PRIINMEI S6E
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P. 3. KEATING, MP
EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR AWARDS, 7 SEPTEMBER 1992
Ladies and gentlemen,
I em very pleased to be here for the presentation of the
Prime Minister's Employer of the Year Awards. Thank~ you
all for coming.
You will often hear from our side of politics the term
" 1social net" by which we mean the protection of those
who for any reason need protection or assistance, who
live and work at a disadvantage.
We think the " social net" is a measure of how civilised
we are.
I think the term is sometimes misunderstood.
It is not merely a social backstop. It is not socially
inactive or passive.
Increasingly in the last decade, Australians have
developed creative programs, which are valuable both to
the individual and society at large.
And I think we have come to recognise in Australia that
such programs are m~ ore than a measure of our progress
towards a good society they actively propel us along
that path.
They give us all a bit more strength.
We are here today to congratulate employers who have
given new lob opportunities to people with disabilities.
People who have been given these opportunities speak of
the enormous boost to their confidence and self-esteem,
the sense of independence and self-reliance they gain
things which are basic to all of us.
We're here to congratulate employers who have made this
possible but we also owe them our thanks. z> tp -j' 6 10 -Uj Imu F V I, V_,
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Because in doing these things, it seems to me, we j.
grow in self-esteem, and confidence, and self-reliance.
We make Australia a better place to live when we do them.
Ladies and gentlemen
1992 marks the end of the United Nations International
Decade of disabled pe~ rsons,' so it is appropriate, I
think, to briefly" outlfiie how the Commonwealth Government
has been living up to its responsibilities.
In 1987 we took an historic first step towards overcoming
the barriers faced by Australians with disabilities, with
the introduction of theDisabilityServices Act.
The Act has provided both a significant catalyst for
change and a set of principles and objectives to strive
for. it took the needs of people with disablities out of the
realms of protective charity and into those of social
policy. It made segregation in accomodation and employment a
thing of the past.
The Disability Services Act established two new
employment models:
competitive employment and training agencies which
enable people with disabilities to earn a full wage
and
supported employment services for those people who
require additional training and support.
I'm pleased to say that many of the employers who have
been nominated for these awards'have received assistance
from services funded under the Act.
The introduction late last year of theDisabilityReform.
Package extends our initiative to provide adequate
assistance for those who are unable to compete in the
labour market, while also providing opportunities and
encouragement for those who have potential for
employment. Ladies and gentlemen
Today I am proud to advise you that the Disability
Di~ scrimnration Bill has passed through the House of
Representatives.. Under the legislat. on, people with disabilities who
experience discrimination in employment will be able to
make a complaint to the Human Rights and Equal
Opportunity Commission.
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The Disability Discrimination Bill will complement
existing State laws in the area of physical, intellectual
and psychiatric disability, and extend to people with
disabilities similar rights and opportunities as are
enjoyed by Australians generally.
I am also pleased to say that, despite the tight fiscal
environment? in this year's Budget we announced a package
of assistance to address the additional costs of
disability. We have come a long way in this Decade of Disabled
Persons. But new challenges emerge.
We need to provide support for people commensurate
with their needs.
We need to address more comprehensively people with
psychiatric disabilities people who in the past
have suffered from very considerable neglect.
We need to generate employment and activity
opportunities for people currently in sheltered
workshops. We need to facilitate the successful transition of
young people with disabilities from school into the
workforce or further training.
The Government is committed to ensuring that young people
with disabilities obtain their share of access to the
employment and training places announced in the
Government's Youth Statement, Young Australians.
There are of course no easy or quick solutions but, in
view of what has been achieved so far, I am confident
that imagination and sustained cooperative effort can
take us a long way.
Our success has proved the value of cooperation between
the Commonwealth Government and its departments, State
governments, organisations representing people with
disabilities, service providers, employers and unions.
I am pleased that many of these bodies are represented
here and I welcome them all.
In particular, I want to thank Ian Spicer and Martin
Ferguson. Their presence acknowledges the work which employers and
unions have been doing jointly ani1 individually to raise
the awareness of their members about the capacities and
the largely untapped potential of people with
disabilities. > ep ' JZ III U I %. IV I
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Ladies and Gentlemen
Today we can celebrate the achievements of many hundreds
of Australians who are turning our ideal into a reality.
Australia's achievements in the area of disability
legislation, programs and financial assistance have
placed us in the forefront of international development
in this area.
Australia received recognition and praise at the
Independence ' 92 Congress in Vancouver last year.
As I have said on more than one occasion in recent
months, these difficult economic times we have been
through, and the economic challenges we face, do not
constitute a reason for discounting our social
achievements or our social goals.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Let me thank on your behalf the selection panel who face
the difficult task of choosing the finalists from shortlists
from each State and Territory and the Comxnownwealth
and who also insisted on examining all the entrants, not
only those who were short-listed.
Finally, let me say something about the employers who
have been nominated for these awards.
Among the significant features of the nominations were
the full award wages and conditions under which
people are employed.
the willingness of employers to modify the workplace
the level of integration into the workplace of
employees with a disability, and
the expanding of job profiles of workers to allow
them the training and supervision necessary to
perform more complex tasks in the organisations.
A wide variety of occupations and industries are
The success stories include a customer service
operator, an apprentice upholsterer, a fast food kitchenhand,
a horticultural employee, and office work in
architectural and engineering firms to name just a few.
Ladles and Gentlemen
On behalf of everyone here I want to congratulate all the
employers nominated for these awards. TEL Sep 92 15: Ut) NO . UU3 r. u4/ uz)
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It might well be said, beyond the recognition we afford
them today, the most satisfying return on their efforts
lies in the words of some of those people they have
helped. For instance, one man with a severe physical disability
has said: " I feel proud of myself. Since becoming financially
independent, I have been able to help other people,"
Another said: " before, when I wasn't working I was more
frightened to go out but now I am more secure and
self-confident."
And a young man with an intellectual disability has
remarked on how much better the experience of working is
compared to social security:
" People still have the right to have a Job, he said,
to do things like other people. With 8 job you can
plan things you want to do with your life instead of
relying on other people."
Ladies and Gentlemen-
I now ask my colleague the Minister for Health, Housing
and Community Services, Mr Brian Howe, to Call upon the
State and Commonwealth winners to come forward and
receive their awards.