Australian Human Rights Commission CRPD information concerning Australia – 11.03.13 77. The Australian Government recently released a discussion paper Improving the employment of participation of people with disability in Australia. 47 The discussion paper focuses on the identification of barriers and solutions to increasing employment of people with disability. 78. The Commission has drawn the Australian Government’s attention to the National Inquiry into Employment and Disability conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2005-2006. 48 The inquiry identified barriers and solutions which remain relevant to increasing the employment of people with disability. 79. The Commission has urged the Australian Government to utilise the findings of the National Inquiry in the development of new measures to raise awareness of the issue and remove barriers to the employment of people with disability. 80. The Commission welcomes the initiative in the NDIS Bill requiring that the composition of the 13 member NDIS Advisory Council include at least 4 people with disability (with relevant skills, experience or knowledge), 2 carers (with relevant skills, experience or knowledge), and at least one member with skills, experience or knowledge in the supply or provision of equipment or services to people with disability.49 The Commission also welcomes the ‘expression of interest’ process aimed at recruiting people with disability into the Agency workforce. 50 81. The Commission notes that these initiatives would not only further engage Article 27 of the Disability Convention, but would also begin to address the reduction in the employment levels of people with disability in the Australian Public Service that has occurred over the last 20 years. There has been a consistent decline from 5.8% in 1992 to 3.7% in 2001 to 2.9% in 2012.51 82. The Twenty Years: Twenty Stories short film concerning people with disability and employment ‘Works for me’ is available here. 1 Disability Rights Now: Civil Society Report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2012, (Compiled by Disability Representative, Advocacy, Legal and Human Rights Organisations). At http://www.disabilityrightsnow.org.au/node/15 (viewed 24 January 2013). 2 See: Discrimination Act 1991 (ACT), Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld), Anti-Discrimination Act 1996 (NT), Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (WA), Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 (Tas), Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA), Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic). 3 Australia’s human rights obligations are considered to be those rights set out in the following core international instruments: the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, 1965; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 1966; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966; the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, 1979; the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 1984; the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989; and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2006. 4 For information on Australia’s Human Rights Framework, see Australian Government, Australia’s Human Rights Framework. At http://www.ag.gov.au/humanrightsframework (viewed 3 January 2013). 5 For information on the NDIS Launch Transition Agency see http://www.ndis.gov.au/ndislaunc/launch-transition-agency/ (viewed 23 January 2013). 14