Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to add to information I said I would bring back to the chamber in answer to a question from Senator Brown yesterday. The government considers all violence and abuse against people with disability as abhorrent. The Four Corners report reinforces this government's commitment to effective safeguards for the NDIS at full scheme. Central to this commitment is the establishment of a single independent body to implement the regulatory frameworks of the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework.

The specific cases Four Corners reported on on Monday night need to be responded to by the relevant state. They have jurisdiction for ensuring participants are safe and their providers act appropriately, as we transition to the NDIS full scheme.

The minister has previously written to all states and territories to receive assurances that their quality and safeguarding systems remain adequate during transition. Given that the states remain responsible during this transition, the government was not aware of the specific details raised by Four Corners, nor were they available to the minister's office prior to his interview for the program.

Rather than proceeding with another inquiry through a royal commission, the government is focused on establishing this new body, which will address many of the issues raised by the Senate Community Affairs References Committee into violence, abuse and neglect against people with disability in institutional and residential settings.

We will continue to work with the states and territories to support their quality and safeguarding efforts during the transition to full-scheme NDIS and to learn from their efforts.