PM gets message on disability support loud and clear

Julia Gillard says if Tasmanian MPs don't vote in favour of a joint federal and state government forestry agreement, the state will miss out on compensation that's promised under the deal. But one Upper House MP says the money on offer isn't enough and he's still opposed to the idea of creating new native forest reserves.


Ms Gillard heard from the mother of a six-year-old with Down syndrome who said she was ''absolutely struggling'' to gain assistance in management of her daughter.
''We're a rich country and that's not fair,'' the woman, named Michelle, said.
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She made a plea for more funding in education to give children with disabilities the same opportunities as everyone else in the crowded hall at Kingston High School, outside Hobart.
Ms Gillard said the disability assistance system as it stood was ''capped and queued'', so there was never enough money to go around, although she had committed an extra $200 million at the last election.
''We as a nation can do better for kids with disabilities and we must do better,'' Ms Gillard said.
The meeting took 11 of her ministry to Tasmania, including the Foreign Minister, who drew applause when he introduced himself: ''I'm Kevin Rudd and I'm in Australia today, so I'm very happy about that.''
Mr Rudd took one question, about global vaccination programs, but most of the evening's questions were taken by Ms Gillard, followed by the Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet.
Earlier at Kingston Beach, Ms Gillard helped to haul through fibre optic cable for the national broadband network as its roll-out continued.