The Equal Opportunities Forum of the Nationalist Party today organised a Disability Conference which was addressed by the Nationalist Party Leader, Simon Busuttil and by other Nationalist speakers on the social sector.  The Conference was attended by the major stakeholders in the sector.

The Nationalist Party Leader said that the Party looks forward to the day when, a person having a disability would be elected in Parliament and would be discussing subjects other than the theme of disability.  This would signify that the person’s ability would have triumphed over disability. 

Simon Busuttil referred to the anomaly of the two documents for the 2016 Budget and said that amongs the 50 proposals which were deleted, there was one proposal which would have meant a €5.16 weekly increase in the disability pension. The Leader of the Nationalist Party criticised the government’s proposal to segregate persons with a disability in a hub. The Nationalist Party believes that disabled persons should live with their families, with the government providing the necessary support services.  Simon Busuttil said that the Opposition is insisting that an amendment to the Constitution will be affected so that disability would be specifically listed as one of the forms of reality, against which discrimination is not allowed.

The Shadow Minister for Social Policy, Paula Mifsud Bonnici, spoke about the importance of the autonomy of the Commission for Disabled People. She said that the Opposition is ready to give its participation for the improvement in the quality of lives of people having disabilities, but for this to be possible the government must first consult the Opposition.

The Opposition speaker on Persons having a Disability, Robert Cutajar, said that the government should guarantee transparency in the way its agencies within this sector function, and he insisted that the government has introduced laws which are against international laws.

The Opposition speaker for the Fight Against Poverty, Stephen Spiteri, called for the quota for the number of persons with a disability at the place of work, to be enforced, and urged the government to set an example on this.

The President of the Equal Opportunities Forum of the Nationalist Party, Graziella Schembri spoke about the ongoing discussion between the Nationalist Party and persons having a disability so that the proposals of these persons shape the policy of the Party, with the person remaining at the centre of the political agenda.