Cabinet archives: Disability stand-off on revised reporting

In 2000, federal cabinet approved a revised national disability strategy that removed the obligation on commonwealth organisations to prepare disability action plans.

In 2000, federal cabinet approved a revised national disability strategy that removed the obligation on commonwealth organisations to prepare disability action plans despite receiving advice that it would be seen by disability groups as “watering down” the regime.

The new strategy also removed the requirement for ­public sector-wide accessibility targets for people with disability.

Then families and community services minister Jocelyn Newman asked cabinet in August 2000 to consider significant changes to the 10-year Commonwealth Disability Strategy, first brought in by the Keating government in 1994.

An evaluation concluded a revised strategy was needed that “better reflects contemporary public sector management and the present government’s social policy directions”.

“The revised strategy is less prescriptive and emphasises the autonomy of public sector agencies, rather than attempting to standardise outcomes and strategies across the public service,” the submission said.

A key change was that commonwealth organisations would no longer be obliged to have a disability action plan, only that they be encouraged to do so.

Senator Newman’s submission anticipated this may be a “sensitive” issue.

“The main concern of the disability community is that the strategy not be ‘watered down’ in any way,” the submission said.

“Making the preparation of disability action plans optional rather than mandatory may be perceived as a lack of government commitment to advancing the position of people with disabilities. However, this perception could be countered with publicly visible and scrutinised performance on outcomes achieved,” it said.

The prime minister’s department opposed this, suggesting disability reporting requirements were too onerous. But senator Newman won cabinet’s support, with a small qualification that “government business enterprises” were excluded.