Thursday, 19 February 2026

 Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:41): (1518) My question is to the Minister for Disability, and the information I seek is: why has it become increasingly difficult to obtain a Victorian companion card for Victorians who have a severe and permanent disability and cannot access community events or travel on public transport without a companion? I was recently contacted by a local constituent, Hayley. Hayley is the mother of Lachlan, who has a severe and permanent disability. Unfortunately, Lachlan has been refused a companion card despite him having this lifelong disability that he lives with each and every day. Lachlan has a functional capacity assessed at 2.5 per cent, placing him amongst the most severely impacted individuals, yet his application has still been unsuccessful. I have written to the minister about this instance on a number of occasions, and yet we are still unable to secure a companion card for Lachlan. I ask the minister: why is this so?