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

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Families and Social Services (Senator Ruston) to questions without notice asked by Senators Bilyk and Gallagher today.

What a shameful performance we saw today from government ministers, in particular Senator Cormann as the Minister for Finance and Leader of the Government in the Senate. We saw Senator Cormann, backed in by many of his ministers, including Senator Seselja, come in here and crow about a budget deficit that is 100 per cent built on a gross underspending on the NDIS.

Rather than using those sorts of jargonistic terms, let us think about what that really means to people out there in the real world. It means that government ministers came in here today crowing about a budget result—a budget that remains in deficit, years after they were elected—that is built on denying people with a disability wheelchairs, therapy support and other services that they are entitled to under the NDIS. It is shameful enough that this government has denied people with a disability things like wheelchairs and other kinds of aids and therapy, whether it be speech therapy or other types of support such as psychological support—it is shameful enough that this minister and this government have denied that type of support to people—but for them to then have the hide to come in here and crow about that budget result shows what a mean, nasty government this is, one completely lacking in empathy for people with a disability.

They have deliberately slowed down the rollout of the NDIS and forced people to wait to get a meeting to develop an NDIS plan, which sets out the kind of support they need. The average waiting time for these plans just continues to blow out and is now running at more than four months. So not only are they making people wait to get a meeting and to get a plan, which determines the support that they need, but, even once people finally get a plan months down the track, they then have to wait months and months and months to get the support that the government has agreed to provide them. The neat little accounting trick that this provides for this government is that it helps them cover up their budget failures and ends up delivering a budget result that masks this terrible cruelty—a cruelty which is being metered out by this government by making people wait for months upon months to get the disability support that they need, that they have been promised and that has actually been funded in the government's budget. If only they would decide to follow through and spend the money that they put aside.

In preparing to speak today, I asked my office to give me an update on constituents that we have assisted to deal with the NDIS and deal with the delays that they are experiencing. This is not something that is unique to me. I'm sure that even government senators, in their more honest moments, would concede that complaints from people who are waiting for disability packages under the NDIS are now by far the greater source of complaint brought by people to senators' and members' offices right around the country. Certainly every other member of parliament and senator I speak to says that the No.1 complaint that they receive from constituents is the delays that people are experiencing in getting the NDIS support that they need and that they have been promised.

It didn't take long to get some examples back from my office. I will give one. Natasha, from Central Queensland, has a seven-year-old daughter—I won't give the name of her daughter—with autism. They applied for their NDIS package in March last year. By the end of July, she still hadn't heard anything more. She only ended up getting a plan after my office intervened on her behalf, and that caused her seven-year-old daughter to lose months of time-critical speech therapy. And it was only because of the actions of a generous psychologist that her daughter was able to continue receiving behaviour therapy.

I could give a number of other examples that my office has come up with within an hour today of people out there in the community who continue to wait for the NDIS services that they were promised by this government. The fact is that this government is relying on hundreds and thousands of—in fact, I think we calculated it's about 71,000—people who are waiting for NDIS packages. It is that denial of services, it is the fact that people are waiting for wheelchairs and therapy services, that is propping up this government's budget. That is a disgrace, and the fact that they come in here and crow about it is even worse.

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to take note of the answers given to questions on the National Disability Insurance Scheme. I find it quite challenging that those opposite would want to use political point-scoring here. The reality is this is a very important program that exists. In fact, it's one of the biggest social reforms in Australia's history. The NDIS has undergone significant growth, from approximately 30,000 participants at the end of 30 June 2016 to almost 300,000 participants as at 30 June 2019. This is a significant increase, and 100,000 of those participants are receiving support and services for the very first time. To use the plight of individuals in this way, to politicise it, I think is a shameful act that we're seeing from those opposite.

Since the commencement of NDIS, the active provider market has also grown from around 3,500 service providers as at 30 June 2016 to more than 21,000 as at 30 June 2019—an increase of 600 per cent.

We know that the number of participants entering the NDIS is lower than originally estimated. As at 30 June 2019, there were 298,816 participants who had received disability support from the NDIS. This represents 72 per cent of the original bilateral estimates. The progress has been consistent throughout the NDIS trial and transition phase. The minister, when giving an answer to the question from those opposite, gave the analogy that they inherited a plane flying in the air that was only half built. This government were responsible for building the NDIS and working on the transition with the states, and they have been working on that while it's still flying in the air. They've built the system, and it's now been rolled out. We're seeing the product of that. We're seeing the differences that are being made.

Those opposite are prepared just to give an example for political pointscoring across the chamber without any real substance or evidence. We know, as I speak to backbenchers and other colleagues in the other place, that, given the nature of this system—the complexity of it and, of course, the difficulties that those who have to use it are finding—when they bring their issues forward in a constructive way to members and senators, those members and senators are able to take those issues to the minister responsible. And we're hearing from around the country how those issues are going to be dealt with. Of course there are going to be situations. Of course there are going to be administrative problems and issues that come up from time to time. But this government and the minister responsible for this are active in resolving those issues, and I think the minister ought to be commended for the work that he's doing in such a short time. We are hearing that things can be turned around within 24 to 48 hours. Rather than bringing cases into this place and expecting that these issues can be resolved, why don't you bring forward the challenges and the issues in a constructive way? Deal with this government. Bring them forward so that they can be dealt with like we're seeing on our side of the chamber.

Despite the best efforts of the National Disability Insurance Agency, the NDIA, as well as Commonwealth, state and territory governments, there are some people who may be eligible for the NDIS who remain difficult to contact and engage with. We are aware of the challenges in this situation and we are focused on that. The question that could have been noted today was the question to Senator McKenzie about the NAIF program. This government were able to announce today a loan that has gone to an Aboriginal owned mining company—the first of its kind in this country—who are providing employment for people in the Pilbara, in my home state of Western Australia. This is where we should be focusing our efforts in discussing these things: how we can actually assist Australians to get ahead and make better use of the resources that they have so that they can make a better future for themselves—rather than this typical political pointscoring that we hear from those opposite. (Time expired)

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

What we saw in question time today was a real performance of hubris, callousness and disinterest. We saw that from a number of people who participated in question time and now as well. I think the hubris comes down to the way that they are trying to triumphantly declare their economic credentials. Those of us who spend time out on the ground know how tough people are really doing it; but, if you listen to the performance of this government today in question time and press conferences throughout the day as well, you hear that they are acting like Australia is going great guns and everyone should be so happy with their lot in life, because this government are saving the day. We know the reality is different. More importantly, the Australian people know the reality is different for them.

But there's also a callousness with this decision as well, because ultimately they made choices about this, and that's what this is all about. They made a choice to underspend in the NDIS. They made a choice for people to suffer longer than they need to so the government can try to claim some economic credibility. That is really disgusting behaviour, as Senator Watt outlined. I think we saw disinterest as well, particularly from Senator Ruston under questioning, where she was not prepared to actually answer the legitimate questions that we were putting to her around the underspending in the NDIS and what it actually means for those people. We were providing examples of what it means for people out there in the community who are suffering as a result of inaction from this government.

For there to be an underspend means that people are not getting the services that they deserve and that they need. We outlined that, on average, people are waiting 127 days to receive an NDIS plan after being deemed eligible. They've been deemed eligible and, on average, they are waiting 127 days. Some are waiting as long as 202 days, and I would be confident to say that a lot of those people who are waiting the longest for those plans to come through are in remote and regional areas.

I think it is disgusting that they want to try and blame the previous Labor government that started the NDIS. They have been in power for more than six years, yet, on this issue, they are still trying to blame the previous Labor government. Those families who need these plans, those kids and adults who need help, deserve so much better from this government than blaming the previous Labor government. That is absolutely disgusting.

I think it's also important to highlight just how devastating the economic conditions are for those people across Australia. If you listen to the hubris from the government in announcing their budget outcome today, they're saying that it's five minutes of sunshine, that everyone is doing so well and that Australians have never had it so good. We know the reality is different, and the Australian people know the reality is different.

Let's go through some of the facts that Labor have outlined today that are confronting the Australian people. We've got the slowest growth in this economy since the GFC 10 years ago. Wages are stagnant. Household debt is at record highs. Living standards and productivity are in decline. Today, we learned that unemployment is rising, and we've got the most Australians underemployed, looking for more hours of work, than we've ever had in the history of this country—that's more Australians underemployed than ever before in our history. That includes 228,000 underemployed people in Queensland.

As Senator Watt would know and as Senator Green would know—as we spend time travelling around Queensland—we come across these people all the time. I know that they would look at the performance of this government today and be appalled, because we know that the economic reality out there in regional Queensland is vastly different to the hubris and arrogance you get from this government.

Australians and Queenslanders are in a tough spot, but this government is continuing to try and bask in the glory of their election win. They're on a victory lap. All they are trying to do is say: 'How good are we? We won the election. Everything is going to be great.' Well, the Australian people need a plan. They know that the economy is struggling. What they want to see is more urgent investment in infrastructure. They know that is going to kickstart economies, particularly regional economies. In this part of the world in Queensland, we know that the unemployment rate is higher—be it along the coast or be it in western Queensland. So I'd say to this government: please have a look at the reality out there and take action for the good of the Australian people.

Alex Antic (SA, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I also rise to take note of answers given this afternoon. I have to say from the start that it is of no difficulty for me to stand up here and defend the government's position with respect to the delivery of the rollout of the NDIS scheme. This is an enormous undertaking, and it's one which the government has handled extraordinarily well. We heard Minister Ruston earlier this afternoon speak to the issue of what was left behind by the Labor government prior to coming into government in 2013 and, very aptly, I thought, she referred to it as being a little bit like a plane that took off before it had been fully built.

The NDIS—as my colleague Senator O'Sullivan mentioned before—is now available across all states and territories. Over 300,000 people with a disability have now joined the NDIS, including over 100,000 of those receiving support for the first time. It is, in fact, correct to say now that between 83 and 90 per cent of participants have rated their experience with the NDIS during the transition from 1 July 2016 as either 'good' or 'very good'.

The outcomes are also showing significant improvements: a nine per cent increase in independence for children aged between seven and 14 years; a seven per cent increase in assistance with daily living for participants aged 15 to 25; and an 11 per cent increase in accessing community and social activities for participants aged 15 and over. The list goes on. There are significantly improved services throughout the NDIS contact centre. Around 83 per cent of calls are answered within 60 seconds, compared to a four- to five-minute waiting time under the previous model. The average answer speed is now consistently 28 seconds, and the average abandonment rates are now reliably sitting at 1.5 per cent. There is such a long list of improvements that it is almost trite to go through them all. But it strikes me that what we're hearing from the other side of the chamber at the moment is nothing more, really, than a lecture on our dedication to this plan. Our dedication is very, very evident, and we won't be lectured by the Labor Party on our dedication and performance in rolling out the NDIS.

This strikes me as being almost like one of those radio shows with a 'guess the sound' type campaign. To me, this sounds very much like the sound of clutching at straws, because we know that the contrast between the government and the opposition is the contrast between a stable and united government getting on with the job with a clear plan and delivering on promises, versus a Labor Party that is conflicted on policy and tarnished by scandal. What we've seen here is, at best, a very thinly veiled attempt to try and attack the government on something—which, really, is quite extraordinary. You only have to look at Labor having left behind a funding gap of almost $5 billion for the NDIS when it was fully rolled out, growing to almost $7 billion a year over the next decade. These are extraordinary statistics. If we had continued down Labor's path, these higher than expected package costs could have resulted in multibillion dollar blowouts in the total cost of the NDIS, putting its entire future at risk.

This government has continued to roll out improvements. It has continued to improve. In my home state of South Australia, we're now seeing 30,000 South Australians benefiting from life-changing support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Everyday South Australians' lives are now being changed by the support, and there's significant growth in the numbers of people with disabilities now accessing the scheme—from 11,000 in 2017 to over, as I said, 30,000 in this month of September 2019.

It is, of course, important to reiterate, as the government has earlier this afternoon, that the misunderstanding here is the misunderstanding which surrounds the concept of a demand driven scheme. That is really the basis of this. Of course, if the Labor Party were so intent on outcomes, they would deliver notifications of those incidents rather than simply try to score points during question time. I have to draw the Senate's and parliament's attention to all of these matters. Labor just doesn't seem to know what it stands for anymore. It doesn't seem to— (Time expired)

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor knows exactly what it stands for. We stand for people with disabilities getting the services that they deserve and that they need. Seventy-seven thousand Australians with disabilities are missing out, and $4.6 billion has been underspent by this government. In question time, they want to parade around, do their victory lap and talk about all of the great things that they've done, but they don't want to talk about this. They want to talk about anything other than the $4.6 billion that they have underspent.

It is very disappointing to have to rise and talk about this, but it gives me a chance to make sure that this Senate knows that this is a particular problem in regional Queensland. We have people on waiting lists in regional Queensland who cannot wait any longer. In Far North Queensland, people with disabilities and their families cannot get the services that they need and that they deserve. That is not because they live far away from a capital city or because they live in a regional area where we can't get staffing; it's because this government has failed to make this a priority. It has made its choice and it has not backed people with a disability.

We have some incredible providers and families in Cairns, where I live, and it has been an honour for me to meet them and to talk to them about this issue. I had been doing that for a long time before the election and I will continue to do that as a senator based in Cairns. One of the things that I spoke to people about, providers particularly, was what they felt this underspend said to people with disabilities and vulnerable people. I asked them, 'What message does that send to people with a disability?' They said that of course it was disappointing. But they also said it says to vulnerable people that the government doesn't care. The people that I spoke to—the providers, the people with disabilities and the carers—were quick to point out that they didn't want to make this a political issue, but they had no choice, because this government is playing politics with the lives of people with disabilities. They shouldn't have to wait any longer.

There's a particular person in Far North Queensland that I'd like to talk about today. His name is Stevie. He has Down syndrome and he is the brightest, most beautiful person you will ever meet in your life. His carer, his mum, Margie, is someone who gives every single ounce of her life and time in her day to make sure that Stevie has the activities and the services to make his life better. It really does break your heart to listen to stories like that of Margie and Stevie. Stevie is a big fan of CrossFit and loves to do lots of exercise and services, and they can't get the services that they need in Far North Queensland. They live up on the tablelands; it's even further from Cairns. The workers just aren't there. The reason that that is the case is that this government has not prioritised investing in services and lifting the staffing cap.

I want to make note of one more thing that question time today made evident once again: this minister is not up for the job. Senator Ruston failed to answer questions about the $4.6 billion underspend of the NDIS. This is on top of comments around the pension being generous. She won't commit to raising Newstart. This government doesn't want to hear about it. Then, a few weeks ago, we found out that she didn't know that people in Townsville were receiving robo-debt notices. When it comes to vulnerable Australians, the government either don't care or don't want to know. They are not up to the job of looking after vulnerable people. This minister and this government are part of a characterisation of cruelty, hiding facts and hiding things in budget papers because they don't care. It's always the way with this government. You open up the budget paper and there it is: the truth; the facts that they're trying to hide. It's the same with infrastructure funding and it's the same with this $4.6 billion of underspent money in the NDIS. Those 77,000 Australians deserve better than this government and better than the performance they saw in question time today. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.