Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I am aware of the time, Minister. Firstly, do you have a charter letter for your role as minister for disability reform? Secondly, why did the government choose a different approach to introducing the NDIS than that recommended by the Productivity Commission? Thirdly, why has the government allocated only a quarter of the funding recommended by the Productivity Commission over the forward estimates? Fourthly, has the government at any stage committed to meet the Productivity Commission's target date for the full introduction of the NDIS by 2018-19? Fifthly, the government aims to bring the commencement of NDIS launch sites forward by a year, although seeking to commence the launch sites earlier, is it not true that the government is going low and slow—that is, rolling out launch sites over a longer period of time to fewer people than recommended by the Productivity Commission?

Sixthly, can the minister advise whether the decision by the government to deviate from the Productivity Commission's time line and funding profile compromises the government's capacity to meet the commission's target date of 2018-19 for a full NDIS? Seventhly, has any state or territory yet signed up to host a launch site? Eighthly, will the minister guarantee that launch sites will be fully operational by 1 July 2013? Ninthly, how many people will have services delivered under the auspices of NDIS launch sites on 1 July 2013? Tenthly, will the minister guarantee that there will be no waiting list for aids and equipment, supported accommodation and personal attendant care for eligible people in the launch site catchment areas by 1 July 2013? Eleventhly, if not, by when will waiting lists for these services and supports be eliminated? Twelfthly, have you taken a decision as to whether the NDIS will cover only people who have or acquire a disability before the age of 65? Thirteenthly, if this threshold decision has not been taken, how can you commence planning the launch sites, which are due to be in operation in little over a year? Fourteenthly, there is a great deal of concern amongst people with sensory impairment and the organisations that represent them that their particular needs may not be covered by an NDIS. These groups are concerned that the stakeholder engagement strategy is opaque and focusing on peak organisations rather than people with disability themselves. How can this problem be addressed? Fifteenthly, will people below the age of 65 have hearing aids funded as equipment under an NDIS? Sixteenthly, will guide dogs for people below the age of 65 be funded under the NDIS? Seventeenthly, will vision and audio equipment for vision impaired people be funded under the NDIS? I will leave eighteen out. Nineteenthly, does this demonstrate closer consultation with the Australians with sensory impairment whose issues I briefly raised earlier? Twentiethly, are rehabilitation services envisaged to be supported for people covered by the NDIS, as is currently the case—for example, by the Victorian Transport Accident Commission? Twenty-firstly, are rehabilitation services going to be supported for people covered by the NDIS who have an acquired disability, as is currently the case—for example, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission? Twenty-secondly, if rehabilitation services are not covered by the NDIS, doesn't this leave a large gap in coverage? Twenty-thirdly, you will be aware that the Leader of the Opposition has written to the Prime Minister opposing the establishment of a joint parliamentary committee to oversight the implementation of the NDIS to be chaired by senior members of both sides of politics. Twenty-fourthly, you would be aware the rationale is that the introduction of the NDIS will span several parliaments and several elections, so there should be a mechanism to elevate the NDIS above partisanship. Why has the Prime Minister rejected Mr Abbott's offer to extend the hand of bipartisanship? Finally, what is wrong with the NDIS being owned in this way by the parliament as a whole? As I indicated, I am happy that the minister has given the undertaking to provide the answers to those questions. I am happy to provide the written questions, or they are available on the Hansard.

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