Community Affairs Legislation Committee 

Estimates hearings, 28 May 2012

Full transcript available here

CHAIR: Senator Rhiannon.

Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert has today called for the Government and opposition to provide certainty to people living with a disability and their families.

“The Greens support the cross-party commitment to implementing an NDIS, particularly the Government’s efforts to do so earlier than the Productivity Commission recommended,” Senator Siewert, Greens disabilities spokesperson said today.

The Australian Greens have used question time to raise concerns that people living with a disability are being left out of some planning aspects of National Disability Insurance Scheme.

"The Government today again acknowledged the current system is not meeting the needs of people with a disability, their families and carers," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Disabilities said today.

 Australia is a low-taxing country with scope to increase taxation revenues to ensure our future prosperity, Australian Greens leader Senator Bob Brown said today

"The government has imposed a target on itself of keeping the ratio of tax to GDP below the 2007-08 ratio of 23.7 per cent but in the coming year the ratio is predicted to be only 22.3 per cent," Senator Brown said.

 "If the government kept to its target we would have an extra $22 billion to deal with the challenges facing us.

Greens’ spokesperson for dental health, Senator Richard Di Natale, said today that Tony Abbott recognises the need for dental reform, but his plan is to delay action for at least a decade.

“Yesterday Tony Abbott was singing from the Greens’ song sheet when he spoke of the need for Medicare funded dental treatment. The difference is, we are committed to action.

The Australian Greens today expressed concern about the proposal to limit access to the NDIS to those who acquire their disability under the age of 65. Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on disabilities said this would create a two tier system with those acquiring a disability over the age of 65 receiving less support.

"During the Senate inquiry I chaired this year into ageing with a disability, evidence was presented about the poorer services available to those living with disability over the age of 65," said Senator Siewert.

The Australian Greens have accused WA Premier Colin Barnett of being out of touch with his constituents.

Senator Rachel Siewert has called on the WA Premier to get out of his office and go and talk to people with a disability.

“He will quickly find that there is strong support for a NDIS in WA," Senator Siewert, Greens Spokesperson on Disability Services said.

Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert has congratulated organisers of this year's DisabiliTea, and says politicians can longer turn a blind eye to the growing support for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Nearly 900 teas were registered across Australia and more than 46,000 supporters signed up to the Every Australian Counts campaign for an NDIS. "This movement can no longer be ignored by the political parties.

The Australian Greens say funds from the mining tax could be used to pay for a National Disability Insurance Scheme, providing long term security to Australia’s disability support services and ensuring budget cuts won’t be needed to fund the scheme.

Speaking after the release of the Productivity Commission’s draft report into Disability Care and Support, Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson for Community Services said a NDIS would build Australia’s capacity to provide better support and care services for people living with a disability and for carers.

The Australian Greens have announced their commitment to transformative change in disability support services and support the principles underpinning of the proposal for a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens spokesperson on Disabilities says the Greens will work with Australia’s next government to ensure the rights of people living with a disability are upheld, and that personalised support services are made readily available.