Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

In the previous answer, what I was describing was the process that will be engaged in to develop the needs assessment tool, and that, of course, will go to who is doing the assessment and the processes that they will undertake. As I indicated, the process of developing that needs assessment tool will be an iterative process where the co-design principles will be developed in deep consultation and be responsive to the discussions with members of the disability community, experts and all of the relevant stakeholders.

What is required for that process to commence—and this is why I can't be more precise with you, Senator Steele-John—is for this bill to be passed. Upon passage of the legislation through the Australian parliament, that process of the development of the needs assessment tool will commence, and all of the considerations I've referred to—and more—will be undertaken at that point. The needs assessment is a procedural step that will provide information required for the decision to approve the statement of participant supports, which, of course, goes to the level of funding and the budget for individual participants.

That is the purpose of this process. One of the reasons, I think, that senators across the chamber, including in the committee, came to the view that this particular piece of legislation needed to proceed with some urgency is that it starts that process—and starts that process properly. I look forward to, and don't want to pre-empt here, the outcomes of that process.