PRIME MINISTER
EMPLOYMENT OF THE HANDICAPPED IN THE
COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE
Statement by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon.
William McMahon, CH, MP
The Government has approved a recommendation of the
Public Service Board, made after consultation with other interested
Commonwealth authorities, for a further relaxation of the basic
medical standard for permanent appointment to the Commonwealth
4 Public Service. Subject to maintenance of the requirement of efficiency
for the duties to be performed, greater flexibility will in future
be observed in assessing the medical fitness of candidates for
permanent appointment.
At present the general practice is to expect appointees
to the Service to meet a medical standard designed to ensure a
Period of at least seven years' efficient service.
In future, a three-year minimum * period will be used as
a general guideline. This guideline will be flexibly administered
according to the duties to be performed and any other relevant
factors so as to allow consideration, on their particular merits,
of borderline cases. on the other hand, as at present, a longer
period may be required in some cases -for example, where lengthy
Utraining as a Cadet is involved.
This decision represents the second general relaxation
of the basic medical standard.
Until 19621, the general rule was that permanent appointees
to the Service ( other than returned soldiers) should be in sound
health and likely to remain so until retiring age. In May 1962,
the Government approved a recommendation of the Public Service Board
Which gave opportunities for many handicapped people to be
permanently appointed. These people contribute to the Provident
Account. / 2
Upwards of 10,00Y handicapped people have been
accepted for permanent aopointment as a result of the 1962
decision. The manner in which the handicanpped can be employed
in the Commonwealth Public Service has received continuing
attention by the Public Service Board. In its 1971 Annual
Renort, the Board indicated that an officer in each of its
Branch Offices in the States and Territories had been
nominated to assist with the placement of handicaoped persons.
The revised standard to be followed in the future
will significantly increase the emnloyment ooportunities in
the Commonwealth Public Service for the handicapped, a
development which should be well received by all interested
in their welfare.
CANBERRA, 1 October 1972