Planned reforms aim to clarify protections for people with disability
Australia’s government recently announced that it released an issues paper seeking submissions on reforms to the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and tabled the Commonwealth ombudsman’s first six-monthly report on the operation of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (PID Act).
According to a joint media release from three government ministers, the issues paper called for submissions by the 24 October 2025 deadline on planned disability discrimination law reforms and ways to clarify and enhance protections for people with disability.
“The Albanese government is committed to working with the disability community to uphold the rights of Australians living with disability, while ensuring adequate protections exist to combat disability discrimination,” said Michelle Rowland, Australia’s attorney-general, in the media release.
“Our government wants to ensure Australians living with a disability can access and participate in all parts of society on the same basis as people without disability,” said Mark Butler, minister for health, ageing, disability, and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), in the media release.
“We know people with disability must be at the centre of the review of the Disability Discrimination Act,” said Jenny McAllister, NDIS minister, in the media release.
In the media release, the government said the issues paper formed part of its response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission).
“The review of the Disability Discrimination Act is one important aspect of our response to the Disability Royal Commission – ensuring Commonwealth anti-discrimination legislation remains fit-for-purpose,” Rowland said.
In the joint media release, the government encouraged people with disability, carers, families, kin, advocates, service providers, employers, unions, educational bodies, small businesses, legal professionals, academia, and other community members to give feedback on the issues paper.
The government noted that it offers various ways for those interested to share their thoughts in the manner most suitable to them, including a short community survey and options to send written, audio, or video submissions.
“Our government continues to listen and consult, as we work towards a more inclusive Australia where people with disability can live with dignity, equality and respect,” McAllister said.
“I encourage all interested people to have their say on how we can strengthen protections for people with disability,” Butler added.
In a separate media release from Rowland, the government said the Commonwealth ombudsman’s report showed that the government’s reforms to the PID Act were working, and disclosures were being made, allocated, and investigated as needed.
“The Albanese government is committed to ensuring appropriate supports and protections are available for public officials and witnesses who make disclosures under the Public Interest Disclosure Act,” Rowland said in the media release.
According to the media release, the government’s PID Act updates, enacted in 2023, sought to enhance the safeguards for disclosers and witnesses, ensure that the scheme would target integrity-associated wrongdoing, make the ombudsman’s reports to the Parliament more frequent, and improve oversight in other ways.
“Through more frequent reporting on the operation of the Act, the government is strengthening public confidence in the proper operation of government departments and agencies,” Rowland said. “The government will continue to consider further reforms to the Public Interest Disclosure Act to ensure the Act is fit-for-purpose.”
In the media release, the government noted that it was committed to enhancing the public sector whistleblowing framework and weighing possible changes aiming to better protect whistleblowers.
