Kimberley Kitching (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Government Accountability) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, in relation to the last part of that answer, can we go through the case of Tim Rubenach, who died waiting for a specialised tilt bed and a wheelchair from the NDIS provider in Tasmania? Given that you've given a commitment to general services for people who might not be able to access the NDIS—this was the case: Mr Rubenach had been approved by the NDIS and had to wait many, many months, both for the tilt bed and for a motorised wheelchair. He died before he received those. I note that the other night at the estimates spillover Ms Campbell from the department did apologise. But could we seek some assurance, because Mr Rubenach is certainly not the only person who has had difficulty in accessing services from the NDIS. In fact I know of someone who worked in this building, was a former senator, who also had to wait under a care plan for services that were approved, and he died before he could receive the resources that were approved under the care plan. Could we go to Mr Rubenach's specific circumstances and how the NDIS is proposing to ensure that those services are provided? Given that these amendments relate to a royal commission, I would imagine, and clarifying that the NDIA is going to be subject to the Royal Commissions Act, that an amendment wouldn't be necessary, because the NDIS will be able to provide the services it itself says it is going to be able to provide and indeed approves.