Statutes Amendment and Repeal (Budget 2015) Bill | Motion
13/10/2015
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: I will speak briefly to indicate Dignity for Disability’s general support for the second reading of the bill, but I would also like to raise a few questions. Firstly, I would like to thank the Treasurer’s office for arranging, I believe, eight people to brief my office on the bill, so it was obviously a very comprehensive briefing.
We support some of the measures in this bill which support people with disabilities, family carers and disability support providers where relevant, including exemptions from conveyance duty on properties transferred to special disability trusts and as used by the beneficiary’s principal place of residence; exemptions from stamp duty on motor vehicle transfers where the patient or guardian of an ‘incapacitated child’ buys a vehicle to transport that child; and exemptions from stamp duty on motor vehicle transfers where disability service providers buy vehicles to transport persons with disabilities.
Dignity for Disability has raised some additional issues in relation to the stamp duty exemption. We would like to see it extended to all family vehicles used to transport adults with disability where their disability would prevent them from independently transporting themselves. At the moment, it only extends to people under the age of 18. I am sure that I do not need to tell anyone in this chamber that just because someone turns 18, it does not mean that their disability and their related needs disappear and they no longer require assistance in a modified vehicle, where that is what they require.
We have also sought some clarification around what the term ‘incapacitated’ means and whether that is the definition we are looking for and the one we should be using. It is certainly not a 21stcentury definition of disability and it would be good to see legislation starting to reflect appropriate person-first language appropriate to this century, not the last. Language certainly does matter. However, I think the use of the term ‘incapacitated’ is also unclear for another reason. It is my understanding that this refers specifically to someone whose disability affects the use of their legs and thereby their ability to drive a car.
My office certainly deals with lots of constituents who do not necessarily have a physical disability but may have a disability that is intellectual or sensory in nature, which would impact their ability to independently use a vehicle, so we would like this exemption expanded to cover them. I understand from speaking to the Treasurer that he is open to expanding this definition, and I thank him for that, but I would like to make sure that that is what will happen.
This bill also amends the Rates and Land Tax Remission Act 1986 to provide a new cost of living concession to replace the existing council rate concession. While Dignity for Disability applauds this initiative, we have had some concerns raised with us by constituents around the awareness of this new concession for renters and the accessibility of the website administering the payment.
On 30 July, members may recall that I asked some questions in this place about this website and I have not yet received an official answer. In the briefing my office had yesterday, some questions were provided when put to the government briefer but some still remain unclear, so perhaps I will put some of those on the record now.
1. Why is the downloadable application form in PDF only, meaning that it could be inaccessible to people using screen readers due to a vision impairment? I would certainly hate for people to have to rely on someone to read the form out to them.
2. Is there a plan to make a version of the application form that is not only not in PDF but also in easy English and plain language for people with literacy issues?
3. Why can’t those applying for the concession post 31 October access the payment for this financial year?
4. Why will it take up to 31 March, that is nine months, if you apply on 1 July for this payment to be received? Why does it take nine months to process an application for $100.
5. Will the department be providing face-to-face support as well as phone and internet based support for South Australians through an agency such as Service SA to assist people to apply for this concession?
I appreciate that I have already put some of these questions on record, but given that they have been raised to me by constituents who are interested in applying for this concession, I would appreciate an answer so that I can go back to them and support them with applying for this important concession. With having put those questions on record, I indicate again Dignity for Disability’s general support for the bill.
