Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese REPORT
30 Jul 2012
For the 400,000 Australians with significant disabilities there is ongoing concern over the Government's proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and its refusal to address how the $15 billion per year scheme will be funded when introduced or how those with disabilities will be assessed.
"The past week has been a roller coaster of emotions but the overall feeling is disappointment that the Government is so determined to rush ahead with trials that are unrepresentative and cannot deliver the across-the-board data needed," says Maree Buckwalter, President of the Carers Alliance and mother of a severely disabled 26-year-old son who needs 24 hour care.
The Productivity Commission's 2011 Report recommended the Commonwealth be sole funder and administrator of the scheme to prevent duplication and blame game politics.
But as Maree points out, the blame game has already started at the trial stage long before the scheme is even up and running. She cites last week's argy bargy with the Prime Minister accusing the Liberal states of not caring about the disabled when their Premiers argued they did not have the extra funds to invest in trials for the NDIS.
The day after the COAG meeting last Wednesday, instead of negotiating further, PM Julia Gillard announced the trials would take place in Tasmania, South Australia and the ACT even though one of these trials was limited to children under 7 with disabilities, another to young people between 12 and 18. The ACT was also included but only had a limited number of people with disabilities.
"The whole point of the trials was to test how the scheme would ultimately work on people of all ages and all disabilities, with a trial of 10,000 beginning in July 2013 and expanded to include 20,000 the following year," Maree says and dismissed the trials agreed to by the Government last week as skewed, rushed and a "waste of money."
Late on Friday, 27 July, NSW and Victoria announced their governments would help fund trials to test the cost and effectiveness of a future NDIS and to iron out flaws. However the funding comes with conditions.
The NSW had already put well over $500 million on the table for the trials but were asked to contribute a further $70 million by the Prime Minister. Finally after two days of discussions, the NSW Government agreed to put a further $35 million towards the trials, half the additional amount the PM requested/
Andrew Constance, NSW Minister for Disabilities said the state government was funding 60 percent of the cost of the NSW trial but made it clear no additional money for blow-outs and shortfalls would be made available.
"This is it," he said.
Julia Gillard responded saying this was a victory for the disabled and progress toward agreements with the two states. However she has not yet accepted the offers which would cover $20,779 per person involved in the trials. With the overall cost estimated at around $36,000 per person, the Commonwealth looks set to make up the shortfall.
However the Government's commitment of just under $1 billion over four years to the NDIS, or just $250 million per year to set up the scheme and oversee the trials, falls far short of the Productivity Commission's recommendation of $600 million per year or $3.9 billion for the entire cost of the trials.
The Federal Government is also rushing ahead with the trials which under the Productivity Commission blueprint should begin in 2014, after the completion of "getting agreement on the scheme, planning details of the scheme, setting up legislation, and bedding down administrative arrangements."
"But Julia Gillard is not concerned with how the scheme will be implemented, how it will be funded and who and how the severely dependent disabled will be assessed," Maree says and takes issue with the Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swans accusations that the states are playing politics over the NDIS.
"With the trials being rushed forward and set to begin just before next year's Federal election, the PM and her Government are the ones playing politics," she insists.
As the mother and full-time carer of a significantly disabled son, Maree is disappointed and upset at the way the NDIS is being handled.
"The Gillard Government is making a hash of it with insufficient and non representative trials, no surety of funding and no details of how the scheme will operate or how the disabled will be assessed," she says and accuses the rush to begin trials a year earlier than recommended by the Productivity Commission as "a publicity stunt" by the Prime Minister in a "bid to take ownership of an NDIS without paying up and doing the hard yards."
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
30 Jul 2012
Carers Alliance Accuse Julia Gillard and
Wayne Swan of playing politics with NDIS
"The past week has been a roller coaster of emotions but the overall feeling is disappointment that the Government is so determined to rush ahead with trials that are unrepresentative and cannot deliver the across-the-board data needed," says Maree Buckwalter, President of the Carers Alliance and mother of a severely disabled 26-year-old son who needs 24 hour care.
The Productivity Commission's 2011 Report recommended the Commonwealth be sole funder and administrator of the scheme to prevent duplication and blame game politics.
But as Maree points out, the blame game has already started at the trial stage long before the scheme is even up and running. She cites last week's argy bargy with the Prime Minister accusing the Liberal states of not caring about the disabled when their Premiers argued they did not have the extra funds to invest in trials for the NDIS.
The day after the COAG meeting last Wednesday, instead of negotiating further, PM Julia Gillard announced the trials would take place in Tasmania, South Australia and the ACT even though one of these trials was limited to children under 7 with disabilities, another to young people between 12 and 18. The ACT was also included but only had a limited number of people with disabilities.
Disabled on roller coaster ride as Federal and
State Govts argue over funding of NDIS
Late on Friday, 27 July, NSW and Victoria announced their governments would help fund trials to test the cost and effectiveness of a future NDIS and to iron out flaws. However the funding comes with conditions.
The NSW had already put well over $500 million on the table for the trials but were asked to contribute a further $70 million by the Prime Minister. Finally after two days of discussions, the NSW Government agreed to put a further $35 million towards the trials, half the additional amount the PM requested/
Andrew Constance, NSW Minister for Disabilities said the state government was funding 60 percent of the cost of the NSW trial but made it clear no additional money for blow-outs and shortfalls would be made available.
"This is it," he said.
Maree Buckwalter, President
of the Carers Alliance
However the Government's commitment of just under $1 billion over four years to the NDIS, or just $250 million per year to set up the scheme and oversee the trials, falls far short of the Productivity Commission's recommendation of $600 million per year or $3.9 billion for the entire cost of the trials.
The Federal Government is also rushing ahead with the trials which under the Productivity Commission blueprint should begin in 2014, after the completion of "getting agreement on the scheme, planning details of the scheme, setting up legislation, and bedding down administrative arrangements."
NDIS funding needs certainty so significantly
disabled can receive individually tailored support
"With the trials being rushed forward and set to begin just before next year's Federal election, the PM and her Government are the ones playing politics," she insists.
As the mother and full-time carer of a significantly disabled son, Maree is disappointed and upset at the way the NDIS is being handled.
"The Gillard Government is making a hash of it with insufficient and non representative trials, no surety of funding and no details of how the scheme will operate or how the disabled will be assessed," she says and accuses the rush to begin trials a year earlier than recommended by the Productivity Commission as "a publicity stunt" by the Prime Minister in a "bid to take ownership of an NDIS without paying up and doing the hard yards."
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
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