Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. Will the minister update the House on the release of the Productivity Commission review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme costs. Why, more than ever, is it important that the National Disability Insurance Scheme is fully funded, and is the minister aware of any alternatives?

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question and for her interest in this area. As the member is aware, there were three very important events that occurred in the development of the NDIS this week. The first event was that there was a very strong delegation of disability advocates who came here to try and persuade the Labor Party to fully fund the NDIS. What John Della Bosca from Every Australian Counts said was:

… the increase to the Medicare levy must happen, in order to secure a consistent, sustainable funding stream for the NDIS. That's what we're telling everybody. That’s what we’ll keep telling everybody until we get a result.

The second very important event was—as was noted—the release of the Productivity Commission interim report of its inquiry into the NDIS. That interim report asked and answered a very critical question, which is: is the rollout of the NDIS on track and within budget? And it concluded that it is.

The third very important event this week, and possibly the most remarkable event—in fact, as far as I am aware, it is an astonishing development totally without precedent—is a press release from the member for Jagajaga which is not entirely, 100 per cent, negative in its appraisal of the government. Members, it is utterly true. I can table it if need be. The press release is actually entitled 'NDIS on track'. It goes on to say:

The Productivity Commission has found that the NDIS is 'broadly on track' …

So what a remarkable event!

I am asked about alternatives, and sadly the remarkable events stop there. What we do not have is the Labor Party on track for fully funding the NDIS. When the Leader of the Opposition was asked about divisions in his shadow cabinet with respect to the 0.5 per cent increase in the Medicare levy, what he said was, 'We are all on the same page.' I find that claim vague and unconvincing, and it is worth some scrutiny. In 2013 the entirety of Labor thought it was fair. In 2017 three-quarters of the shadow cabinet still think it is the fairest way to fund the NDIS. The Leader of the Opposition is one of the few in shadow cabinet that opposes the increase as being unfair—although he previously argued it was fair—and the shadow Treasurer agrees to a full increase in the Medicare levy but does not want the money spent on the NDIS. So they are all on the same page! I am reliably informed that the largest piece of paper ever created in the world was created by students in Paraguay on 7 August 2015. That measured 15 metres by 10 metres, so about half a basketball court. If that is the paper we are talking about, then maybe Labor are all on that same massive page.

But the big problem is: whatever page Labor are on, it is the wrong page. What each and every one of the disability advocates who visited Parliament House this week want—what they all ask for—is to convince Labor to get off the page that says they will not fully fund the NDIS and get on the page that says they actually care about the future of Australians with a disability and will fully fund this scheme. (Time expired)