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Our new disability scheme is changing lives. Don't let the Liberals destroy it Our new disability scheme is changing lives. Don't let the Liberals destroy it
(6 months later)
When the parliament unanimously When the parliament unanimously passed Labor’s bill to fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) last year, people with disability hoped that there would be no turning back.
passed Labor’s bill to fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) last The National Disability Insurance Agency’s second quarterly report, released earlier this month, pointed to some very positive signs. It showed that more than 2,500 people are already benefiting from the NDIS since it launched last year – not to mention the thousands of families and carers who are also benefitting. It also showed that people’s individual plans are being finalised faster than they were in the first quarter, and at a lower cost. It reported that participant satisfaction with the scheme is high. This is, of course, all good news.
year, people with disability hoped that there would be no turning back. This NDIS has already been life changing for Geelong mum Kate Morrissey and her 15 year old son, William. William has had a development delay since birth, and needs constant care and supervision. Before the NDIS, Kate was almost forced to quit her job, having already reduced her hours to care for her son. Now, with the extra support she is getting through the NDIS, Kate’s career is going strong – she is making a huge contribution to her family, her community and the economy. The NDIS is truly an economic as well as social reform.
The National Kate shared with me what it was like to go from a crisis-driven system to one where William is getting care based on his needs. Because of the NDIS, William will have access to about an additional $15,000 worth of supports each year, including extra support on weekends that will see William have the opportunity to socialise with his peers and do things that most 15 year olds take for granted. In Kate’s words, “while this may seem costly to some, it makes a lot more economic sense than if I could no longer work and had to go on social benefits.”
Disability Insurance Agency’s second quarterly report, released earlier this month, Yet this good news was not what the Abbott government wanted to talk about. The assistant social services minister, senator Mitch Fifield, chose instead to misrepresent the report by claiming that the cost of the scheme would blow out. He did this even though the exact same report explicitly warned against using these early figures to make long term predictions about the cost of the scheme.
pointed to some very positive signs. It showed that more than 2,500 people The NDIS is delivering exactly the kind of care and support we said it would deliver. It’s changing peoples’ lives. Still, Fifield couldn’t help but use this as an opportunity to take a swipe at the previous Labor government.
are already benefiting from the NDIS since it launched last year – not to This is not the first time HE has talked down the NDIS. In November last year, he spoke about the need to “address the issue of expectations”. I fundamentally reject the notion that Australians with disability and all those who fought so long and hard for the scheme should lower their expectations of the NDIS – the most significant social policy reform since Medicare. It is tricky language from a government that seems hell bent on making cuts to the scheme.
mention the thousands of families and carers who are also benefitting. It also showed Fifield is just one of many senior members of the Abbott government continuously talking down the NDIS. Joe Hockey has always been a cynic, never appreciating just how transformative the NDIS will be. Nor has he demonstrated an appreciation of the economic benefits of the scheme, despite the Productivity Commission finding that this will far outweigh the scheme’s costs.
that people’s individual plans are being finalised faster than they were in the The treasurer has on many occasions spoken of the need to make the scheme more “cost effective”. Make no mistake, this is Liberal language for cuts. It is no wonder that so many people are concerned about the Government’s intentions with the NDIS. The negative talk, the misleading figures, the almost complete absence of any discussion of the benefits of the scheme only serves to reinforce the widely held view that the Abbott government is going to make retrograde changes to the scheme to cut costs. Why else would they be so persistent in their negativity when it comes to a truly ground-breaking social reform?
first quarter, and at a lower cost. It reported that participant satisfaction This is not to say that there will not be issues arising along the way. We always knew the roll out of the NDIS would not be simple. Reforms this big never are, and this reform has never been done before. But Labor didn’t shirk this challenge, and the Coalition shouldn’t either.
with the scheme is high. This is, of course, all good news. If the prime minister is truly committed to the NDIS, he will tell his senior ministers to stop talking it down. The government needs to take seriously the responsibility they now have to see through its full implementation. This is what Abbott promised to do before the election, and it is what he must do now.
This NDIS has already
been life changing for Geelong mum Kate Morrissey and her 15 year old son,
William. William has had a development delay since birth, and needs constant
care and supervision. Before the NDIS, Kate was almost forced to quit her job,
having already reduced her hours to care for her son. Now, with the extra
support she is getting through the NDIS, Kate’s career is going
strong – she is making a huge contribution to her family, her community and
the economy. The NDIS is truly an economic as well as social reform.
Kate shared with me
what it was like to go from a crisis-driven system to one where William is
getting care based on his needs. Because of the NDIS, William will have access
to about an additional $15,000 worth of supports each year, including extra
support on weekends that will see William have the opportunity to socialise
with his peers and do things that most 15 year olds take for granted. In Kate’s
words, “while this
may seem costly to some, it makes a lot more economic sense than if I could no
longer work and had to go on social benefits.”
Yet this good news
was not what the Abbott government wanted to talk about. The assistant social
services minister, senator Mitch Fifield, chose instead to misrepresent the report
by claiming that the cost of the scheme would blow out. He did this even though
the exact same report explicitly warned against using these early figures to
make long term predictions about the cost of the scheme.
The NDIS is
delivering exactly the kind of care and support we said it would deliver. It’s
changing peoples’ lives. Still, Fifield couldn’t help but use this as
an opportunity to take a swipe at the previous Labor government.
This is not the first
time HE has talked down the NDIS. In November last year, he spoke
about the need to “address the issue of expectations”. I fundamentally reject
the notion that Australians with disability and all those who fought so long
and hard for the scheme should lower their expectations of the NDIS – the most
significant social policy reform since Medicare. It is tricky language from a government
that seems hell bent on making cuts to the scheme.
Fifield is just
one of many senior members of the Abbott government continuously talking down
the NDIS. Joe Hockey has always been a cynic, never appreciating just how transformative
the NDIS will be. Nor has he demonstrated an appreciation of the economic
benefits of the scheme, despite the Productivity Commission finding that this
will far outweigh the scheme’s costs.
The treasurer has on
many occasions spoken of the need to make the scheme more “cost effective”. Make
no mistake, this is Liberal language for cuts. It is no wonder that so
many people are concerned about the Government’s intentions with the NDIS. The
negative talk, the misleading figures, the almost complete absence of any
discussion of the benefits of the scheme only serves to reinforce the widely
held view that the Abbott government is going to make retrograde changes to the
scheme to cut costs. Why else
would they be so persistent in their negativity when it comes to a truly ground-breaking
social reform?
This is not to say that there will not be issues arising along the way. We always knew the roll out of the NDIS would not be
simple. Reforms this big never are, and this reform has never been done
before. But Labor didn’t shirk this challenge, and the Coalition shouldn’t
either.
If the prime minister
is truly committed to the NDIS, he will tell his senior ministers to stop talking
it down. The government needs to take seriously the responsibility they now
have to see through its full implementation. This is what Abbott promised to do before the election, and it is what he must do
now.