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National disability scheme can't be put on the backburner
February 03, 2012
The Cerebral Palsy League is calling on the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, to fully get behind Australians with disabilities by prioritising a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), if he were to become Prime Minister.
On Tuesday 31 January 2012 at the National Press Club in Canberra, Mr Abbott said that he supported the NDIS but under a Coalition Government would only implement the scheme once the budget returned to a strong surplus.
Disability advocates fear this will further delay fixing the current disability care system, which is already broken and does not distribute funding equally across the states.
Cerebral Palsy League CEO, Angela Tillmanns, said, “The government and the opposition cannot neglect the thousands of Australians with disabilities and their families any longer – they need hope that a new improved system is just around the corner.”
Disability affects the lives of one in five Australians and there are more than 750,000 Australians with severe or profound levels of disability.
“Only 15% of all Queenslanders with disability currently receive any government support. This is simply not good enough and that’s why we need action now to fix the current disability system,” Ms Tillmanns said.
“The Cerebral Palsy League applauds Mr Abbott on supporting the NDIS, but people with disability have been waiting far too long.
“People with disability need three meals and a shower every day and at the moment many currently do not even receive that.
“We would invite Mr Abbott to meet with some of the individuals and families that we support, so they can tell their own stories of hardship and trying to make ends meet under a broken and unjust system. Perhaps this will help the Leader of the Opposition understand the urgent need for the NDIS.
“As a disability services provider, we understand that fixing the system is not going to be easy but the longer we put it off the more it costs, especially in the areas of health care, education and justice. Mr Abbott needs to reread chapter 20 of the Productivity Commission’s report so that he understands the real cost-benefit ratio,” Ms Tillmanns said.
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