Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Community Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for the supplementary question because I think it is time the Australian people and this parliament were informed about the Commonwealth state disability agreement. We all agree in Australia that there is a large amount of unmet need in this sector. We have said to the states and territories, who are fundamentally responsible for disability, to give us an indication of what this unmet need is, not just state it in big letters with a ‘Please, just send us money; don’t worry about it.’ We sat down for the most recent CSTDA and said: ‘We’ll tell you what we’ll do. The largest area of unmet need clearly is in the area of supported accommodation and respite.’ Do you know what we put on the table, Mr President? We said, ‘Instead of 25 per cent, we will double our commitment uncapped to unmet need in supported accommodation and respite.’ Do you know what they did, Mr President? The Labor ministers responsible for disability, with the ink hardly dry on the paper, walked out. I can tell you right now: you will not get that kind of behaviour on this side of the parliament.