Post by Banker on Feb 13, 2012 7:38:31 GMT 7
PROGRESS towards a no-fault national disability insurance scheme has stalled amid a standoff between the Gillard government and two state Coalition governments over whether start-up funding will be allocated in the May federal budget.
A meeting of federal and state disability ministers in Canberra last Thursday ended in acrimony and stalemate after federal Disability Reform Minister Jenny Macklin rejected Victorian and NSW ministers' demands for a guarantee in the federal budget, and confidential advice on how much is to be allocated.
In response, both state ministers rejected commonwealth proposals for another ministerial council meeting in one month's time and refused to agree to an alternative date, leaving federal-state negotiations in limbo.
Ms Macklin had wanted the meeting to move ahead with the design of the scheme regardless of the dispute over funding, presenting papers on issues such as costings, eligibility and governance.
But the states rejected Ms Macklin's proposal that these papers be released to an advisory group appointed by the federal government to help the historic reform progress. Federal government sources say the complexity of the scheme means its structure should be negotiated even if the funding details aren't yet finalised; otherwise it risks further delay.
They also say Ms Macklin is unable to negotiate a precise budget allocation with Treasury officials for 2012-13 without far more detailed information from the states on how the scheme is to be implemented, and have accused the two Liberal state governments of "playing politics" with the issue.
Both the NSW and Victorian governments are enraged at the outcome of the meeting, claiming that if the federal government were genuine in its promises to Australians with severe disabilities and their families since last August, then it should be able by now to guarantee funding for the scheme in the May budget and let the states know how much.
"The federal government is just trying to use us to play for time, making it appear they are getting on with all the endless, detailed planning work that is supposedly required for the introduction of an NDIS, when, in fact, it now seems they have no intention of putting any actual money on the table in May," a state government source said yesterday.
The Productivity Commission estimates the scheme will cost $6.5 billion a year on top of existing disability spending to supply the lifetime care and support for people with disability across Australia. So far the commonwealth has committed $10 million to fund an agency to launch the scheme and agreed with the states to bring forward the commission's timetable for start of a pilot scheme by a year to mid-2013.
Last Friday Julia Gillard was confronted by disgruntled parents of children with disabilities demanding to know why no start-up funding had yet been committed.
She said the commonwealth and states had "first to work together to get the design right".
"This is an incredibly big thing to do", she said. ."
goo.gl/P6rNr
A meeting of federal and state disability ministers in Canberra last Thursday ended in acrimony and stalemate after federal Disability Reform Minister Jenny Macklin rejected Victorian and NSW ministers' demands for a guarantee in the federal budget, and confidential advice on how much is to be allocated.
In response, both state ministers rejected commonwealth proposals for another ministerial council meeting in one month's time and refused to agree to an alternative date, leaving federal-state negotiations in limbo.
Ms Macklin had wanted the meeting to move ahead with the design of the scheme regardless of the dispute over funding, presenting papers on issues such as costings, eligibility and governance.
But the states rejected Ms Macklin's proposal that these papers be released to an advisory group appointed by the federal government to help the historic reform progress. Federal government sources say the complexity of the scheme means its structure should be negotiated even if the funding details aren't yet finalised; otherwise it risks further delay.
They also say Ms Macklin is unable to negotiate a precise budget allocation with Treasury officials for 2012-13 without far more detailed information from the states on how the scheme is to be implemented, and have accused the two Liberal state governments of "playing politics" with the issue.
Both the NSW and Victorian governments are enraged at the outcome of the meeting, claiming that if the federal government were genuine in its promises to Australians with severe disabilities and their families since last August, then it should be able by now to guarantee funding for the scheme in the May budget and let the states know how much.
"The federal government is just trying to use us to play for time, making it appear they are getting on with all the endless, detailed planning work that is supposedly required for the introduction of an NDIS, when, in fact, it now seems they have no intention of putting any actual money on the table in May," a state government source said yesterday.
The Productivity Commission estimates the scheme will cost $6.5 billion a year on top of existing disability spending to supply the lifetime care and support for people with disability across Australia. So far the commonwealth has committed $10 million to fund an agency to launch the scheme and agreed with the states to bring forward the commission's timetable for start of a pilot scheme by a year to mid-2013.
Last Friday Julia Gillard was confronted by disgruntled parents of children with disabilities demanding to know why no start-up funding had yet been committed.
She said the commonwealth and states had "first to work together to get the design right".
"This is an incredibly big thing to do", she said. ."
goo.gl/P6rNr