1 May, 2013
Triple J Hack
With Sophie McNeill
1 May 2013
5:30pm
E & OE
Subjects: National Disability Insurance Scheme
SOPHIE MCNEILL:
Well the Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has refused to say whether he would support an increase to the levy as the PM has proposed today to fund the NDIS. We tried to get him on the show to have a chat to you about it. He wasn’t available. He is currently cycling somewhere in Australia. We approached the Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey. He was also busy. But I did manage to speak to the Coalition’s Disabilities Spokesperson, Senator Mitch Fifield just a short time ago. And he is a big supporter of the NDIS, but he couldn’t tell me whether the Coalition would support the levy or not.
MITCH FIFIELD:
The NDIS will make a tremendous difference to the lives of about 400,000 Australians. It will give them an entitlement that they can take to the service provider of their choice. It will turn on the head what is essentially almost a Soviet system of rationing that is in place at the moment.
SOPHIE MCNEILL:
So obviously you are a big fan of it then. Do you support this proposed levy?
MITCH FIFIELD:
The difficulty here is, the levy the Prime Minister has announced today only covers about half the cost of the NDIS. We’re concerned, does this mean that the Prime Minister has in mind to implement something short of a full NDIS. She needs to outline how she intends to fund the balance of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
SOPHIE MCNEILL:
It does go half way there though. Does the Coalition think that this levy is a good idea or not? It’s a yes or no question. Do you support it?
MITCH FIFIELD:
If the Prime Minister had outlined the full funding arrangements for the NDIS then it would be more straightforward to give a yes or no answer. Which is why we need the Prime Minister to outline what her intention is to fund the balance of the scheme.
SOPHIE MCNEILL:
How would a Coalition government pay for it then? If you are not going to come out and say whether you think a levy is a good idea or not. How would you pay for it?
MITCH FIFIELD:
We want to see the Prime Minister’s full funding proposal. Let me be absolutely clear. We’re looking for ways for the NDIS to become a reality.
SOPHIE MCNEILL:
Let me move on and talk about a levy that your party is proposing. Because your party is proposing a 1.5 per cent levy on big business to pay for your parental leave scheme. Which pays people who are on up to $150,000, their full wage for 6 months if they go off to have a baby. But you won’t commit to paying a levy that would fund some of the most underprivileged and vulnerable people in our society, the disabled.
MITCH FIFIELD:
The Paid Parental Leave Scheme is a productivity measure …
SOPHIE MCNEILL:
… But so is the disability scheme …
MITCH FIFIELD:
… Absolutely. And the levy we have proposed covers the full cost of the Paid Parental Leave Scheme. Our query in relation to the Prime Minister’s levy for the NDIS is where are the balance of the funds going to come from?
SOPHIE MCNEILL:
Can you understand why people seem to have a question? Why are you supporting what is essentially middle class welfare, but you won’t come out and say, yeah, we do support this new levy that the Government is proposing.
MITCH FIFIELD:
We’re not questioning the NDIS scheme for a second. But I think it is important to go back a step. The Prime Minister herself up until a couple of days ago was saying that the NDIS should be funded from consolidated revenue. The Prime Minister as recently as December said that she would not support and would not introduce a levy. So she has done a complete about face on that issue. Given that, it is not unreasonable for us to say, ‘Prime Minister, we’re pleased that you have put forward a proposal today in relation to NDIS funding, but Prime Minister, you need to give us the full detail of how you propose to fund the NDIS given the levy as it stands would not do that. And given that you have completely changed your funding proposition in the last day’.
SOPHIE MCNEILL:
Senator, you are out in rural South Australia today talking to disability groups. Do they want the Coalition to support this levy?
MITCH FIFIELD:
As I talk to disability groups, they say they just want the NDIS. The funding mechanism they say, quite rightly, is something for the parliament to sort out. They just want the NDIS. I want to see the NDIS become a reality. It will be, should we form office after the next election, the great mission of my public career. I’m determined to see the NDIS become a reality. Tony Abbott is determined to see the NDIS a reality. And I don’t think the Opposition asking some quite legitimate questions of the Prime Minister about her brand new funding proposal should be seen as anything other than being responsible, and doing due diligence, before the Coalition formally responds.
SOPHIE MCNEILL:
Senator Mitch Fifield, Shadow Minister for Disabilities. Thanks so much for chatting to Triple J.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Good to talk. Thank you.