ROYAL COMMISSION INTO ABUSE AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY

One year ago today Labor called for a Royal Commission into the violence and abuse of people with disability.

A year on, it’s very disappointing that the Turnbull Government has continued to turn its back on people with disability, their families, carers and advocates by refusing to establish a Royal Commission.

When asked by Bill Shorten last year in Question Time, Malcolm Turnbull told the Parliament that:

Mr Turnbull apparently handballed it to the Disability Reform Council (DRC).

Then nothing happened. There’s been no progress. It’s simply not good enough.

Labor will not allow countless sickening incidents of abuse against people with disability to be ignored.

It’s unacceptable that over 90 per cent of women with an intellectual disability have been victims of sexual assault.

It’s unacceptable that children with disability are at least three times more likely to experience abuse than other children.

It’s unacceptable that many cases that have described clear cases of abuse the perpetrators have never been charged and in some instances have been allowed to continue working with vulnerable people.

Labor again urges Mr Turnbull to act now and call a Royal Commission.

People with disability, their families and carers and victims and their families have called for a Royal Commission.

We’ve seen how important the Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse has been in uncovering thousands of cases of child sexual abuse and referring cases to the authorities for investigation, including the police

We’ve seen how important the Royal Commission into the Banking and Financial Services has been in revealing evidence of alleged bribery, forged documents and even financial planners charging fees to dead clients.

So why won’t Mr Turnbull do the right thing and establish a Royal Commission into violence and abuse against people with disability?

Labor again calls on Malcolm Turnbull to begin the work to establish a Royal Commission immediately.

It’s time for a Royal Commission, people with disability deserve nothing less.