Media Release.
The
Newman Government has been embarrassed into finally agreeing to end
discrimination against Queenslanders who rely on assistance dogs, says
Shadow Housing Minister Jo-Ann
Miller.
“Last
month Shadow Disability Services Minister Desley Scott introduced a
Private Member’s Bill to close a loophole which resulted in vision and
hearing impaired Queenslanders
refused accommodation because of their assistance dogs,” Mrs Miller
said.
“The
Opposition acted because the Newman Government had ignored lobbying by
groups such as Vision Australia and Guide Dogs Queensland to pass
legislation to make it a specific
offence for accommodation providers to turn away people with an
assistance dog."
“Today,
after 18 months of inaction which placed Queensland in contravention of
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with
Disabilities, the Government responded
by introducing its own amendment to legislation."
“It is better late than never and the Opposition is delighted that the end of this discrimination is finally within reach.”
Mrs
Scott said that the loophole was an unintended consequence of the
Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009, which inadvertently failed
to include provisions for rental
accommodation and made it possible for landlords of permanent,
temporary or holiday premises to refuse entry to those aided by dogs.
“Once
the oversight was pointed out to the previous Labor Government,
amendments were prepared to correct the anomaly but the changes lapsed
when the Newman Government came
to power,” she said.
“Despite
lobbying, it was sad that the Newman Government did not treat this
issue with any urgency until it was embarrassed by the Private Member’s
Bill to act.
Other than some slight wording changes to one of the clauses, the Government’s Bill is identical to the one I introduced."
“We
will, of course, offer our support for the Government’s amendment to
speed its progress through Parliament and finally end this
discrimination.”
No comments:
Post a Comment