28 February, 2011
Joint Media Release with the Hon Kevin Andrews MP
28 February 2011
COALITION WELCOMES PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION DRAFT REPORT ON DISABILITY CARE AND SUPPORT
The Opposition today welcomed the release of the Productivity Commission’s Draft Report on Disability Care and Support.
The Coalition has strongly supported the Productivity Commission’s work. The Draft Report is an important step towards providing a better deal for Australians with disability and their carers.
The current system of support for people with disability is broken. The status quo is not an option.
The Coalition recognises that people with disability, their carers and families deserve a better deal than they get and we need reform.
There needs to be a new system that puts the individual at the centre and in control.
The Coalition will study the Draft Report carefully.
Providing better support for people with disability should be core government business, and we note the Productivity Commission’s view that these services should be funded from core government revenue.
Good budget management is key to funding disability support.
The Coalition notes the funding options canvassed in the Draft Report and approaches them and the Final Report with an open mind. People with disability aren’t focussed on funding mechanisms, they just want things fixed.
We are committed to working in good faith with the Government to deliver a better deal for the provision of disability services in Australia.
However, the Coalition is sceptical of the Labor Government’s ability to deliver the complex reform recommended by the Productivity Commission.
This Government has a history of over-promising and under-delivering.