Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today so speak on the DisabilityCare Australia Fund (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2013. This bill is another step along the way of implementing a national disability insurance scheme. The core function of government is to provide support for the most disadvantaged in our community. A national disability insurance scheme is most definitely in this category. This bill contains a series of consequential amendments which will enable the effective operation and management of the DisabilityCare Australia Fund. The fund has already been established to hold revenue from the increase in the Medicare levy from 1.4 per cent to two per cent, which has been dedicated to the partial funding of the NDIS.

In particular, the bill, if enacted, would enable reimbursements to the states and territories for DisabilityCare activities through the COAG Reform Fund, and also extend the Future Fund's guardianship to the management of the DisabilityCare Australia Fund. This fund will hold an anticipated $11.4 billion over the forward estimates from the Medicare levy increase commencing in 2014-15 and an estimated $20.4 billion through to 2018-19.

Consequential amendments are required to other pieces of legislation, namely the COAG Reform Fund Act 2008, the Future Fund Act 2006 and the Nation-building Funds Act 2008, to support the efficient operation and management of the DisabilityCare Australia Fund. The provisions in the bill are consistent with other public funds that the Future Fund has guardianship over, including the Building Australia fund, the Health and Hospitals Fund and the Education Investment Fund. The bill itself has no financial impacts.

To put in place a proper and sustainable NDIS, we need to move forward in a very systematic, efficient, effective and compassionate way. This is not a reform that belongs to any party; it belongs to the entire community. The coalition maintains that the establishment of a joint parliamentary committee to oversee the implementation of the NDIS is not only appropriate but essential. The process requires proper and extensive consultation, and attention to detail. The parliamentary committee would provide a non-partisan environment where issues of design and eligibility could be worked through cooperatively. If we get the privilege of government on 14 September, the coalition will establish such a committee. Notwithstanding that, the coalition supports the passage of this bill in extension of our support for a national disability insurance scheme.

See this speech in context