Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Disability Services and Inclusion Bill 2023, along with the Disability Services and Inclusion (Consequential Amendments and Transitional) Bill, will help deliver on the Albanese government's commitment to enable people with disability to fully participate in our community life and exercise agency over their lives. It's very important for people with disability to have the same kinds of choices all of us have—in fact, it's absolutely crucial. If we do this in relation to people living long lives so they live better in their senior years, we should do it for people living with disability. This is really a fundamental principle underlining the NDIS, which aims to give people living with disability greater choice and control over their lives. It also reflects the principle of equity—which is a fundamental principle in our democracy and is also in the DNA of Australians—that we should target assistance to those most in need.

Some groups in our society may need additional support and resources to build their capacity so they can participate fully in society and reach their potential as equal members. At the same time, the new act will ensure more responsive Commonwealth funded services for the 4.4 million Australians with disability, outside the NDIS, to improve their independence and participation in community and in the workforce more generally. This is because supporting Australians with disability is more than just the NDIS. This act will help enable that by bringing legislation for all people living with disability into the 21st century.

Disability supports and services have changed very significantly since the 1980s. The current legislation is now more than three decades old. It is outdated and too restrictive in its understanding to accommodate the changing landscape of disability policy. This includes a shift towards creating a more inclusive society as well as the nature of services that are required to complement the NDIS. What's more, the act predates many of the important milestones in the evolution of arrangements that support people with disability in Australia. These include the introduction of the National Disability Strategy 2010-2020, which was followed by the development and implementation of Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031, providing a national framework and commitment from leadership towards greater inclusion of people with disability across all areas of public policy.

The establishment of the NDIS occurred under the last Labor government in 2013 through the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013. The NDIS currently supports over 610,000 people living with disability. It's imperative that outdated and restrictive disability legislation is repealed and replaced so it's more aligned with the kind of services that are necessary to enable us to fully participate. The act assists the government's intention by implementing reforms linked to the policy priorities that the disability community set through the Australian Disability Strategy, which will enable us to provide a broad range of tailored services and supports to people with disability into the future. These developments have also seen the Australian government move from solely providing direct block funding services provision to embracing other models, including person-centric market models of service delivery and support, both within and outside the NDIS.

Getting rid of block funding, whilst beneficial, has seen some organisations go to the wall in this space. In my community, Community Access and Transition Service, known as CATS, was one of the great organisations in our area which went to the wall with the absence of block funding. That was very sad because I thought they were a great organisation which did a lot of work, working very well with young people in Ipswich and working closely with the special schools, including Ipswich West State Special School and Claremont Special School in Ipswich. But that's the nature of what happened.

One of the concerns I have, personally, as a federal MP and a local MP, is the absence of the states and territories in this space, leaving this issue solely to the federal government. I think the states and territories really need to think about getting back into the space in a better way.

In response to the changing landscape, and taking into consideration pretty comprehensive feedback from people with disability, the bill and the consequential amendments and transitional bill have been drafted to support the government's programs. Because of this, protection, safeguarding and inclusion should apply outside, and not just within, the NDIS.

As I've just indicated, the bill was developed with the input of people living with disability through extensive community and sectoral consultation since November last year. Across multiple rounds of consultation, the government has heard from people, their families and carers—and their carers can't be ignored. That's why I was so pleased to see the carers legislation being examined by the Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee that deals with these issues. The member for Dunkley is doing a great job in relation to that particular carer recognition act as it's being looked at by that committee. Carers can't be left out, so it's important we get families and their carers of people living with disability to give feedback as well as disability representative organisations, and there are many of them in every electorate across the country. This consultation process highlighted the importance of inclusive, accessible, safe supports and services to people with disability and their families and carers in the broader disability sector.

On that front, I want to acknowledge the excellent work done by disability service providers in my electorate, which covers most of Ipswich, the Karana Downs area and the Somerset region in South-East Queensland. One local organisation is Focal Community Services, headquartered in Ipswich. Focal has made great efforts to continually innovate and to ensure people with disability and their carers can feel engaged, supported and needed.

Focal was established in 1974 for people with disability leaving the Challinor Centre in Ipswich. Their families and friends wanted to ensure they were well cared for and had opportunities in life. Since then, Focal has provided services and support for people with disability, including accommodation, respite, advocacy and services.

Focal's community hubs in North Ipswich and Booval are bright, welcoming spaces—and I've been to them on many occasions—where people with disability can hang out, perform, train, liaise with service providers and receive friendship and support in a nurturing community. They provide safe and comfortable environments. Well done, Focal. I really want to commend Focal for what they do.

ALARA Queensland is another excellent not-for-profit, community-based organisation which provides services in Ipswich, the Somerset region and the Lockyer Valley. ALARA provides a broad range of innovative services for people with disabilities and their families. ALARA rose from respite care services, which was established in Ipswich in 1991. Today, ALARA provides services for more than 900 people with disability who live in the Ipswich, Somerset and Lockyer regions. It has a committed a team of over 250 staff and volunteers.

ALARA has community hubs in Ipswich, Lockyer, Esk and Kilcoy. I was instrumental in helping them to go into Kilcoy and take over the reins near the community centre up there. I thought that the local community in Kilcoy absolutely did the right thing in engaging ALARA to come into that community. It had the runs on the board at Ipswich and in other parts of the Somerset region. Each of these hubs provides access to a diverse range of opportunities designed around the interests and preferences of the participants. I've seen personally how the local participants, people living with disability, have such great input into what ALARA is doing, tailoring the needs of the individuals and of the community. I've seen the local community in places like Kilcoy actually participate and decide themselves what they want to do. These include general life skill development, computer training, gardening, craft, visual and performing arts, meal planning and cooking, volunteering, physical fitness, and recreational and leisure outings.

This bill, which we're dealing with today, provides support for the inclusion of people with disability by broadening those supports. It's an enabling piece of legislation, providing a single-source statutory framework and a clear basis for the Commonwealth government to fund certain disability supports and services that are not covered in the NDIS. It contributes to reducing significant administrative delays in implementing important programs, delays which are a result of disaggregated legislative frameworks for disability services and support. There's a clear authority under the bill to continue funding existing programs and, at the same time, provide a flexible basis on which to fund non-NDIS supports in future.

The bill provides quality and safeguard arrangements by introducing a mandatory code which will mirror the NDIS Code of Conduct. This code will set minimum standards for all service providers and workers and show people with disability, their families and carers what they should expect from providers under the legislation: to provide support for the provision of consistent high-quality supports and services and ensure people with disability are safe in accessing them.

The bill and other consequential and transitional arrangements will enable the government's timely response to the findings and recommendations from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability and non-NDIS initiatives arising from the NDIS review. The disability royal commission has highlighted the importance of inclusive access and accessible, safe supports and services for families over the last four and a half years. The government has followed closely the hearings and the reporting from the royal commission. The broad and flexible nature of this bill is intended to ensure the government has appropriate power to respond effectively and efficiently, and the government has accepted these. Of course there will be further amendments to the bill at a later date if required.

Make no mistake: the government's committed to ensuring people with disability are safe from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. This is a significant legislative reform and demonstrates our commitment to breaking down the barriers for people with disability and enabling participation by providing a broad and flexible legislative basis for government to fund services and supports. Consistent national standards are critical. A code of conduct is critical. Support services are critical. We will need to make sure that every Australian, regardless of their level of disability, gets those supports.

Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Disability Services and Inclusion Bill 2023. I support this bill. The bill's stated intention is to establish a new legislative framework for the funding and regulation of programs targeted for the benefit of people with disability, their families and carers. It shows how, since one of the first pieces of legislation was introduced in 1974, we in this place have evolved with legislation in terms of how we assist people with disabilities. The bill also aims to update the language of the legislation. It focuses on the human rights of people with disabilities and gives effect to some of our international obligations, particularly the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The bill essentially repeals the current Disability Services Act 1986, which was regarded as groundbreaking in the care for people with disabilities back in 1986. That act had, in turn, repealed and replaced a 1974 act known as the Handicapped Persons Assistance Act 1974. We can see how just in those periods language has changed around people with disabilities, and that is certainly appropriate.

This is enabling legislation. The bill allows the relevant minister to provide funding for eligible persons for regulated activities. Statutory funding conditions will apply to relevant payments. These conditions are tied to the quality and safeguarding arrangements as set out in the bill. The bill provides legislative authority for new and existing spending on disability related programs. This is outside of any funding under the NDIS. This bill does not directly allocate funding for specific supports or services; it is the enabling legislative framework. In that regard, it facilitates funding for supports and services to assist all people with disabilities, regardless of whether or not they are a participant in the NDIS.

In our country at the moment, we have about 4.4 million people with disabilities. This is a significant number in our community. There are about 610,000 participants under the NDIS. This framework will cover all 4.4 million people, regardless of whether or not they fall under NDIS. It will neither affect NDIS nor have any impact on the disability support pension, which is, as we know, paid under social security law.

The bill also aligns different regulatory schemes and provides for a code of conduct similar to that which is contained within the NDIS Act. Finally, it establishes a criminal offence for the unauthorised use or disclosure of personal information.

At present, it is the Disability Services Act of 1986 that provides the framework for the funding and provision of disability services across Australia. In 37 years, there have been significant changes and it is appropriate now that this regime be updated after almost four decades. Essentially, it will enable the relevant minister to make grants of financial assistance to states and territories or to eligible organisations for, amongst other things, capital works, research activities, disability services and rehabilitation programs. The stated objects include furthering the integration of people with disabilities into the community, assisting people with disabilities to achieve positive outcomes, enabling increased independence, supporting better employment opportunities and providing a positive image of people with disabilities.

There have, in the 37 years since the Disability Services Act was established, been numerous developments in the disability sector, predominantly around the way that we now consider that the most important thing to assist people with disabilities is empowering them to make their own decisions about their own care. Also, there is now increasing awareness of the abuse, neglect and violence which has been directed towards people with disabilities and the lack of safety, quality and value in some disability services.

In terms of international developments, in 2008 Australia ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The underlying principle of that convention is that people with disabilities have the same fundamental rights as the rest of the community, and that is part of the underlying principles of this new proposed act. That required Australia to establish a framework for promoting, protecting and monitoring the implementation of the convention. This has been done under successive governments through the National Disability Strategy 2010-2020 and also under the former coalition government when they brought it in in 2021.

It is worthwhile to note in passing the difference between this and the NDIS and how they interrelate. Another major development since the passage of the Disability Services Act has been the NDIS. The main component of the NDIS is individualised packages of support to eligible people with disability. The NDIS is intended to be tailored to each participant's needs and goals, and the NDIS aims to help participants use their individual plans to choose and purchase services and supports from a consumer driven and competitive marketplace. There are currently 610,000 Australians receiving support from the NDIS.

The NDIS has had a significant impact on the provision of disability services; however, there are many Australians with disabilities who are not eligible for the NDIS. There has also been recent discussion about the scale of fraud by some disability services providers in the NDIS—and I say that it's about the providers, not about the recipients—with some commentators suggesting that over a billion dollars could be lost to fraudulent or unethical practices. In addition to undermining the integrity and financial sustainability of the NDIS, fraud and noncompliance harms and exploits people with disabilities. This has led to an increased awareness of the need for disability services to be appropriately regulated. This, again, is one of the underlying principles of this bill.

The importance of effective regulation of disability services was also highlighted by the findings of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, which I will simply call 'the royal commission'. This was established in 2019 under the former coalition government. The royal commission, sadly, uncovered numerous examples of abuse and neglect by disability service providers. It took a human rights focused approach in understanding the forces that shape the lives of people with disabilities and made recommendations for lasting change. One of the key recommendations said:

Human rights play an important role beyond just imposing legal obligations on government. They reflect a set of values, such as the dignity, autonomy, freedom and equality of all people. The CRPD—

the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities—

articulates values and standards by which people with disability should be treated and informs community values and standards.

That is one of the intentions of this bill. The bill has been drafted to, in fact, reflect those values and standards.

Under this bill, supports and services may be provided to any person with a disability. That includes those with physical, psychosocial, cognitive, intellectual or sensory impairments. They may be either long-term or episodic. The current legislation only allows for funding through grants, while, under this bill, other forms of financial arrangements, such as procurements and contracts, are permitted. So this will make the provision of disability services available to a wider community than that which is receiving support under the NDIS. But it will not, at that time, increase access to disability payments that are currently dealt with under social security legislation. In conclusion, I commend this bill to the House. It reflects work that commenced under the former coalition government. It also reflects many of the recommendations that came out of the royal commission. It does also reflect Australia's international obligations under the United Nations convention. For all of those reasons, I commend this bill to the House.

Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 14 September, the minister introduced the Disability Services and Inclusion Bill 2023 into the House for the second reading, indicating that she would also be introducing the Disability Services and Inclusion (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023. Both bills will help to deliver on the Albanese Labor government's commitments to enable people with a disability to fully participate in our community, exercise choice and control over their lives and improve job opportunities, readiness and support in employment. It became clear that the Disability Services Act, more than three decades old, was outdated and too restrictive. Times have changed, and we have moved towards creating a more inclusive society. In the minister's second reading speech on the substantive bill, she advised:

In response to this changed landscape and taking into account comprehensive feedback from people with disability and the disability sector, the bill and the consequential amendments and transitional provisions bill establish a contemporary, inclusive framework to fund Commonwealth programs targeted for the benefit of people with disability, their families and carers—because this protection, safeguarding and inclusion should apply outside, not just within the NDIS.

I know that the bill supports inclusion of people with disability by broadening the support and services that can be funded under the bill and seeks to avoid placing unnecessary restrictions on who can and can't receive support and services. Both bills enable a response to findings and recommendations arising from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability and non-NDIS initiatives arising from the NDIS, National Disability Insurance Scheme, Review.

Given the recent release of the final report from the royal commission, there is more to be done to ensure everyone with a disability can take part and feel like they belong. The bill before us makes a start on the journey towards a more inclusive society. The Disability Services and Inclusion (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023 will make amendments to existing Commonwealth legislation that are consequential to the repeal of the Disability Services Act 1986 and its replacement by the Disability Services and Inclusion Bill 2023. The bill also sets out savings, provisions and transitional arrangements for the transition period between the repeal of the Disability Services Act and the implementation of the new bill. It's important to note that grant agreements made under the Disability Services Act will continue operate under the provisions of that act until they conclude. All new grant agreements and financial arrangements will be made under the new Disability Services and Inclusion Act.

Schedule 1 of this bill repeals the Disability Services Act. Schedule 2 of this bill makes amendments to Commonwealth legislation to reflect the repeal and replacement of the Disability Services Act. Schedule 2 also provides some limited savings provisions to ensure a smooth transition between the old act and the new Disability Services and Inclusion Act. Schedule 3 sets out application and saving provisions for the Disability Services and Inclusion Act, both preliminary matters and the operational matters for the DSI Act and operation of the Disability Services Act.

We are advised that when the Disability Services Act was introduced it created a legislative framework for the Australian government to provide a range of disability services. The Disability Services Act focuses on assisting people with a disability to achieve independence, employment and opportunities to integrate into the community. The act also regulates the certification of service providers and specifies standards to adhere to in the delivery of services. During the ensuing years Australian governments have moved to solely direct service provision to include person-centred market models of service delivery and support, including through the NDIS, which I understand currently supports over 600,000 people with a disability.

One in six people in Australia are estimated to have a disability and it became clear that the Disability Services Act was no longer fit for purpose. A more modern streamlined legislative framework that will effectively facilitate funding to assist people with a disability for support and services is required, regardless of whether they are a NDIS participant. As stated previously, schedule 1 of the bill before us repeals the Disability Services Act 1986. Replacing the act will ensure that government is better able to respond to recommendations of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability and the review of the NDIS. The bill will provide a source of legislative authority with consistent statutory requirements for funded providers.

Schedule 2 makes important amendments that are consequential to the repeal of the Disability Services Act and the implementation of the Disability Services and Inclusion Act. These amendments are largely instrumental in protecting information under the relevant acts so that protected information can continue to be disclosed to the department administrating the Disability Services Act if there is a reasonable ground that the information will assist in the performance of the functions or the exercise of the powers of that department.

In relation to the Age Discrimination Act, section 41 provides that certain actions taken with respect to pensions, allowances, benefits and other things are not unlawful it done in direct compliance with certain Commonwealth legislation. The consequence of the amendment will be that any actions done in direct compliance with the Disability Services and Inclusion Act will not be unlawful under the Age Discrimination Act. The effect of the amendment to subsection 8(3) of the Australian Hearing Services Act is to provide that the authority, Hearing Australia, must as far as practical perform its functions in a manner consistent with the objects of the Disability Services and Inclusion Act and the principles set out in section 4 of that act.

Clause 28 of the bill sets out the consequences for the unauthorised use or disclosure of protected information under the bill. It is an offence for a person who has obtained protected information while performing functions or duties or exercising powers under the Disability Services and Inclusion Act to disclose or use that information in an unauthorised manner.

Again, other amendments pave the way for transition from any reference to the old Disability Services Act to the new act. One such example is an amendment recognising that currently employment services for people with a disability, such as vocational rehabilitation services, are provided under the Disability Services Act. In the future new or altered programs will be provided under the new act. It's important to note the changes in relation to operation of the old act and how they relate to the new act. The Disability Services and Inclusion Act will provide legislative authority for new spending on disability related programs outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Arrangements and grants made under the Disability Services and Inclusion Act will be supported by appropriate quality safeguards, such as a code of conduct and certification standards. All providers funded under the bill will become subject to a single code of conduct which largely mirrors the NDIS code of conduct and the aged-care code of conduct. This ensures that people with disability know what to expect from their providers, consistent with the NDIS.

In future, when current funding arrangements end the bill will ensure flexibility to continue or redesign current programs as appropriate, subject to consultation with people with disability. This will allow for a smooth transition for people with disability and those providing support and services. When current service providers enter new or renewed funding arrangements, they will be subject to the full requirements of the bill. Service providers delivering regulated activities defined in the bill will be required to hold a certificate of compliance. I note that the human rights implications of the Disability Services and Inclusion Bill are set out in detail in the explanatory memorandum to the bill.

In conclusion, I acknowledge that the Disability Services Act is no longer fit for purpose and does not provide legislative authority for a range of disability programs. This can cause administrative delays in implementing important programs, and means that some programs are not subject to any form of quality standards or regulatory oversight.

In my first speech I spoke about my friendship with Robert Sully, a man special to me. Robert gave me a painting that I brought to Canberra with me, and it sits in my window in my room. It serves as a daily reminder of the importance of our decision-making and its effect upon people such as Robert. I continue to be driven by the desire to understand and be inspired by people such as Robert, to support them to live the best life possible with disability. What we do here today is in line with the government's commitment to enable people with disability to participate fully in society and to exercise full choice and full control over their lives. I commend the bill to the House.

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank all members who have contributed to this important debate on these two bills before us, the Disability Services and Inclusion Bill 2023 and the Disability Services and Inclusion (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023. The government has listened closely to the contributions of all members, and I'm pleased to address some of those contributions in this summing-up speech. I acknowledge all those who have provided input into the consultation process that has resulted in the bill we see before us today. I particularly acknowledge all those people living with disability that have contributed. I also acknowledge the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee for their consideration of the bill.

This bill will help deliver on the Albanese Labor government's commitment to enable people with disability to fully participate in our community and exercise agency over their lives. This bill will establish a contemporary framework to fund programs targeted for the benefit of people with disability and their families and carers, regardless of whether or not they receive support under the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It's been designed to complement other national legislation and, together with those laws and the laws of state and territory governments, give effect to international obligations, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The bill, along with the Disability Services and Inclusion (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023, will replace the Disability Services Act 1986, which, after almost 40 years, is no longer fit for purpose. The bill broadens funding options and service categories to include an extensive range of disability supports to provide a basis to strengthen the inclusion of people with disability across our community. This will provide flexibility to allow the government to respond to changing circumstances now and into the future, including in the important context of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability and the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The bill will improve quality and safeguarding arrangements, aiming to ensure the safety of people with disability and the quality of supports and services they receive. To this end, the bill introduces a mandatory code of conduct allowing people with disability and their families and carers to know what they should expect from service providers and supporting an avenue for complaints.

The government acknowledges the matters raised by the Australian Greens on this bill. They were also raised through the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee inquiry into this bill. It's important to recognise that the focus and intent of this bill is to provide for a broad, enduring and effective legislative authority for current and future Commonwealth disability policy and programs outside of the NDIS. This bill includes clear objectives to ensure that programs funded under it are designed to promote and realise the human rights of people with disability in Australia. This bill does not exist in isolation; it sits as part of a broader legislative ecosystem, including the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, which is the primary means of upholding the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability. The bill is intentionally broad, and of course allows the seeking of funding for all people with disability without specifying specific cohorts and settings. This is essential to maximise inclusion and to avoid unintended limitations. The bill explicitly includes as one of its objectives supporting access to supports or services that meet the needs of people with disability who experience compounding disadvantage, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Our government is committed to working in partnership with the First Nations People with Disability Network and other First Nations people with disability, consistent with our disability related commitments under the Closing the Gap agreement and Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031.

Throughout the development of this bill the government has demonstrated a clear commitment to consulting with people with disability, their representatives, carers and families, as well as the broader community. This has included two specific rounds of consultation undertaken by my department which supported the drafting of the bill and resulted in improvements to the bill. This consultation will continue in the context of the development of the instruments and implementation. The government is also committed to consulting on the recommendations of the disability royal commission to ensure a well-informed government response. We recognise that there is complexity and diversity in views across the community on central issues, including on segregated settings. In fact, even the commissioners were split on this issue. This clearly demonstrates that it would be pre-emptive to legislate what has been requested by the Australian Greens. I would also note that witnesses at the Senate inquiry highlighted that one of the key flaws in the current Disability Services Act is that it actually embeds exclusion and segregation for particular communities of people with disability, and we have removed that. We have listened to the disability community and have developed an act that specifically speaks about inclusion and which removes enablers of segregation.

The government also acknowledges the comments made by the opposition in relation to the removal of target groups. This differs from the approach taken in the Disability Services Act. When the act was designed almost 40 years ago it included the types of services now captured by the NDIS. This means it was appropriate to target supports—for example, to those with permanent disability that resulted in substantially reduced capacity in specified areas. This target cohort would now be largely captured by significant and permanent disability eligibility under the NDIS. Therefore this targeting is no longer necessary nor appropriate in a legislative framework focused on supporting all Australians with disability, and not just those who are eligible for the NDIS. The Disability Services and Inclusion Bill 2023 represents a clear step forward in providing authority for safe and inclusive supports and services to all people with disability. The bill will provide flexibility to the government to continue to adapt and improve the supports and services available to people with disability, and to build a more inclusive Australia.

In addition, I thank the members who contributed to the Disability Services and Inclusion (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023. This of course makes consequential amendments and provides transitional arrangements to support the proposed Disability Services and Inclusion Act 2023. This is in line with the government's commitment to enable people with disability to participate fully in society and to exercise full choice and control over their lives. This bill provides for the repeal of the Disability Services Act 1986 and facilitates the continued provision of disability supports and services funded under that act in accordance with the proposed new enabling legislation.

This will ensure the continuity of service and supports, and will prevent disruption of funding to disability service providers. Together with the Disability Services and Inclusion Bill 2023, the consequential transitional amendment bill will deliver much-needed support to Australia's disability service sector. It will ensure a seamless transition in funding arrangements for existing Commonwealth funded disability supports and services outside of the NDIS, demonstrating this government's commitment to the inclusion of all people with disability in Australian society and complementing existing legislation to fulfil Australia's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disability. I commend the two bills to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.