Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Disability Reform) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

Amendments have been made to this bill in the Senate in response to recommendations in the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee's report on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill. Many of the report's recommendations were addressed in amendments already passed by the House of Representatives, and I am pleased to say that the Senate's amendments will further enhance the bill.

The amended bill that reflects Australia's international human rights obligations, improves the scheme's principles and explicitly recognises in the bill's principles and objects the importance of advocacy and of the National Disability Insurance Scheme interacting with mainstream server systems.

The bill, when passed by this House in a few moments, will establish the National Disability Insurance Scheme. I do thank all members of this parliament for their contribution to the consideration of this bill in both houses of parliament.

I think we all know that this bill is a truly historic reform for our country. It will change the lives of people with disability and their families and carers. It is the most significant social reform to be instituted in this country since the introduction of Medicare. I thank people with disability, their families and carers, who have done so much to make this change happen. I commend the bill to the House.

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

As I foreshadowed when this bill was last in this place, it was likely there would be further amendments made in the Senate as a result of the inquiry by the Senate into the bill—and those amendments have now come forward having been passed in the Senate.

I indicate to the House that the coalition supports the amendments, and therefore supports this final passage of the bill through this place—and, therefore, the introduction into law, once the formalities the Governor-General undertakes have been completed.

Since this is the last occasion to say something more broadly about the National Disability Insurance Scheme may I say that this is something which the coalition wholeheartedly endorses. In the spirit of bipartisanship we have supported the government in this measure. And can I say something that may be rarely heard from this side of the dispatch box—that is, I congratulate the government for having brought this forward. This is something which is important for all Australians, not just those who have disability but all those whose lives have been touched by people with disability. I suspect that many people in this place, and many people in the wider Australian community, are in that situation themselves. This is something which a humane country, a First World country such as Australia, should be able to put in place. We can all regret that it has taken so long, but it is coming to fruition with the final passage of this bill and it is something we all support.

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the same spirit of bipartisanship just demonstrated by the member for Menzies can I congratulate the minister on behalf of the Nationals as well. I also recognise, with his presence in the chamber, the former Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services, the member for Maribyrnong, who I believe has been an outstanding advocate in this place for people with disabilities and their carers, and who I believe contributed significantly to moving this debate forward at a time when it was possible it may have stalled. I congratulate him in his presence and I congratulate the government for the steps it has taken today.

Question agreed to.