Petition to repeal carer legislation presented at parliament today

Today Rachel Noble, Chief Executive of the Disabled Persons Assembly presented a petition, with thousands signatures, to parliament demanding the repeal of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Amendment Act (No 2) 2013.

Rachel says, “In effect the Act prevents disabled people who need a carer having the choice about who cares for them and that just isn’t right.

She says New Zealanders want the Act repealed because it limits the circumstances in which family can care for a disabled person. For example parents can be paid as carers but not spouses. It also imposes a payment system with a lesser pay rate for family than is offered to non-family members.

Rachel Noble the Chief Executive of the Disabled Person’s Assembly says the Act also removes any legal remedy by declaring no further complaints about the policy can be made. “The Act was passed under urgency (in just one day) despite the Attorney-General saying it was inconsistent with the right to judicial review and potentially inconsistent with the right to freedom from discrimination”, says Rachel.

Green MP Catherine Delehaunty received the petition at Parliament She agrees the Act needs to be repealed. She says, “This legislation is a blatant abuse of human rights.”

ENDS

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