STATES REJECT ABBOTT'S PLAN TO DELAY NDIS

Media Release

Jenny Macklin

Shadow Minister for Families and Payments

 Shadow Minister for Disability Reform

Friday, 2 May 2014

Tony Abbott has been forced into an embarrassing backdown by Liberal and Labor states who have rejected a cynical attempt by the Prime Minister to delay the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The clear message to the Prime Minister from Liberal and Labor states alike is that there should be no cuts and no delays to the NDIS.

The Federal government must now get on with the full rollout of the NDIS, as promised.

Reports yesterday indicated that the Prime Minster was planning to seek agreement from the states for a politically motivated review of the NDIS at today’s COAG meeting.

But the Prime Minister’s plans have been rejected.

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher confirmed following the meeting that states had agreed to proceed with the NDIS as originally planned.

This morning, New South Wales Liberal Premier Mike Baird said:

 

"We have no intention to renegotiate the NDIS; it's an important agreement."

[PREMIER MIKE BAIRD, 2 MAY 2014, DOORSTOP, CANBERRA]

The Victorian Liberal Government also rejected Tony Abbott’s political review, and called for the Abbott Government to honour the current agreement for the full NDIS to be in place in Victorian by 2019, saying:

 

"A further review is unnecessary."

[MARY WOOLDRIGE, MINISTER FOR DISABILITY SERVICES AND REFORM, FAIRFAX , 1 MAY 2014]

South Australian Disabilities Minister Tony Piccolo said he expected the Abbott Government to honour the existing timeline:

 

“Any potential change made to the NDIS in the upcoming federal budget will be nothing but a blatant cost-cutting exercise at the expense of our most vulnerable people and has nothing to do with the architecture of the scheme.’’

[TONY PICCOLO, THE AUSTRALIAN, 1 MAY 2014]

This is a significant win for people with a disability, their carers and families who have become increasingly worried about the Abbott Government’s plans for the NDIS.

Just yesterday, the National Disability Insurance Agency released the third quarterly report into the NDIS.

It outlined the remarkable progress of the NDIS, which has already transformed the lives of more than 5,400 Australians with disability.

The NDIS is being rolled out on time, and on budget.

The reality is that the NDIS is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

There is no cause for any delay. People with disability have waited long enough.