Susan Lamb (Longman, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to think that one of the important roles that we as members of this place have is to speak up for the silent, to stand up for injustice, and to provide hope. The National Disability Insurance Scheme is the embodiment of all of those things. It is the culmination of decades of work by disabled people, their families and their carers, and its passing in this place demonstrated our parliament's tradition of bipartisanship on the really important things. Unfortunately, it appears that the bipartisanship seen at the inception of the NDIS will not continue through to its delivery. The government's insistence on using this as a political stunt is really to muddy up the legacy of Labor in government. It is to muddy up that work, not just of that government but also of the people who worked really hard to see a better future for their kids; a future where they could be confident that their disabled children would continue to receive care.

I fear that these attacks on that legacy are not just about scoring political points though; I think they disguise the government's new mechanism to make cuts to other parts of the social services portfolio, cuts that will have an impact on people's lives. The attempt of those opposite to argue the need to secure funding to the NDIS is patently false. The NDIS is fully funded. In the 2013-14 budget, Labor clearly indicated how the NDIS would be funded for the next decade. There was a raft of savings measures that we used to fully fund the NDIS. Almost all of these savings measures were supported by those opposite. They included reforms to the private health insurance rebate, reforms to retirement incomes, the phase-out of the net medical expenses tax offset, and other long-term savings proposals. In addition to this, the Medicare levy was increased to two per cent. The former Labor government actually set up its own special account, the DisabilityCare Australia Fund, just for this purpose. The source of the funding for this account is actually the increase to the Medicare levy. So if this legislation was to pass effectively, we would have two special accounts doing exactly the same thing—providing funds for the NDIS. That does not fit very well with the Liberal Party mantra of cutting red tape, though, does it? The National Disability Insurance Scheme is fully funded; suggestions to the contrary belong in the world of alternative facts. So where is the need for this legislation? There is no need to create a special savings account to fund a scheme that is already funded. We know how important the NDIS is for people living with a disability. But it also extends to those who are around them—to their supporters, to their carers, to the community and to a society as a whole. This is, after all, the biggest social reform since Medicare.

There is genuine goodwill towards the NDIS in the community. So many of the people I have spoken to are willing it to succeed. They are so supportive of the NDIS because they know the transformative effect it will have on people's lives. We must ensure that we utilise this positivity in the community to deliver on a scheme that people living with disabilities and their families absolutely deserve.

One of the positive things about this debate is that we know the NDIS is working—yes, there have been issues with the rollout of the NDIS, particularly around the speed and the quality of delivery. We on this side of the House will continue to hold the government to account on these matters, to ensure the rollout is as good as it can be. And I make no apologies for that. However, it is undeniable that, when this scheme is delivered as designed, the positive effect it will have on the lives of those who use it will be immense. As the scheme gets rolled out across the country, we can already see the impact that it is having—like this heartening story I am going to share with you, Deputy Speaker, which the member for Braddon shared with me. She spoke to me about Lyn Leedham, a mother of three sons, including 23-year-old Mitchell. Mitchell has autism, he has floating-harbor syndrome and he has intellectual disabilities. The member for Braddon tells me that Lyn is an amazing woman. She is always smiling and always full of life. Mitchell joined the NDIS when it was first rolled out in Tasmania in 2013. The NDIS has transformed not only Mitchell's life but also that of Lyn and the rest of her family. Lyn says:

There are so many positives with the NDIS. Mitchell has got a life now because of the NDIS. He's got one-on-one carers, he's learning to become more independent, he's becoming a real citizen in the community. He's learning how to cook, how to spell and how to do the shopping and manage his finances.

But it is not just Mitchell's life that has been transformed for the better. Lyn has told the member for Braddon that one of the biggest positives in Mitchell's package is the provision of family respite, something that has not been available before. Mitchell has two host families who take him for weekends and other holidays. Lyn describes what this respite has meant to her and her husband by saying:

Brian and I are a married couple again—we have never been able to go out as a couple because one of us would always stay home to be with Mitchell. We went out for a Chinese meal and it was very quiet and we thought of Mitchell the whole time, but it was the first time in 20 years we had been out as a couple. And Mitchell loves the host families and loves his own freedom. As he says, I can't be with you oldies all the time.

Lyn's hope is that Mitchell will one day live in a supported home with others. She is full of praise for his service providers, especially for Tracey from Multicap in Burnie who manages Mitchell's plan. According to Lyn, Tracey is brilliant—she is just perfect. As well as receiving one-on-one care for Mitchell and respite for the family, Mitchell is also getting support from health professionals for his depression. Mitchell has advanced to the point where he is now working one day a week for his new local member of parliament. He loves it and he is doing well.

There are so many positive NDIS stories like this in the country. In my very own electorate of Longman there are some fantastic organisations and individuals that support those living with a disability. One such organisation is the Caboolture Disability Support Network, founded and run by an amazing man by the name of Matt McCracken. Matt is a passionate advocate for people in my electorate living with disabilities. He is dedicated to the creation of an organisation that provides information and support groups for those living with a disability. The Caboolture Disability Support Network advocates in the community and beyond to voice issues relating to disability. The Caboolture Disability Support Network was set up with the aim of cultivating and nurturing a community of friends where long-term mutually beneficial friendships are established, leading to a sense of inclusion. The network aims to broaden community understanding about living with a disability. Matt is particularly focused on tackling the stigma that still surrounds disability. Matt tells me we are making progress on that front, but there is still a long, long way to go. Matt's tireless work and that of his organisation has made a real difference to the lives of people in our community.

I have spoken to Matt many times about the NDIS and in particular its rollout in Longman. He is a passionate supporter of the scheme that aims to help people with a disability. Matt, like so many others in the sector, is excited about the possibilities of the scheme. As I mentioned, his organisation, the Caboolture Disability Support Network, is already working hard planning for the rollout of the NDIS. This is despite the fact that the scheme is not due in our area until January 2019. This is an example of the eagerness that is felt for the impending NDIS in my electorate. The organisations and individuals that support those with disability right across the electorate are wholly invested in the NDIS. They are committed to making the scheme work.

Matt tells me that there is great anticipation for the scheme among the 12,000 people who are classed as disabled in the wider community area. The scheme obviously helps many more people than just those 12,000 when you take into account all of the people around them—all of their family members and their carers who support them living with a disability. So many lives will be transformed by the NDIS. However, Matt understands that this really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those he advocates for. It is an opportunity to do it right and do it once. He is quite anxious, though, when he hears about the type of legislation that we are speaking about today. He is quite fearful that the scheme will fall prey to politics. But Matt is a great guy, he is a great advocate and he is up for the fight to protect the NDIS. He is one of the fiercest advocates I know for the scheme. This is something the member for Sydney would attest to, I am sure. I distinctly remember Matt bailing up the deputy leader as she attempted to leave a function in my electorate in the dying days of the election campaign. As can sometimes happen in the business of an election campaign, Tanya was running a little behind schedule and needed to get to the next event. However, Matt, never known to miss an opportunity, grabbed Tanya and took the opportunity to advocate for the NDIS. He let her know that he was not going to go without a fight for this in our community. Matt knew he was preaching to the converted because the member for Sydney is just as passionate about supporting this scheme as Matt and I.

Sadly, Matt has heard it all before. He has heard the promises of past governments to fix the system once and for all. He has seen good policies compromised to the point where they become ineffective, and he has seen when people living with disability, like those he represents, become a political football. Matt understands the disability support sector. Sitting on the advisory council for the Caboolture area, he is in touch with the feelings on the ground locally. There is disquiet from his colleagues and his counterparts because they are worried. They are worried that the scheme they fought so hard to implement will be weakened by legislation such as this. They are worried that this scheme will be undermined and knocked down one decision at a time. Seeing stunts like those pulled this week that tie the future of disabled Australians to the taking away of benefits from other Australians proves that they have the right to be worried.

This level of uncertainty in the disability sector is unacceptable. There must be certainty for the funding. For those with NDIS packages, they must not live in fear of being defunded. For those in my electorate who are yet to be assessed and receive their funding, there must be certainty that they will get the funding they need and not be left with nothing. This bill provides no protection of the NDIS fund that Labor budgeted for in the 2013-14 budget to ensure that it could be rolled out and achieved. The NDIS was paid for by reforms which the coalition agreed to, mostly through measures we put up. We cannot let the NDIS scheme fall victim to politicisation and we must protect it at all cost. Labor will always fight for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. We designed it, we implemented it and, of course, fully funded it.

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