Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Disability Reform, Senator Evans. In 2007 the Australian government ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Article 4 of that convention stipulates that people with disability must be involved in all decisions that affect their lives. In 2011 the Australian government committed to introducing the National Disability Insurance Scheme. This scheme represents a funda­mental shift of control to people with disability over their choice and management of disability supports. In light of this conven­tion, does the government acknowledge that people with disability should be involved right from the beginning of the process of the development of the NDIS? What action is the Australian government taking to ensure that people with disability are intrinsically involved in all aspects of the development and implementation of the NDIS, right from the beginning of the process?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Siewert for her question and her ongoing interest in the needs of people with disability in our community. As the senator pointed out, the government has taken the lead on fundamental reform of disability services because we know the current system is not serving the needs of those with disability, their families and their carers. As she understands, we have worked with the states to try and get a combined approach to ensure that we implement the recommendations of the Productivity Commission, which recommended this approach. We have continued to invest heavily in people with disability and their support services. As she knows, the government has a strong record of investing in those services.

As to her central point, there is no doubt that her point is a good one: this is a scheme that is designed to meet the needs of people with a disability and their families, and it is important that they be involved from the very start in that work. The reality is that the demand for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and support for it came out of the disability sector, the people with a disability and their families and carers who have been campaigning for many years to try and ensure a much more comprehensive response from governments for the needs of people with disabilities. I am sure they will be centrally involved in the development of the scheme and its design. I do not have any specific briefing on the mechanisms for that engagement. I am happy to take that part of the question on notice. But I know Minister Macklin is absolutely committed to working with people with disability to make sure the reform serves their needs, because that is what it is all about.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for the bit of detail about the scheme, but he did not, as he just articulated, get to the point about how people with disability are being involved in the development of the scheme. If he could take that on notice, that would be appreciated.

I presume he may need to take the following question on notice. What specific policies and actions are put in place to ensure that states and territories are engaging people with disability in the work that they are undertaking as part of the NDIS scheme? I specifically want to know, regarding people with disability—not care providers or service providers but people with disability—how they are being engaged right now in the building blocks. (Time expired)

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Your question was very long, Senator. You should realise that 30 seconds is the time allowed.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In response to the concerns, that is what I deliberately did in the primary question: I took on notice your specific concerns because I did not have a briefing regarding that. The senator and the Senate will know that, through the Council of Australian Governments, we are working with the states, and they have agreed with us that the NDIS ought to be a priority. A select council of treasurers and disability service ministers, chaired by the Commonwealth, has been established. Their work will drive us in achieving the National Disability Insurance Scheme, together with the advisory group that has been established. As to the specifics of their direct engagement with people with disability, I will take that on notice. I am sure that is occurring. I think everyone accepts that for too long we have had a top-down policy in this area and have not been listening as closely as we should to people with disability. I am sure there is sensitivity to those concerns, but, as to the exact arrangements, I will take that on notice. (Time expired)

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I thank the minister for agreeing to take that on notice. I ask him to also take this question on notice: what level of funding is being made available to people with disability to participate in this process and to actually prepare for the implementation of the NDIS? We are aware that disability enterprises are being assisted to get ready for this. We would like to know how the government is assisting people with disabilities to prepare.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As people are aware, we have invested heavily in greater support for people with disability in terms of pensions et cetera. On the specific question the senator asks, I do know that an additional $10 million has been provided for new projects to identify practical ways to prepare the sector, the workforce and people with disability to examine how the design elements of the scheme will work in practice. As to her question about particular funding, I think there is access to that funding for new projects to directly engage with people with disability, but, as to the specifics of the question, I do not have a briefing on that. I will get her a comprehensive answer on the theme of all of her questions, which goes to how we are supporting the people with disabilities themselves to engage in the process.