I want to start by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands we’re meeting on, the Wurundjeri people.
And pay my respects to Elders past and present.
Thank you to White Box Enterprises and the Centre of Inclusive Employment for bringing us all together today – especially Luke Terry and Dr Louisa Ellum.
It’s great to have the chance to speak directly to so many amazing providers and advocates.
And of course, participants and their loved ones.
Because the reason we’re all here – the reason all of you do this work – is because it changes people’s lives.
Their sense of independence.
Their dignity.
Their ability to form friendships and relationships.
To create meaningful routines and gain a sense of belonging.
I know many of you here have been carrying the weight of uncertainty.
The Disability Royal Commission raised profound questions about the future of supported employment.
Consultations have felt never-ending at times.
Providers have been trying to plan for a future they can’t predict, while the ground beneath them has felt unstable.
Families have worried about what comes next for their loved ones.
And the people who rely on these programs have been left questioning whether their careers and their communities, will continue to exist.
I want to acknowledge that uncertainty plainly and to be clear that I see how valuable the work you all do is.
I know that for many Australians with high support needs, supported employment – when it’s provided ethically and responsibly - is a lifeline.
I know that many of you run businesses where skills are built.
Where friendships are formed.
Where people contribute, earn money, and develop a sense of purpose.
Participants have spoken about the friends they’ve made at work.
The things they’ve learned.
And the training they’ve had access to.
Those experiences matter.
But we also can’t ignore the challenges facing the sector.
We know many supported employment providers are under enormous financial pressure.
We know some organisations are struggling to maintain sustainable business models, and that concerns around fair wages for participants are real.
Just as we know that there are plenty of people involved in these programs who have been clear that they want more pathways into open employment.
So that they can access new opportunities, more mobility, and more choice.
As we continue this journey, we have to consider all those realities.
Because they reflect a simple truth: that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this.
For some people, open employment with the right supports will be the right answer.
And I’ll keep demanding better open employment opportunities for them.
For others, supported employment needs to remain in place, in some form, and as Minister I want to ensure it does.
One parent told us in consultations that moving their son into open employment – under the wrong conditions – would separate him from the people he knows and deprive him of a job he loves.
Those are the kind of outcomes all of us want to avoid.
Which is why our focus must remain on choice, control and of course, respect.
When we talk about choice, it can’t be tokenistic either.
It must be informed.
That means not making decisions for people, but with them.
That is one of the principles guiding us as we do this work.
Because people with disability deserve genuine options.
They should have the right to fair pay and dignity at work.
They should have access to training, career development and support to pursue their goals.
And all systems — the NDIS, Inclusive Employment Australia, the Disability Support Pension and supported employment providers — must work together effectively to make those choices real.
That’s why as a government, we’ve invested over $52 million, through the Structural Adjustment Fund, to help providers diversify employment pathways as they think about their future.
To test new business models.
And to support innovation and long-term sustainability.
Because we know the sector is evolving, and we want to support organisations through that transition.
I met with Minister Jenny McAllister earlier this month to discuss how our portfolios can work together more effectively as this work progresses.
And I want you to know that we are listening.
We understand consultation fatigue is real.
People want clarity, not endless process.
Which is why our goal is to wrap up consultations by the end of this year and move toward a clearer structural roadmap for the future.
A roadmap that supports organisations to evolve and diversify where necessary.
A roadmap that protects meaningful employment opportunities for people with high support needs.
And a roadmap that ensures people with disability and their families understand their rights, their options, and the supports available to them.
Because at the centre of all of this is people.
People who want what everyone wants.
A meaningful job.
Connection.
Purpose.
Or as one participant we consulted described it – a “fair chance.”
That is the challenge before all of us.
To build a system flexible enough to recognise difference.
A system that’s strong enough to survive, grow, adapt, empower.
And ambitious enough to expand the opportunities its participants can access.
I know many of you in this room have dedicated your lives to that work already.
And for that, we all owe you an enormous debt.
Because shaping the future of disability employment isn’t about dismantling programs - it’s about staying true to our values as a nation.
It’s about believing we have the tools to build a stronger, more resilient system.
And it’s about building it together.
Thank you.