22 October, 2012
STILL NO LONG-TERM COMMITMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE NDIS
The Government has again failed to commit to a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) over the long-term.
The only mention of an NDIS in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) is that it is a priority for the Government over the medium term.[1]
In May the Government short-changed Australians with a disability by committing only a quarter of the funds the Productivity Commission said were necessary over the forward estimates for the first stage of the NDIS.
Only last week the Secretary of the Department of Finance confirmed in Senate Estimates hearings that there is no funding for the NDIS beyond the forward estimates.
The Government must say whether it is committed to a full NDIS by the Productivity Commission target date of 2018-19.
Launch sites are important but the Government still needs to indicate how it intends to fund a full national roll-out of the NDIS.
Australians with disability, their families and carers are already paying a high price for Labor’s mismanagement and deserve to know how a full NDIS will become a reality.