Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last Friday, I attended two disability teas within my electorate, one at Camp Breakaway, and one at the San Remo Neighbourhood Centre. Camp Breakaway is a camp where people with disabilities and their families can go to have respite and to enjoy a holiday. People with disabilities will usually attend Camp Breakaway for a week or a weekend, and during that time they experience the things that we all experience when we are on holidays.

When I attended these disability teas, I was overwhelmed by the commitment of the parents of the children with disability that were there. They need an NDIS. They were asking for the NDIS. These were mothers and fathers who had children with very, very, severe disabilities. These people have high needs as far as respite and care are concerned. They struggle on a daily basis to be able to provide the care that their children need and they have to fight all the way to get the equipment, the resources and the intervention that they need for their children.

Any person who attended that disability tea would have recognised there is a very strong need for an NDIS. I congratulate the organisers of that particular disability tea.

In the afternoon I also attended a disability tea down the road at San Remo Neighbourhood Centre. That was organised by Hilda Delauney. Hilda has a son who had a sarcoma and had his leg amputated at the knee. He has had to work very hard, but he has succeeded. There were a number of people present with disabilities and a number of carers. They all unanimously called for the NDIS. To me it was really interesting because the Central Coast part of my electorate will not be part of the trial that will take place in New South Wales. It will take place in the Hunter region, which is where the other part of my electorate lies. That area has welcomed the NDIS. They are planning for the trial and everything is all go. On the Central Coast they want what the Hunter have, and I call on all members of this House to support the NDIS and help work towards its implementation.

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