[dbaust] Re: PM, conservative states fail to reach disability deal
- From: "Richard Howell" <r.mhowell@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <dbaust@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2012 21:27:47 +0930
That same on ABC news ouline too and read on it
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-25/leaders-finish-disability-scheme-talks/4154318
It is awful way that hurt disability people however keeping fight on
Richard.
_____
From: dbaust-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:dbaust-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of P Tarrant
Sent: Wednesday, 25 July 2012 5:55 PM
To: dbaust@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [dbaust] PM, conservative states fail to reach disability deal
PM, conservative states fail to reach disability deal
Date
July 25, 2012 - 6:05PM
Prime Minister Julia Gillard addresses the media after the COAG meeting
Prime Minister Julia Gillard addresses the media after the COAG meeting
Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and conservative state premiers have failed to
strike a deal on the launch of a National Disability Insurance Scheme.
''I am very disappointed that we have not been able today to strike an
agreement with either NSW or Victoria or indeed Western Australia on hosting
a launch site,'' the PM told reporters in Canberra following a Council of
Australian Governments meeting.
Ms Gillard explained that neither NSW or Victoria had been able to provide
more money for the NDIS. In a bid to break the deadlock, Disability Reform
Minister Jenny Macklin and NSW and Victorian ministers will continue talks
tomorrow.
The Prime Minister said she was also concerned that WA's proposal for a
launch site would hinder the development of a national scheme, as opposed to
a federation of state-based schemes.
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But Ms Gillard says the federal government has reached an agreement with
Labor-run South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT to launch the NDIS in the
middle of next year.
The SA site will focus on young people, the Tasmanian site will focus on
adolescents and the ACT trial will involve the entire region.
Ms Gillard said that each of the states had "stepped forward" and had been
prepared to work with the federal government and put money on the table.
She said the federal government had made $1 billion available for the launch
sites.
"We can learn by doing," Ms Gillard said. SA Premier Jay Weatherill called
today's decision a "very important moment" in implementing the NDIS,
labelling it a "first concrete step."
But the COAG outcome received stinging criticism from West Australian
Premier Colin Barnett, who said today's meeting was an "opportunity
squandered" and dismissed the announced launch sites as "small scale" in
"small states".
Ms Gillard said she was still open to including Victoria and NSW in the
launch sites.
"I would want to see further trials if that's possible," she said.
Proposed trials in NSW and Victoria would have benefitted 10,000 people and
5,000 people respectively, she said.
Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu said he wanted to see an NDIS in place and
was still keen to participate in the trial.
Mr Baillieu told reporters that his state had put in a "comprehensive" bid
for a trial in the Barwon region and that the federal government had
responded with some suggestions this afternoon.
He said it was very difficult to consider these suggestions in detail while
a COAG meeting was in full swing.
NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said he continued to be optimistic about the
groundbreaking proposed NDIS, but added that he was also disappointed with
today's result.
He said NSW had more than $550 million on the table for the first three
years of the trial - slated for the Hunter region - and that his state was
already doing "heavy lifting" with respect to disability reform.
Ms Gillard said she had asked NSW to provide an extra $70 million dollars
and for Victoria to stump up $40 million.
The Prime Minister added that the federal government had in turn offered
$300 million to NSW and $100 million to Victoria to participate in the test
sites.
Disability advocate John Della Bosca said that today's result was "good in
parts".
The Every Australian Counts national campaign director said that a first
step in an NDIS was always going to be good news.
"There are launch sites," he told reporters in Canberra.
But he said it was disappointing that the larger states were not yet
included.
"[We are] a little bit disappointed that the launch isn't as extensive as as
first we thought it might be," he said.
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has been upfront about this states'
inability to contribute more funding to the NDIS.
"Should we put more in? You betcha" he said today, before noting: "we simply
don't have the money".
Mr Newman said his state would be watching the initial stages of disability
scheme "very carefully".
Read more:
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/pm-conservative-states-fail-to-reach-disability-deal
-20120725-22pzf.html#ixzz21cXdQ44X
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