Jacquie Petrusma

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Vulnerable Tasmanians are now bearing the brunt of Labor and the Greens' cruel budget cuts, with waiting lists for Individual Support Packages skyrocketing.

At the same time last year, 224 Tasmanians were on waiting lists for ISPs, but that has now skyrocketed to 364 - a massive 62.5 per cent increase!

This is not how Tasmanians should be celebrating International Day of People with a Disability.

As Greens' Human Services spokeswoman, Cassy O'Connor said in 2009 that there is nothing kind and clever about denying Tasmanians who are living with a disability.

But since Ms O'Connor took over as Human Services Minister earlier this year, waiting lists have grown to historically high levels.

Many people requesting ISPs are parents with adult children with a disability who are ageing and who have delivered care over a lifetime and can no longer do so.

Others are families with children with disabilities who have reached breaking point.

The simple fact is, these waiting lists aren't going to improve under the Green-Labor Government's devastating budget cuts

The budget mess created by Labor and the Greens is now impacting on Tasmania's most vulnerable, and support for the most disadvantaged should not be an optional extra for this Government.

This is a cruel blow for vulnerable Tasmanians on waiting lists across the state.

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