Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Siewert for enabling me to jump in. I know she has other questions. For a variety of reasons I did not have the opportunity to speak on the second reading debate, and I hope I might have the leave of colleagues to make some general comments. In all likelihood I will be out of the building when Senator Fifield's amendment in relation to the establishment of a joint parliamentary committee is debated. With the leave of the parliamentary secretary, I will make some quick comments to that.

Senator Fifield has said for a long time that the NDIS should be beyond partisan politics. That is why he, as the responsible shadow, and the coalition in totality seek the establishment of a joint parliamentary committee to be chaired by both sides of politics. If we are going to be fair to men, women, children and families with disabilities as a nation, we must undercommit and overdeliver. If we overcommit and underdeliver then we are letting down a group of Australians who are relying on us as parliamentarians to ensure that this works. As Senator Fifield knows full well, I have the great honour of being the godparent of two young people with disabilities, and I know that their parents do not want this to be about politics. They want it to be about outcomes. That was communicated to me by one of these parents in no uncertain terms a couple of weeks ago. They want us to ensure that this is all above politics. I ask the government again to reconsider Senator Fifield's amendment, because this is, in my view, the surest way of ensuring that the politics and the heat are taken out of this.

I think it is a very, very good amendment. It is good because it is right for people with disabilities. It is good and right for those families of people with a disability. In the strongest possible terms I urge honourable senators to enable the perception and the reality amongst the community that this is above politics. As I said before, we have a unique opportunity to genuinely make generational change, and we must never lose sight of either the opportunity or the requirement to do so. Thank you.