Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Disability Reform) Share this | Hansard source

Once again, I thank the member for Shortland for her question, and for the way in which both she and the other members in the Hunter region have advocated to see the start of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in their region. Around 10,000 people with disability in the Hunter region will benefit as a result of the start of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in that part of New South Wales.

I also take this opportunity to thank the New South Wales government for the way in which they have been working with the Commonwealth to make sure that the National Disability Insurance Scheme starts in the Hunter in a timely way. We need to work cooperatively with the state government and that will occur. Of course, the legislation will mean that those 10,000 people in the Hunter will finally get the choice and control that they deserve over the services that they need, to live the lives that, for so many years, have been denied them.

I say to the Speaker, and to every member of this parliament, this is landmark legislation. We introduced Medicare and now we will introduce the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

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