10. Question No. 10—Disability IssuesJAN LOGIE (Green) to the Minister for Disability IssuesQuestion No. 10—Disability Issues10. JAN LOGIE (Green) to the Minister for Disability Issues: How many of the 13 principles outlined by the Access Alliance will be given effect in the proposed accessibility legislation and which principles if any will not be included?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Disability Issues): Can I begin by acknowledging the contribution of the Access Alliance and other disabled people and whānau who have all had a part to play in this work and in improving accessibility throughout Aotearoa. We've worked closely with the Access Alliance during the development of our accessibility framework and have incorporated nine of their 13 principles in some way. Incorporating all 13 would take a significant period of time to introduce. We want to start making change now and our accessibility framework is an important first step to supporting Aotearoa to progressively become more accessible.Jan Logie: Is it true the Access Alliance worked with the Ministry of Social Development for 2½ years only for the Government to choose a legislative framework they couldn't support?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: We have been working with the Access Alliance for an extended period of time. COVID slowed down the work programme with regards to accessibility legislation. There are many facets of what we have announced that the Access Alliance do support. There are some things that they proposed that we could not support. They wanted a single regulatory framework which we as a Government couldn't support with regards to what we are putting forward because of the complexity that that would involve. It would mean the potential duplication of rules and legislation. It would mean that potentially accessibility legislation would be at odds with existing legislation. It would've meant that we would've had to look at legislation across multiple areas and potentially try and make changes. It wasn't feasible nor was it practical. Where we have landed with regards to an enabling framework is something that we're comfortable with but we're certainly looking forward to all of the submissions that will come forward when the legislation goes to the House mid - next year.Jan Logie: Did the Government consider the model proposed in the Law Foundation - funded research Making New Zealand Accessible: A Design for Effective Accessibility Legislation which gave effect to most of the Access Alliance's 13 principles?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: We considered all of the options that were in front of us as well as the single regulatory framework that the Access Alliance had wanted which I think is also reflected in the report that the member speaks about. There was also an ask for much tighter enforceable standards. Again it would go back to the issue that I raised earlier about the potential for duplication legislation being at odds across various sectors. So where we have landed we are quite comfortable with. However again we look forward to the select committee process. That is an opportunity to look at ways in which we can improve the legislation.Jan Logie: How will systemic change be achieved for the disabled community if there's no independent monitoring or enforcement mechanism in the proposed framework?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: As part of the proposal we have been very clear that we will have an Accessibility Governance Board that will have some responsibility for the monitoring of progress that we are looking to make. It will also have the potential to have quite an important impact on prospective legislation once that legislation is in place as well as us being given the impetus to be able to look at the existing legislation where it creates barriers or doesn't allow for the types of accessibility that we would expect through the legislation and what's outlined in there once that's in place.Jan Logie: How will the Accessibility Governance Board hold—and I'll quote—the system to account to make New Zealand more accessible and equitable" without any enforcement mechanisms?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: There are a range of details that we have said from the time that we announced this that will need to be determined and worked out. The legislation is not yet in front of us; July is when we're looking to introduce that to the House. Some of the points that the member raised are things that we need to continue to look at and work on and we are very much committed to doing that alongside disabled people and our disability community and sector.Jan Logie: Will the Government commit to taking disabled people's feedback on board before it drafts the legislation to ensure that the bill actually has that power to break down the barriers to their participation in society?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Certainly but at the same time that select committee process is going to be very important and we also have to ensure that anything that we put before the House is practical it is achievable and it is something that as a Government we will actually be able to implement and enforce. So that's certainly our focus."