Media Release: Federal Government Commits to National Disability Insurance Scheme
August 10 2011
The Every Australian Counts campaign today commended the Federal Government for its commitment to the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Every Australian Counts Campaign Director John Della Bosca said the lives of hundreds of thousands of Australians with a disability and their families would ultimately be transformed by today’s historic announcement by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
“This is the biggest social-economic reform Australia has seen since the introduction of Medicare. It will have a transformational impact on our community and our economy,” Mr Della Bosca said.
Mr Della Bosca said the announcement was a tremendous victory for the tens of thousands of Every Australian Counts supporters who had worked for almost a year to ensure the Federal Government took rapid action on the Productivity Commission’s report.
“It has taken extraordinary courage for some people with a disability and their families to speak out about the challenges they faced to demonstrate why change was so necessary,” he said.
“They have done so because they believed that once their fellow Australians understood the challenges they faced, they would support their calls for change.
“And they were right – people with a disability and their families have been joined on this campaign by ordinary Australians who have stood up to say they supported a better deal for their fellow citizens.
“Every Australian Counts has become a truly grassroots movement of people from all around the country and from all walks of life who have come together to say people with a disability and their families are part of our community and they deserve a fair go.
“I want to thank all of our supporters and to say to them ‘today your voices have been heard’.”
The Prime Minister today released the final report by the Productivity Commission into a national long term care and support scheme for Australians with a disability and their families. The report recommends a complete overhaul of the disability system and the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Mr Della Bosca said the campaign had been marked by not only strong community support but also strong bi-partisan support.
“ All the major parties had agreed the system was broken and that more needed to be done for people with a disability and their families,” he said.
“We therefore look forward to hearing the Federal Coalition’s response to the findings of the Productivity Commission.”
Mr Della Bosca said the campaign acknowledged that much hard work lay ahead in finalising implementation and funding details.
“There is a long road ahead. Such a transformational change cannot be achieved overnight. But today the government took the first steps to ensuring people with a disability and their families will finally get the support they need to get on with their lives.
“People with a disability, their families and carers will now look forward to working with the government on the implementation and design of the national scheme to ensure it is the very best it can be and will meet their needs.”
Information about the Every Australian Counts campaign is available at
www.everyaustraliancounts.com.au
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I needed a box of tissues at 11:30am today. The enormity of this announcement is huge… Well Done everyone!!!!
Further, I salute lobbyists, advocates, consumers, providers and those who have died before today who have fought the hard fight to have our voices heard. This is a tribute to all those who have died in vein to live a life for full participation – not only for themselves, but for us and future generations.
The Productivity Commission’s report finds that it would take at least seven years to transform disability services. Seems like a very long time for those of us falling through the cracks now… but I suppose something is at least starting to happen.
WELL DONE EVERYONE
I’m sorry but i can’t actually find anywhere in the PM’s press release that says the Government is committing to an NDIS. All they’ve done is committ to some policy work, a COAG group and an advisory committee. There are a lot of words reiterating what the Productivity Commission recommends but without committment to implementing any of it! I might be cynical, but i have the feeling we are being whitewashed into something that will be far less than what is needed.
The minister today said on ABC 24 that a “Labor government is committed to the establishment of an NDIS”.
We will have to keep pressure on all politicians to ensure they deliver on all aspects of an NDIS. On the face of it, today was a positive leap in the right direction. The Productivity commission has called for $10 million to start the process of building an NDIS to be spent immediately. The government has delivered on that request. We now need to see the opposition state their position on the report. Moving forward we would hope to see the states and federal government agree to implement the scheme and announce the start-up locations.
Congratulations to everyone who had a hand in this campaign, it may seem a small step to some, but to others it is enormus!! We came, we fought, we conquered!!! May the families with disabled children/spouses etc sleep a little easier tonight, knowing there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Congratulations! A step in the right direction for parents who have struggled to make the right choices for their children.
While on the surface this looks awesome I pose the question is this the answer for people with disabilities been fully integrated into societies? Will we see true individual choices being supported in areas such as employment and education ? Or will we further be funding a systematic approach to disability ? Some services around I would welcome provide more funding but others would use the money to buy more 15 seat buses an promote a programtic lifestyle. Real change will occur in people being exposed to meaningful relationships in a variety of settings both paid support but more importantly non paid support. I Just think this extra cost may actually have power to cause further segregation ….. Just a thought feedback welcome
We will examine the final report and provide a summary that may cover some of these concerns.
A great result for a great change.
We always fall through the cracks because our son’s disabilities cannot neatly fall into one ‘category’. (He has a Rare Chromosome Disorder) Locally there are people far better off than our son that can get excessive therapy, specialist and respite assistance by combining Disability Services Qld, CP League, Xavier, Special School, ‘Better Start’ funding packages AND a local Health funded Children Therapy Group. Meanwhile our son is left on the sidelines sitting on 12month+ waiting lists for some very essential therapy because his lack of label means lack of funding, so no one will touch him.
I agree, on the surface the NDIS looks great, but really can they actually cut out the double dipping (or should I say quadruple dipping) of those with labels, so those without a common label can have some sort of chance!!
HI, great news. Today I was contacted by ABC Radio for an interview in regards to the Goverments response to the Productivity Commissioners Report. Make sure that we all still lobby together to see the NDIS. Happen and it must happen NOW not in seven years time.
Regards,
Anne Napoli