The Government's call for Australian employers to be good corporate citizens and employ more people with disabilities is grossly hypocritical given the drastic reduction in such positions now available within government organisations. Minister Vanstone today announced the Prime Minister's annual Employer of the Year Awards, saying that 'employing a person with a disability not only makes sound financial sense, it signals to the community that a business is a good corporate citizen'. According to the Workplace Diversity Report 2001-2002, there has been a consistent decline in the employment of people with a disability in the Australian Public Service, both as a proportion of APS employees and in absolute numbers. Australian Democrats Disability spokesperson, Senator Brian Greig, says the overall drop in positions for people with disabilities available in the public service shows what a poor role model the government is. The Report states that 'The number of people with a disability employed has declined from 8092 at June 1993 to 4056 at June 2002, while the proportion declined from 5.7% at June 1993 to 3.9% at June 2001, with a further small decline to 3.6% in June 2002.' "The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has an equally dismal record in this area by employing only 2.7 per cent," Senator Greig said. "The Government should put its words into action by providing more employment opportunities for employees with disabilities. "It's one thing to suggest everyone else should be good corporate citizens, but with around 20 per cent of the Australian population having a disability, the Australian Public Service's record of 3.6 per cent employment is a disgrace," Senator Greig said. Source Senator Greig, Democrats ###