Changing systems
Submissions
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Monitoring of Places of Detention (OPCAT) Bill 2022
The purpose of this Bill is to facilitate visits by the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (the Subcommittee) to places of detention in Queensland. QAI welcomes this Bill following the Subcommittee’s failed visit to Australia in October 2022 when it...
QAI’s final recommendations to the Disability Royal Commission
During the course of the Disability Royal Commission, QAI has provided extensive evidence of the ongoing mistreatment of people with disability in Australian society. QAI has made ten written submissions, given evidence at three public hearings, and our Disability...
Capability and Culture of the NDIA
QAI made a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in response to its inquiry into the Capability and Culture of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Despite several inquiries into the operation of the...
Places of Detention in Queensland
As a result of our work supporting clients in closed environments, QAI holds grave concerns regarding some of the physical and psychological conditions that people deprived of their liberty can endure when detained in certain Queensland-government funded institutions....
Guardianship, Substituted and Supported Decision-Making
QAI welcomes the Disability Royal Commission’s enhanced focus on guardianship, substituted and supported decision-making. While the intent behind guardianship legislation is to protect people with impaired decision-making capacity who are unable to make their own...
Information gathering for access and planning in the NDIS
QAI made a submission to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) in response to their survey on information gathering for access and planning. The submission responds to key questions in the survey that directly pertain to the experiences of participants...
Draft Guidelines on Deinstitutionalisation
At the 15th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), QAI learned about the CRPD Committee’s Draft Guidelines on Deinstitutionalisation, including in emergencies. These guidelines are very welcome...
Criminal Procedure Review – Magistrates Court
QAI made a short submission to the Criminal Procedure Review - Magistrates Court. Read our submission via the links below. Submission - PDF Submission - Word
QAI Intervention Statement to the United Nations
QAI made an intervention to the 15th Conference of States Parties (CoSP) General Debate, highlighting our concerns regarding risks to people with disability in closed environments and the inherent inability of closed environments to keep people safe from Covid-19...
The framework for a decriminalised sex work industry in Queensland
QAI welcomes the move to decriminalise sex work in Queensland. QAI has consistently raised concern about provisions within Queensland’s Criminal Code that infringe the human rights of people with disability and which arbitrarily limit their right to sexual...
Review of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld)
Advocating for the right for all people with disability to live a life free from violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination is core to QAI’s work. QAI welcomed the opportunity to provide a submission to the Queensland Human Rights Commission (QHRC) as...
QAI and ATSILS call for inquiry into school disciplinary absences
Queensland Advocacy Incorporated (QAI) and The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (Qld) Limited (ATSILS) are publicly calling upon the Queensland Human Rights Commissioner to conduct an inquiry into the use of school disciplinary absences in...
Queensland’s restrictive practices laws
QAI considers the use of restrictive practices to infringe the fundamental human rights of people with disability. Restrictive practices are used as a form of behaviour control, applied to individuals considered to be exhibiting ‘behaviours of concern’. There are...
Religious Discrimination Bill 2021
QAI made a submission on the proposed Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. QAI is deeply concerned about the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021...
Institutional Economic Neglect
In July 2021, QAI provided a submission on the Purpose, Intent and Adequacy of the Disability Support Pension to the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee inquiry. In December 2021, QAI provided this submission to the Disability Royal Commission as evidence of...
Public Trustee – Advisory and Monitoring Board
QAI made a submission to the Community Support and Services Committee regarding the Public Trustee (Advisory and Monitoring Board) Amendment Bill 2021. QAI supports the establishment of the Board and its intended functions to monitor and review the performance of the...
Inspector of Detention Services Bill 2021
QAI made a submission to the Legal Affairs and Safety Committee on the Inspector of Detention Services Bill 2021. People with disability are over-represented in all sites of detention and are at greater risk of experiencing torture and ill-treatment in these settings....
NDIS Amendment (Participant Service Guarantee and Other Measures) Bill 2021
QAI made a submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee regarding the proposed reforms contained in the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Participant Service Guarantee and Other Measures) Bill 2021. Overall, QAI considers that many of...
Criminal Justice System – DRC issues paper
QAI made a submission to the Disability Royal Commission in response to the 'Criminal Justice System' issues paper. QAI welcomes the Royal Commission's focus on the experiences of people with disability in the criminal justice system. Despite increasing commitment by...
NDIS legislative changes and the Participant Service Guarantee
QAI made a submission to the Department of Social Services regarding the proposed changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 and the introduction of the Participant Service Guarantee. QAI supports the underlying intention behind many of the proposed...
Supporting you to make your own decisions
QAI and Leadership Plus have collaborated to provide a response to the NDIA's Support for Decision-Making policy. The increased focus on the decision-making rights of people with disability engaging with the NDIS is extremely welcome. However, whilst the proposed...
Public Trustee – Fees and Charges review
In August 2021, The Public Trustee of Queensland commenced a review of its Fees and Charges. QAI assists many people with disability whose financial affairs are managed by the Public Trustee. Whilst the Public Trustee states that its vision is to protect the dignity...
Vilification and people with disability
Some people with disability experience vilification and harassment on the basis of their disability. This includes physical and verbal abuse and can be perpetrated by strangers, groups or people known to them. Whilst disability is a leading cause of discrimination, it...
Coercive Control
QAI made a submission to the Women's Safety and Justice Taskforce regarding the proposals to legislate against coercive control and create a standalone domestic violence offence. QAI is deeply concerned about the disproportionate rates of violence and abuse affecting...
NDIS Amendment (Improving Supports for At Risk Participants) Bill 2021
QAI made a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs regarding the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Improving Supports for At Risk Participants) Bill 2021. QAI has been concerned for some time about the ability of the NDIS Quality...
National Register of Enduring Powers of Attorney
QAI made a submission to the Attorney-General's Department regarding the proposed National Register of Enduring Powers of Attorney. QAI agrees that a National Register of Enduring Power of Attorneys ('EPOAs) would assist in reducing financial abuse, in particular, the...
Disability Support Pension
QAI made a submission to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee on their inquiry into the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and its purpose, intent and adequacy. QAI considers that the DSP in its current form has lost its purpose, is unreasonable in its...
Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021
QAI is vigilant about the risks for people with disability inherent in schemes that legalise voluntary assisted dying. Voluntary assisted dying must never be a substitute for access to appropriate medical care, disability support services or palliative care, or indeed...
Promoting Inclusion
What does an inclusive society mean to you? As an organisation dedicated to promoting the rights and interests of the most vulnerable Queenslanders with disability, QAI considers an inclusive society to be an essential prerequisite for people with disability to enjoy...
National Disability Employment Strategy
Further to our previous work on the new National Disability Strategy, QAI recently provided a submission to the Department of Social Services regarding the proposed National Disability Employment Strategy. With the underrepresentation of people with disability in...