The Turnbull Government has walked away from its strategy to fully fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) by a small increase to the Medicare Levy saying it will fund it fully in the 2018/2019 budget.
“Despite the Government reiterating its full support of the NDIS, we must seek an assurance that the NDIS will be fully funded for the long-term and we call on the Turnbull Government to provide full transparency, showing how long-term funding of the NDIS will be achieved.” said Mr Ross Joyce, CEO of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO).
“People with disability, their families, and the wider Australian community are over the NDIS being used for political point scoring. Australians have spoken, they fully support their NDIS, and they don’t want a debate each year over the level of funding to be provided for the NDIS.”
“We welcome the news that the Commonwealth Budget is in a strong position. However, people with disability and their families need to know that funding is there for the long-term, not Budget to Budget. We need an assurance that this funding is sustainable.”
As we have stated previously, we will not agree with cutting funding to groups that support other vulnerable Australians or to any other supports needed by people with disability and their families, as a price for fully funding the NDIS. This would be totally unacceptable.
AFDO calls on the Prime Minister, Treasurer and Minister for Social Services to provide immediate assurances to people with disability of the Governments continuing commitment to fully fund the NDIS ongoing, and to provide details on how they propose to ensure this happens.
For more information, contact AFDO CEO, Ross Joyce on 0402 842 040
