Post by Banker on Apr 30, 2012 19:45:55 GMT 7
THE NATIONAL Disability Insurance Scheme will become a reality a year ahead of schedule with 10, 000 people with significant and permanent disabilities set to receive support from four locations across the nation from July 2013.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced today that funding will be set aside in the May 8 federal budget to launch the national disability scheme a year ahead of the schedule set out by the Productivity Commission.
''Today I can announce that in the May budget my government ... will fund our share for the national disability insurance scheme,'' Ms Gillard said.
'Disability doesn't discriminate and it could happen to anyone...Promise me you won't stop campaigning and I will promise you we will not stop working on this.''
She made the announcement at an ''Every Australian Counts'' rally of almost 2000 people at Sydney Olympic Park, with similar events held in capital cities across Australia.
The scheme has attracted bipartisan support with Opposition leader Tony Abbott declaring in a speech this month that he would be ''Doctor Yes on this issue.''
But shadow treasurer Joe Hockey appeared to question the Coalition's commitment to the Medicare-style system - tipped to cost $6.5 billion annually when the scheme is fulling functioning - saying the government was unable to fund the NDIS properly.
''It's the government that says it is going to fund it in full now, so let's find out,'' Mr Hockey told reporters in Sydney.
''For someone on $67,000 a year, it’s roughly an extra $1,000 a year in tax. Are Australians prepared to pay that? Well, let’s find out from the Australian people but if the Government lived within its means, if the Government wasn’t borrowing $100 million a day to fund a range of initiatives including the National Broadband Network then there would be the money available. The problem is Labor is addicted to spending."
NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell embraced Ms Gillard's announcement, saying that ''delivering the national disability insurance scheme should be above politics.''
NDIS campaign director John Della Bosca said it was a policy idea ''whose time has come''.
The number of people who will be able to access the scheme is expected to double in 2014 to 20, 000.
Ms Gillard said she was ''stepping up'' to the federal government's responsibilities to those Australians with a disability and urged the states to do the same with a commitment to kick in their share of funding.
''For the first time in Australia's history people with significant and permanent disability will receive lifetime care and support, regardless of how they acquired their disability,'' she said, The Gillard Government has already committed $0 million for the planning stages of the NDIS and while
Ms Gillard would no elucidate the exact figure to be revealed in the budget, she said it would be a significant step towards seeing the scheme to fruition.
A new National Disability Transition Agency will be established to run the delivery of care and support to people with disability, their families and carers in the four select locations, she said, ''We want Australians with disability to start benefiting from this fundamental reform as quickly as possible,'' she said.
The launch locations will be determined in consultation with the states and territories.
An estimated 411,000 people under the age of 65 are expected to access the scheme by 2018.
Read more: www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/budget-to-boost-disability-services-20120430-1xumg.html#ixzz1tWkkX29v
Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced today that funding will be set aside in the May 8 federal budget to launch the national disability scheme a year ahead of the schedule set out by the Productivity Commission.
''Today I can announce that in the May budget my government ... will fund our share for the national disability insurance scheme,'' Ms Gillard said.
'Disability doesn't discriminate and it could happen to anyone...Promise me you won't stop campaigning and I will promise you we will not stop working on this.''
She made the announcement at an ''Every Australian Counts'' rally of almost 2000 people at Sydney Olympic Park, with similar events held in capital cities across Australia.
The scheme has attracted bipartisan support with Opposition leader Tony Abbott declaring in a speech this month that he would be ''Doctor Yes on this issue.''
But shadow treasurer Joe Hockey appeared to question the Coalition's commitment to the Medicare-style system - tipped to cost $6.5 billion annually when the scheme is fulling functioning - saying the government was unable to fund the NDIS properly.
''It's the government that says it is going to fund it in full now, so let's find out,'' Mr Hockey told reporters in Sydney.
''For someone on $67,000 a year, it’s roughly an extra $1,000 a year in tax. Are Australians prepared to pay that? Well, let’s find out from the Australian people but if the Government lived within its means, if the Government wasn’t borrowing $100 million a day to fund a range of initiatives including the National Broadband Network then there would be the money available. The problem is Labor is addicted to spending."
NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell embraced Ms Gillard's announcement, saying that ''delivering the national disability insurance scheme should be above politics.''
NDIS campaign director John Della Bosca said it was a policy idea ''whose time has come''.
The number of people who will be able to access the scheme is expected to double in 2014 to 20, 000.
Ms Gillard said she was ''stepping up'' to the federal government's responsibilities to those Australians with a disability and urged the states to do the same with a commitment to kick in their share of funding.
''For the first time in Australia's history people with significant and permanent disability will receive lifetime care and support, regardless of how they acquired their disability,'' she said, The Gillard Government has already committed $0 million for the planning stages of the NDIS and while
Ms Gillard would no elucidate the exact figure to be revealed in the budget, she said it would be a significant step towards seeing the scheme to fruition.
A new National Disability Transition Agency will be established to run the delivery of care and support to people with disability, their families and carers in the four select locations, she said, ''We want Australians with disability to start benefiting from this fundamental reform as quickly as possible,'' she said.
The launch locations will be determined in consultation with the states and territories.
An estimated 411,000 people under the age of 65 are expected to access the scheme by 2018.
Read more: www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/budget-to-boost-disability-services-20120430-1xumg.html#ixzz1tWkkX29v