Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Senator Fifield. Can the minister inform the Senate how the coalition government will deliver the NDIS? Can the minister also advise what measures are in the budget for the National Disability Insurance Scheme?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can advise the Senate the Labor's month-long scare campaign leading up to the budget in relation to the NDIS came to what it always was going to, and that is a complete misrepresentation of this government's intentions. This government has always been committed to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. This government is committed to delivering the National Disability Insurance Scheme in full. We are committed to delivering the National Disability Insurance Scheme within the agreed funding envelope.

There was another item in the budget in relation to the NDIS which you may not have picked up. That is that the previous government misapplied an efficiency dividend because they made it cover package costs for the NDIS. So in the budget this week we are returning an extra $44 million to the NDIS that the previous government wanted to take away. Far from seeking to wind back or cut the NDIS, it is this government that is actually returning to the NDIS funding that the previous government was intending to cut.

We are committed to the NDIS. We are committed to rolling it out in full, but we are equally committed to making sure that the NDIS has sound foundations. We know from work commissioned by the independent board of the NDIS—the board appointed under the previous government—that the decision of the previous government to bring forward the commencement of trial sites by a year has compromised some of the key capabilities of the agency. We are determined to address those capabilities so that the scheme is rolled out well and in full.

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister further advise the Senate how the government is delivering on its commitment to implement the NDIS?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Only a week or two ago the Prime Minister, with the member for Corangamite, the Premier of Victoria and I, opened the national headquarters of the NDIS in Geelong. It was a great day and a great day for jobs for the Barwon region. Also within the last few weeks, the Prime Minister signed an agreement with the Northern Territory government for the commencement of trial sites on 1 July. The Prime Minister also, about a month ago, signed an agreement with the Premier of Western Australia for trial sites in Western Australia. Those actions, in combination with the budget announcement in relation to returning that efficiency dividend money to the scheme, are not the actions of a government that is intent on doing anything other than delivering the NDIS in full.

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate of any obstacles to the delivery of the NDIS?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can. The obstacle, and it is an unfortunate one, is the temptation which those opposite can never resist to seek to bring the NDIS into the mire of partisanship. I would hope, and I think all fair-minded colleagues would hope, that the NDIS is something that can be elevated beyond partisanship. Can I cite, as an example of the approach that should be taken, the joint parliamentary committee for the NDIS, chaired by Mr Mal Brough. I must pay credit to the members of that committee—members and senators from all parties who are approaching their work in a very non-partisan way and are simply seeking to make the NDIS the very best that it can be—which is the approach of this government. To those opposite who are on occasion tempted to cause unnecessary concern amongst Australians with disability, I would say: stop, get on board and let's deliver the NDIS. (Time expired)

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.