Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Senator Ruston. What is the current wait time for an NDIS package? How many people with a disability and their families are going without vital services because of the government's delayed rollout?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much to Senator Brown for her question on this absolutely important and massive reform in the disability sector in Australia. Obviously, the senator would be well aware this is once in a lifetime—it is a massive reform—and us moving away from the block funding model that operated in the past to this demand driven model has been something that's changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Australians who live with disability and their families who care for them.

Senator Brown, I'm delighted to be able to advise the Senate that more than 300,000 Australians now have been receiving benefits through the NDIS. Of that 300,000, probably the most important statistic is the fact that 100,000 of those people weren't receiving anything at all before the rollout of the NDIS.

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) | Link to this | Hansard source

I raise a point of order on relevance. My question, without having to restate it but I will, is: what is the current wait time for an NDIS package?

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

That was part of the question. I'm listening carefully to the minister's answer. I note that she has a minute and four seconds remaining to answer. Senator Ruston?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brown, thank you very much for your question and for your point of order. I'm quite happy to take on notice the specific detail of your question. But the great opportunity that you give us here now is to actually tell you about the success of the rollout of the NDIS. An expected 500,000 Australians who live with disability—severe and permanent disability—over their lives are now being able to get access to an absolute state of the art, unique—

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) | Link to this | Hansard source

What is the current wait time?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) | Link to this | Hansard source

You're not answering the question again.

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cormann on a point of order?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, interjections are disorderly, and I'd ask you to call the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and her colleagues to order.

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

I was in the process of attempting to. I was having trouble hearing the minister. Interjections are always disorderly. Senator Ruston?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much. This is a policy that has been put into place that has changed the lives of people who live with disability and their families.

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Senator Wong?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) | Link to this | Hansard source

It remains on direct relevance. We understand it's a life-changing reform, which is why Labor proposed it, but the question goes to the wait time. If the minister can't answer it, and I understand that she interjected to say she has taken it on notice, then maybe she should end her answer.

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

The first part of the question was specifically about that. The minister took that on notice. The second part of the question did go to, 'how many people,' and it made claims about people going without and referred to the rollout of the scheme. I think the minister is allowed to talk about this material and be directly relevant to that part of the question.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) | Link to this | Hansard source

In providing more information to the chamber about the rollout of this scheme, it is pleasing to note that in 2018-19 115,000 participants joined the scheme in that year. That is more than any other year on record. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brown, a supplementary question?

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) | Link to this | Hansard source

How many individuals did not receive an NDIS package despite it having been budgeted for in the 2018-19 budget? Can the minister confirm that as a result of the government's botched rollout NDIS recipients are receiving just 50 per cent of the approved value of their first NDIS plan?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) | Link to this | Hansard source

I reject the premise of the question that has just been asked by Senator Brown, in terms of the rollout. The rollout has accelerated significantly. In my answer to the last question I pointed out to the chamber that, in the last financial year, 115,000 people have actually gone onto this package. We would say that it was slightly slower than we would have hoped for the start-up to the rollout; however, 115,000 people—

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Brown on a point of order?

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, again on direct relevance. The question was: 'How many individuals did not receive an NDIS package despite it having been budgeted for in the 2018-19 budget?'

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Birmingham, on the point of order?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order, Mr President. Yesterday in question time you made it very clear that you wished for senators to desist from using points of order to simply repeat the question. Senator Brown asked a wide-ranging question that related to the rollout of the NDIS scheme. It is very clear that Senator Ruston is being directly relevant to the question. Just because Senator Ruston has not, in the first 31 seconds of her response, come to one point of Senator Brown's question, it should not be used as a point for Senator Brown to abuse question time by repeating her question yet again.

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order, Senator Wong? I'm happy to rule on it but I'm happy to take more submissions.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd simply respond to the proposition that's been put by the deputy leader. If there is an abuse of question time it is in the minister's failure to respond to the question, and that is why you are seeing the opposition respond in the way we are.

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order firstly: I did correctly say yesterday that senators should not simply stand up and say 'relevance' and read out the question again, particularly when it is part of the question. I would at least ask senators to be a little more imaginative in their use of language to make a point of order on direct relevance that does not involve simply rereading out part of the question.

The second question you asked in your question, Senator Brown, in my view, included phrases that reflect upon the government's administration of the scheme. The minister is being directly relevant to challenge those and outline alternative facts. I believe that in this case that is what the minister is doing and she is being directly relevant to the second part of your question.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said in the response to my first question, for the specific details that are being asked by the senator I of course will refer to the minister responsible in the other place and come back to her with a response. But the substance of her question is about the rollout of the NDIS, and I can absolutely assure this place that the Morrison government, our government, is absolutely committed to the full rollout of this demand-driven, state-of-the-art, massive reform in the disability sector.

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brown, a final supplementary question?

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) | Link to this | Hansard source

Richelle Alcock has numerous serious health conditions which leave her wheelchair-bound. She relies on an electric wheelchair to give her the independence to attend TAFE. Ms Alcock was left waiting 21 months from the time she requested a customised wheelchair more suitable for her needs, only for it to be denied. The government has underspent on the NDIS, which is why people like Richelle are missing out. How is this acceptable?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Brown, for your follow-up question. Obviously, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on an individual case; however, anybody is absolutely able to contact NDIS. I will also refer the specific matter to my colleague in the other chamber. But, as I said, the fact that this is such a massive reform in the disability sector, the fact that we've moved from a situation where, in the past, 100,000 of the 300,000 people—

Senator Carol Brown interjecting—

Can I take the interjection from Senator Brown, Mr President? I would just like to point out the very fundamental difference between this particular scheme and the one that operated before—that is, it is a demand-driven system, so therefore—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! I can't hear Senator Ruston.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said at the start of my response to Senator Brown's second supplementary question, I am not going to comment on an individual case. I would welcome the opportunity— (Time expired)