioner role was “completely out of step with the industrial values of the Victorian Labor Party”.

Since then, the government has written to disability groups to confirm the Disability Services Commissioner will continue beyond July 1 “given the extent of forecast change at a national level”.

One letter, also seen by The Age, cited the federal government’s response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, and the NDIS review.

Shadow disability minister Tim Bull said the sequence of events showed a lack of proper planning and thought.

“For the minister to put out a state disability plan with the slogan ‘nothing about us without us’ and then propose a major reform with no consultation with the key disabled stakeholders is astounding and is proof it was only ever a slogan,” Bull said.

“The second element is, why would you introduce this when we have the Disability Royal Commission responses to come and an NDIS review under way? The timing is all wrong.”

Disability Advocacy Victoria boss Julie Phillips said her member organisations welcomed the government’s change of tune.

“While Disability Advocacy Victoria is relieved that the closing down of disability-specific regulators has been paused, we continue to wait for the state government to meet its obligations under the State Disability Plan and begin a genuine consultation process with the disability community and disability advocacy sector as a matter of urgency,” she said.

“Our position is that no changes should be formulated unless they are a result of co-design with the disability community.”

A Health and Community Services Union spokeswoman also welcomed the development.

“Abolishing specialist disability sector bodies would be short-sighted, especially in light of upcoming NDIS reform,” the spokeswoman said.

“We urge the government to use this period to incorporate policies like funded wage increases through enterprise bargaining, investing in qualifications and upskilling workers, and paid traineeships to build the disability workforce of the future. Quality, safe disability services cannot exist without a respected and supported workforce.”

A Victorian government spokesperson said the bill currently before parliament, which would have abolished the commissioner on July 1, would be debated “at a later time in the context of the broader disability reform agenda”.

“In the meantime, we’ll continue to back our disability services over and above our contribution to the NDIS, helping the one in six Victorians with a disability to get the support they deserve,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that the Social Service Regulation Taskforce had been consulted throughout the process.

One government insider, speaking on the condition of anonymity to speak freely, rejected the Coalition’s criticisms and said the change of plan proved ministers were listening to community feedback.

“It’s a good thing,” the source said.

It’s not the first policy walk-back from the Allan government this year. Just a few weeks ago, the government scrapped the extension of payroll tax to independent GPs, back-pedalled on a plan to abolish the Public Records Advisory Council, and walked away from a promise to offer an extra 40,000 elective surgeries annually by this year.

Earlier this year, the government also ditched plans to open a second safe injecting room and give children the presumption of bail. Last month’s budget also dropped plans to build hospital campuses at North Melbourne’s Arden development zone.

Get the day’s breaking news, entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy. Sign up to receive our Evening Edition newsletter here.