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

At the outset, I thank the member for Denison for discussing his amendments with me and with Senator Fifield. As, I understand, has been indicated to him, we do have some sympathy for what the member for Denison is seeking to do. We understand that advocacy is important for people with disabilities. If there were no advocacy, I suspect this bill would not be in the process of being debated in this parliament. Advocacy is very important in relation to people with disabilities. However, on balance, we tend to adopt the reasons the minister has set out in relation to the separation of the funding. In relation to the suggestion about a complaints mechanism, we again have sympathy for that; it is something we believe the government should give some further consideration to. I know these matters are going to the Senate. But, on balance, at this stage we will not be supporting the amendments which the member for Denison has put before the House.

Question negatived.

I move the amendment circulated in my name:

(1) Page 80 (after line 17), at the end of Part 6, add:

Part 7—Joint Select Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme

103A Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme

(1) As soon as practicable after the commencement of the first session of each Parliament, a joint committee of members of the Parliament, to be known as the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme, is to be appointed according to the practice of the Parliament.

(2) The Committee is to consist of 10 members, made up of the following:

  (a) 2 members of the House of Representatives who are Government members;

  (b) 2 members of the Senate who are Government members;

  (c) 2 members of the House of Representatives who are Opposition members;

  (d) 2 members of the Senate who are Opposition members;

  (e) 1 member of the House or Representatives or the Senate who is a member of the Australian Greens;

  (f) 1 member of the House of Representatives or the Senate who is an independent member.

(3) A member of the Parliament is not eligible for appointment as a member of the Committee if he or she is:

  (a) a Minister; or

  (b) the President of the Senate; or

  (c) the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(4) A member ceases to hold office:

  (a) when the House of Representatives expires by effluxion of time or is dissolved; or

  (b) if he or she becomes the holder of an office specified in any of the paragraphs of subsection (3); or

  (c) if he or she ceases to be a member of the House of the Parliament by which he or she was appointed; or

  (d) if he or she resigns his or her office as provided by subsection (5) or (6).

(5) A member appointed by the Senate may resign his or her office by writing signed by him or her and delivered to the President of the Senate.

(6) A member appointed by the House of Representatives may resign his or her office by writing signed by him or her and delivered to the Speaker of that House.

(7) Subject to the requirements of subsection (2), either House of the Parliament may appoint one of its members to fill a vacancy amongst the members of the Committee appointed by that House.

103B Powers and proceedings of the Committee

     All matters relating to the powers and proceedings of the Committee are to be determined by resolution of both Houses of the Parliament.

103C Functions of the Committee

(1) The functions of the Committee are:

  (a) to review the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme; and

  (b) to review the administration and expenditure of the National Disability Insurance Scheme; and

  (c) to review any matter in relation to the National Disability Insurance Scheme referred to the Committee by:

     (i) the responsible Minister; or

     (ii) a resolution of either House of the Parliament; and

  (e) to report the Committee's comments and recommendations to each House of the Parliament and to the responsible Minister;

  (f) such functions as agreed to by resolutions of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

103D Annual report

     As soon as practicable after each year ending on 30 June, the Committee must give to the Parliament a report on the activities of the Committee during the year.

I do not want to delay the consideration by the House for a long period of time, but this is the proposal which has been raised by the opposition for the appointment of a joint select committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme. This arises from what is accepted universally in this chamber and the other place and outside this parliament—that this is the beginning of a process. We are here today at the end of the beginning, not the beginning of the end. It is going to take many years and a number of parliaments for the NDIS to be put in place. We believe, therefore, that it is entirely appropriate that this parliament, not just the executive of the day—and that might change from time to time between now and when we see the fruition of the NDIS—should continue to have an oversight role in relation to the rolling out of the NDIS.

The proposal is that there be a joint select committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme. This is a proposal that has been made by the Leader of the Opposition. We believe that, at a time when the Independents, for example, have been calling for greater parliamentary involvement in the democracy represented by this parliament, this could be the epitome of providing that greater representation. I look forward to the contributions and the votes of my honourable colleagues to my left. Without rehearsing the argument any further, we believe this is sensible as a proposal. It means that whoever is in government over the course of rolling out the NDIS will be subject to some parliamentary scrutiny, and that can only be a good thing.

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