Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'll spare you the pensioner energy supplement and, while the member for Ryan is in the chamber—you're the senior cabinet minister overseeing the NDIS; congratulations, great Labor reform—I want to ask you a specific question and I hope for a real answer. I'll be serious. Could take this one on notice. I have written to the member for Ryan about it. I'm still hopeful for an answer. She's usually very good, despite what you did to her—that is, the Liberal Party. I spoke in parliament on 21 May, but I still haven't had a response.

I'm speaking on behalf of Caddie Whitehead and her son, Xabian. Xabian has severe cerebral palsy. He is under six. He attends the Cerebral Palsy Education Centre in my electorate—one of the best centres in Australia. It's a flagship program that operates in a transdisciplinary setting: they have an occupational therapist, a physio and speech pathologist in the same class, and families. So part of the benefit of this program—I've visited it myself—is that parents and carers learn from other families. It's been brilliant and going for over 20 years. It's been evaluated numerous times and is studied nationally and internationally, but it is under threat and about to close—that's not an exaggeration; I've met with the chair of the board and the CEO—because of the NDIS pricing structure.

The default pricing structure for this kind of group program requires a two-to-one funding ratio of staff to recipient, but three to one is required for this program. The model that you're still currently operating is a one-size-fits-all model. I think this is a terrible situation. They're fundraising. They've another fundraising dinner on Saturday night. It's bandaids and sticky tape, but they said they cannot keep sustaining this and they've been hoping to have the issue resolved for 12 months.

It is a ridiculous false economy in that this early intervention improves lives and saves money down the track. The member for Ryan's nodding; I think we agree on this. Minister, can you please intervene and fix this? The rigid pricing structure isn't working. I would be very happy to host you or the member for Ryan and visit the class.

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