Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

He wants to know yes or no. What about: did the Labor Party fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme? No. Were they fair dinkum to Australian families with disabled children? Did they deceive them? Yes. The Labor Party claimed the credit for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. They came to the opposition, led by the member for Warringah, and they challenged him and our side of politics to support an increase in the Medicare levy to go towards funding the NDIS. We supported it because we knew that Australians wanted a National Disability Insurance Scheme and Australians expected that the government would put in place the measures to fund it.

That's what an honest government does. That is what a government does that is fair and fair dinkum. There is nothing fair about saying to the parents of disabled children, 'Well, the money won't be there in the future. The funding isn't in place.' The Labor Party failed the Australian people. They failed to put in place the funding that was needed to support the NDIS. And now, in their hypocrisy, they want to oppose that responsible measure which will ensure that Australians get the support that they need for disabilities.

It is a great national enterprise, and you would think that a party as old as the Labor Party and one that has held government in this capital on so many occasions would rise to the occasion and recognise that that great national enterprise should be funded. It's honest. It's fair. It's fair dinkum. Sadly, the Labor Party of today is anything but that.

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