Ms MACKLIN(10.49 p.m.) —I would like to take the opportunity tonight to draw the attention of the House to some recent developments in the organisation of disability services. They have received scant attention either in the House or more broadly in the community but of course have a very significant impact upon people with disabilities, their families and carers and the services on which they rely.

In particular, I want to talk about the renegotiation of the Commonwealth-state disability agreement. This agreement governs the funding and organisation of disability services throughout the country. It expired on 30 June this year after five years of operation and after an independent evaluation that had been in fact completed a year before. The evaluation had taken place a year before, so the Commonwealth and the states had had a year to reach agreement on the terms and conditions of the new agreement. They have failed to do so—a story that is becoming too common with this government.

This failure must in large part be attributed to the Commonwealth. Not only has it been unwilling to reassure state governments that existing funding levels will be maintained in a new agreement; it has attempted to reduce funding—and this despite the findings of the evaluation that in all service types funded under the agreement demand for services exceeds supply. It found that 13,500 people with severe and profound handicaps were in critical need of accommodation; 7,700 people with severe and profound handicaps had a carer over the age of 70; 7,000 carers of people with severe and profound handicaps did not have access to respite care; and up to 70,000 people with severe and profound handicaps might need access to day or recreation activities.

I am seeing the impact of the decisions to reduce funding in my own electorate, where, for example, Commonwealth funding cuts to a group called SPEECH, the Society to Promote Essential Education for Children, threatened the viability of services at Eltham, West Preston and Broadmeadows. If these services are curtailed, the children who now attend classes at these centres to assist them in overcoming severe speech and communication impairments will be severely disadvantaged. Without early intervention such as that provided through SPEECH, their future education and employment will be severely disadvantaged, as will their ability to interact socially.

I have also recently had the parents of severely disabled adults living at home plead ing with me to help them find a home in community residential units.

Mrs Bailey interjecting—

Ms MACKLIN —The member for McEwen interrupts. My electorate borders hers. The service in Eltham is undoubtedly serving people in the electorate of McEwen. Instead of shouting in this debate, she should take up the matter with the responsible minister, the Minister for Family Services (Mrs Moylan), who has seen severe cuts take place and has not been prepared to take this agreement to the states. The minister might listen. The member for McEwen obviously is not interested, and I will be very happy to let her electors in Eltham know what is going to happen as a result of this minister's incompetence.

The minister has said to all the states and territories, `We're not going to have a new Commonwealth-state disability agreement. We're just going to extend it by a month at a time.' If the member for McEwen thinks that that will help the people in her electorate or my electorate who need access to services, such as children who cannot hear properly and parents who have severely disabled children, she has no idea about the needs of those children or their parents. That shows just how out of touch this government is.

Mrs Bailey —In 13 years you did precious little.

Ms MACKLIN —We had an outstanding agreement on disability services. Minister Moylan repeatedly refuses to consider the needs of people with disabilities. The member for McEwen clearly sides with the minister, who has no understanding of the needs of the states or the needs of people with disabilities. We will be more than happy to let the people of Eltham know what her views are.