No crossed lines: PM gets message on disability support loud and clear

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Immigration minister Chris Bowen held a press conference following the Prime Minister's meeting with Opposition Leader Tony Abbott at Parliament House Canberra on Monday 19 September 2011. Photo: Andrew Meares

“We as a nation can do better for kids with disabilities and we must do better” … Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Photo: Andrew Meares

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has admitted that too little is being done for children with disabilities at a community cabinet meeting that received a sharp reminder of their cost to families.

Ms Gillard heard from the mother of a six-year-old with Down syndrome who said she was ”absolutely struggling” to gain assistance in management of her daughter.

”We’re a rich country and that’s not fair,” the woman, named Michelle, said.

She made a plea for more funding in education to give children with disabilities the same opportunities as everyone else in the crowded hall at Kingston High School, outside Hobart.

Ms Gillard said the disability assistance system as it stood was ”capped and queued”, so there was never enough money to go around, although she had committed an extra $200 million at the last election.

”We as a nation can do better for kids with disabilities and we must do better,” Ms Gillard said.

The meeting took 11 of her ministry to Tasmania, including the Foreign Minister, who drew applause when he introduced himself: ”I’m Kevin Rudd and I’m in Australia today, so I’m very happy about that.”

Mr Rudd took one question, about global vaccination programs, but most of the evening’s questions were taken by Ms Gillard, followed by the Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet.

Earlier at Kingston Beach, Ms Gillard helped to haul through fibre optic cable for the national broadband network as its roll-out continued.

Andrew Darby/Photo: AAP

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