Jordon Steele-John WA, Australian Greens
2:22 pm
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. Yesterday the Prime Minister announced an aged-care royal commission ahead of the ABC's Four Corners tonight. The Prime Minister was social services minister during a 2015 Senate inquiry into violence, abuse and neglect of disabled people in institutional and residential settings that recommended an urgent royal commission—something that the government has repeatedly refused to undertake. There have subsequently been 500 complaints to the national disability abuse hotline. Given the widespread violence, abuse and neglect of disabled people that is ongoing, why does this urgently needed royal commission not extend to disabled people?
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
2:23 pm
I thank the senator for his question. As responsibility for specialist disability services shifts from the states and territories to a national system through the NDIS, the Commonwealth government has established new, significant and comprehensive—
Jordon Steele-John WA, Australian Greens
The quality and safeguards framework only covers 10 per cent—
Scott Ryan President
Senator Steele-John, please come to a point of order—
Scott Ryan President
Senator Steele-John! Are you raising a point of order or matter of debate?
Relevance, Mr President.
The minister has been speaking for 12 seconds. I am not a position to rule on relevance before he has completed a single sentence.
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
The coalition government takes the abuse and neglect of people with disability very seriously, and is engaging in real, immediate and substantial reform to improve the treatment of people with disability, including those in residential settings, most of whom will be eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. There have already been multiple inquiries looking into issues of abuse and neglect of people with disability at both the federal and the state levels which have clearly identified the issues. As responsibility for specialist disability services shifts from the states and territories to a national system through the NDIS, the Commonwealth government has established new significant and comprehensive safeguards to prevent abuse and neglect of people with a disability under the NDIS. The Commonwealth has established the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and continues to provide the National Disability—
Scott Ryan President
Order, Senator Cormann. Senator-Steele John on a point of order?
Jordon Steele-John WA, Australian Greens
A point of order on relevance. The Quality and Safeguarding Framework does not cover—
Scott Ryan President
Senator Steele-John, that is a point of debate. It is not a point of order with respect to relevance. With respect, I think the minister is being directly relevant to the question asked.
Scott Ryan President
Senator Steele-John, the minister, in my view, is being directly relevant. I can't control how he answers, I cannot direct how he answers, but I believe he's being directly relevant to the lengthy question that you asked and/or part of it. There is a time after question time for debating the matter of ministers' answers.
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
As I was saying, the Commonwealth has established the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and continues to provide to the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline. The royal commission to investigate the quality of care provided in residential and home based aged-care services announced by the Prime Minister yesterday will complement the action the government is already taking in the disability area, including for younger people with disability in residential aged-care facilities.
Jordon Steele-John WA, Australian Greens
2:26 pm
Given the extensive media reports into violence, abuse and neglect of disabled people in institutional and residential settings, including four Lateline reports and a Four Corners report, why won't the Prime Minister acknowledge the shared horror of the experience of disabled people—my people—and older Australians and broaden the proposed commission's terms of reference to include them?
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
2:27 pm
Well, as I've already indicated, the coalition government does take abuse and neglect of people with disability very seriously. The terms of reference of the royal commission that the Prime Minister announced yesterday will be determined through consultation with the community, including residents and their families and aged-care providers.
Scott Ryan President
Senator Steele-John, a final supplementary question.
Jordon Steele-John WA, Australian Greens
Why is the Prime Minister willing to sweep the violence, abuse and neglect of thousands of disabled Australians under the rug by not broadening the terms of reference of this commission? The time for justice is now!
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
I don't accept the premise of the question.