Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Singh for her question. Our Labor government is building a stronger and fairer Australia—an Australia that provides people with disability, their families and their carers with the support they need and they deserve. We have been clear that DisabilityCare Australia will be for all Australians so that everyone has the peace of mind that if they or a loved one are born with or acquire a disability they will be supported, ending the cruel lottery where care and support depends on where you live or how you acquire your disability.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme Act received royal assent on 28 March. That landmark piece of legislation lays the framework for the operation of DisabilityCare Australia as it launches around the country from 1 July this year. Senators will recall that in December last year we reached a historic agreement with the New South Wales government to roll out DisabilityCare right across that state, and since then we have reached agreement about funding and roll-out with the governments of South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, the ACT, my own state of Queensland, and the Northern Territory. These agreements provide certainty for the vast majority of Australians so that if they or people close to them have or acquire a disability they will receive reasonable and necessary support to achieve their goals in life and to participate in community life.

There were those on the other side of the chamber and in the other place who said that Labor could not achieve this historic reform, that we were unfairly raising the hopes and expectations of people with disabilities. While they heckled from the sidelines, we got on with the job. While they told Australians to lower their expectations and demand less, Labor worked to put the agreements and put the funding in place. (Time expired)