Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's good to note that we're in an energy-saving mood here in the Federation Chamber today. It looks like we have about 14 of our lights out. I hope that's some technical problem and not an attempt to cut down on our electricity bill. I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the Council of Australian Governments Disability Reform Council met on 28 June 2019 and resolved a number of long-standing issues, including the interaction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) with the health system;

(2) welcomes the council's agreement to a range of disability-related health supports that will be provided through the NDIS; and

(3) notes the:

(a) NDIS will fund disability-related health supports where the supports are required as a result of the participant's disability and assist the participant to undertake activities of daily living;

(b) types of health supports that will be funded by the NDIS include continence supports, dysphagia and nutrition supports, respiratory supports and supports for wound and pressure care; and

(c) approach agreed to by the council to fund disability related health supports under the NDIS recognises participants need to be placed at the centre of all decisions.

We welcome the progress that we are making on the NDIS. We should acknowledge that this is a $22 billion scheme that is unprecedented in our nation's history. Everyone on both sides of the parliament should be proud of the work that has been done so far but, in doing so, should acknowledge that there are still a lot of problems. There are still teething problems. Any scheme of such a size and involving such enormous transition will have problems. This government is doing everything it possibly can to work through those problems and to make sure that those Australians who are unfortunate enough to be struck down with some type of physical or intellectual disability are given all the support that they can get.

I was pleased to participate in a roundtable discussion with the Prime Minister and the Minister for the NDIS, Minister Robert, a fortnight ago here in Canberra. One thing that came up during those discussions is that it's very important, when our scheme goes forward, that we look not just at supporting the Australian with a disability but at supporting the whole family unit, whatever shape or form that family may take. Because, ultimately, the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be strongest if we make sure that that person is in with a strong family and is given all that family support. From our experiences when we speak with parents of disabled children, we all know the pressures that they are under. We see that separations in families with children with disability are far, far higher than in the rest of society. I know the number of mothers I speak with who take depression medicine because of the strain of bringing up their disabled child. We have to make sure our National Disability Insurance Scheme is focused on the family unit and on supporting the family unit because that is the best way to ensure that Australians with disability get the best possible care.

We've got to take the pressure off the carers. We've got to take the pressure off other family members. We've got to make sure that we're not simply focusing on material supports for the person with a disability but are looking at the family as a whole and concentrating on that family, making sure that we as a government are giving them all the support we can. But, ultimately, we can have all the goodwill that we want here, but we can only deliver this as long as this country continues to have a strong economy. That's why I encourage all members to continue to encourage the support— (Time expired)

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