Thursday, 13 August 2026

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria) (10:01): Geelong people have big hearts, but we are also very pragmatic. We like to see good ideas turned into positive and practical action. When it comes to creating better employment opportunities for people with disability, Geelong is in a unique position. We have a great TAFE in the Gordon, a major health network headed by Barwon Health and we are home to the headquarters of the TAC, WorkSafe Victoria and the National Disability Insurance Agency. That was part of the thinking behind our Victorian Labor government’s $36 million investment in the Gordon’s Centre of Excellence in Disability Inclusion, bringing together education, industry, government and, importantly, people with lived experience to improve the journey from training into employment. Last week I joined Christine Couzens MP, member for Geelong, at the Gordon as these organisations signed the new Geelong inclusive employment compact. The signing was much more than symbolic. It means embedding disability inclusion into recruitment, job design, workplace support, a pathway through training and work experience into real jobs. That is real inclusion in practical terms, and I am very proud that Geelong is leading the way. I am also proud of our Labor government, who developed this project and, in working closely with locals, are delivering a groundbreaking disability skills employment ecosystem.