National Roundtables

National Roundtables

The Alliance convened a number of national roundtables that aimed to raise awareness of the issues young people living with complex disability and complex needs face, especially those who are in residential aged care or at risk of admission.

Young people living with a disability and their families told us we need systemic reforms to resolve the longstanding challenge of ensuring they have somewhere to live with supports that make it possible for them to live dignified lives.

Our Roundtables have been cross-party and involved parliamentary representatives of all parties. They have also included senior delegates from the health, disability, housing and aged care sectors.

You can find about some

Life Time Care and Support - 2011

In anticipation of the Productivity Commission’s forthcoming Report into Disability Care and Support and with evidence of poor sector understanding of the issues the Commission was charged with addressing, the Alliance convened a Life Time Care and Support roundtable to inform and educate sector discussions around life time care approaches. Panellists included:

  • Randal Southee, National Service Delivery Manager, National Serious Injury Service for the NZ Accident Compensation Corporation
  • Dr Susan Mathers, Director of Neurology at Bethlehem Hospital Melbourne
  • Mary Nolan, founder of ABI advocacy group, InAbility PossAbility, and mother of a young man with complex needs living in a nursing home
  • Sheree Hurley, Peer Support Coordinator with Spinal Cord Injuries Australia.

Participants included representatives from national peak disability, aged care and health organisations as well as senior state and federal bureaucrats, consumers and providers.

View the final report:

Lifetime Care and Support Report

Need for a national disability insurance scheme - 2009

Facilitated by ABC Radio National’s political journalist and Breakfast presenter Fran Kelly, panelists included;

  • Sir Owen Woodhouse, respected NZ judge and head of the 1974 Australian Woodhouse Committee of Inquiry into a no fault insurance scheme for Australia to cover accidents and sickness. This Inquiry’s Report recommended a universal insurance scheme for injury and disability in Australia. Sir Woodhouse was also the key architect of the NZ Accident Compensation Corporation, the world’s oldest accident insurance scheme
  • Hon Bill Shorten, then federal Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services
  • John Walsh partner with PwC Sydney and Assistant Commissioner with the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into Disability Reform
  • Dr Andrew Pesce, then President of the Australian Medical Association
  • Milly Parker, owner of successful Australian small business, Happy Yapper’s dog biscuits and a young woman with a brain injury
  • Anj Barker, another former YPINH with an acquired brain injury.

Social insurance funding for disability - 2007

Facilitated by well known media personality, Julie McCrossin, this roundtable involved a panel discussion with panellists including then NSW Health Minister Hon John Della Bosca, then Victorian Community Services Minister Hon, Gavin Jennings, then shadow federal Minister for Ageing, Disabilities and Carers, Senator Jan McLucas, then shadow federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon and Chris Cuff who had helped establish the Tasmanian no fault motor vehicle scheme (MAIB).

The YPINH issue - 2004

Facilitated by Sydney newspaper columnist Margot Kingston, the roundtable encompassed a panel discussion involved panelists including then federal shadow health minister, Hon. Julia Gillard, then shadow employment minister, Hon. Craig Emerson, then shadow Victorian Community Services Minister, Hon. Gavin Jennings and a young person who had lived in a nursing home and her family.