Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 1181.

Leave granted.

I amend the motion in the terms as circulated in the chamber and move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) on 26 October 2018, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a $5 billion Drought Future Fund to assist struggling farmers, which will be funded, in part, by $3 billion from the Building Australia Fund that the Government had previously set aside for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Special Account,

  (ii) the Government's plans to establish an NDIS Special Account did not pass the Parliament and have now been abandoned – demonstrating that they were an unnecessary ploy to hold people with disability ransom to social security cuts,

  (iii) the NDIS has the potential to transform the lives of disabled people, their families, and carers, but it is still in the process of being rolled out and has a long way to go to meet the needs of disabled Australians,

  (iv) disabled Australians continue to face discrimination created by the physical, cultural, and governmental barriers present in our society and the current implementation of the NDIS is failing to adequately meet their needs,

  (v) the entire state of New South Wales has been declared to be in drought, as well as parts of Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, and it is a matter of national importance that we assist farming families in these regions, to help them through this tough time, and

  (vi) drought relief should not come at the expense of realising the rights of disabled Australians to fully participate in all aspects of our society; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

  (i) ensure that not only is the NDIS fully funded, but that it is working as intended by adequately meeting the needs of disabled Australians and supporting them to fully participate in all aspects of our society; and

  (ii) give disabled Australians certainty that the NDIS will not be treated like a political football.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave not granted.

Peter Georgiou (WA, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave not granted.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the government already confirmed earlier this year in the 2018-19 budget, we have secured the future of the NDIS and ensured that it is fully funded through our better economic and fiscal management, which has delivered a stronger and improved budget position and which is able to fully fund the NDIS without persisting with the Medicare levy increase or the previous BAF measure. Our prudent economic management has allowed us to fully fund the NDIS and at the same time establish a $5 billion future drought fund that guarantees support against future droughts faced by farmers and communities in rural and regional Australia.

Question agreed to.