❓ Hon Stephen Dawson asks about the NDIS trials and the Minister's commitment to incorporating feedback and allowing trials to run their course. The Minister outlines the government's approach to combining the best aspects of both trials and the urgency of commencing discussions with the Commonwealth.
AnsweredQoN 1063Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME
1063. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the Minister
for Disability Services:
(1) Will the
minister commit to taking into consideration the views of people with
disability on the National Disability Insurance Agency and My Way trials, and
allow the trials to run their full course before deciding the best way forward
for Western Australia?
(2) Has the
minister yet spoken to the new federal minister with responsibility for the
National Disability Insurance Scheme about her views following the reshuffle?
1063. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the Minister
for Disability Services:
(1) Will the
minister commit to taking into consideration the views of people with
disability on the National Disability Insurance Agency and My Way trials, and
allow the trials to run their full course before deciding the best way forward
for Western Australia?
(2) Has the
minister yet spoken to the new federal minister with responsibility for the
National Disability Insurance Scheme about her views following the reshuffle?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(2) There
are two trials operating in Western Australia, as the member knows—one
that is run by the state government and one that is run by NDIA. They are both
under the NDIS. Let us not mistake what is being trialled here. The trial is
the NDIS trial, and the government is absolutely committed to making sure that
the very best of both of these is brought to fruition for the Western
Australian NDIS as it rolls out. We are not committed to having either the
so-called My Way program or the so-called NDIA program as the only way of doing
it. The Western Australian NDIS will be the best of those two schemes put
together for the way the NDIS rolls out in Western Australia.
A range of views, ideas and thoughts
have been taken into consideration. They are the evaluations of the existing
trials as they have already commenced and as they continue; the interim report
of Stantons International; the final report at the end of the trial period; and
the voices of people with disability. As the member knows, there have been a
variety of forums at which people with disability and their families have had
input about the outcomes of these two trials. All of those have been taken into
account.
I am really pleased the member has
raised this issue. I have made it really clear that the reasons we have to
commence discussions with the commonwealth right now are three or fourfold. The
first reason is that, when the trials finish on 30 June 2016, we cannot then
begin having a discussion with the commonwealth on how we want this to roll out,
because people in those trials right now want to know what the transition is
for them after 30 June 2016. More importantly, many people out there in the
community are waiting for an understanding of how they will be captured, and
what time frame and what opportunities they have for getting into the NDIS as
it rolls out, and when it is going to happen. In fact, I get a lot of
correspondence from people asking when their turn will come about.
Secondly, one of my real concerns is
that if we wait until 30 June 2016 to commence these discussions, there is a
fair chance that the federal government would be in caretaker mode or about to
go into caretaker mode. The period in which further negotiations could commence
could be anything up to six months, with the caretaker mode prior to an
election, an election, and a new government et cetera.
Hon Ken Travers interjected.
Hon HELEN MORTON : The new government could still be a
Liberal coalition government, do not worry; but it will be a new government.
That is the word that is said—a new government is a new government is a
new government, regardless of which brand of government it is. It could be that
the ministers change, for example, and we would have to commence negotiations
again. That could be a full six months in the making. Our state election is not
long after that, and as a result of that we could lose 12 months before we
could commence negotiating with the federal government. As a result of that, I
have asked the federal government to commence discussions with us around the
options that we might have in rolling out the NDIS across Western Australia,
and we intend to have that bedded down before the current government goes into
caretaker mode.
(1)–(2) There
are two trials operating in Western Australia, as the member knows—one
that is run by the state government and one that is run by NDIA. They are both
under the NDIS. Let us not mistake what is being trialled here. The trial is
the NDIS trial, and the government is absolutely committed to making sure that
the very best of both of these is brought to fruition for the Western
Australian NDIS as it rolls out. We are not committed to having either the
so-called My Way program or the so-called NDIA program as the only way of doing
it. The Western Australian NDIS will be the best of those two schemes put
together for the way the NDIS rolls out in Western Australia.
A range of views, ideas and thoughts
have been taken into consideration. They are the evaluations of the existing
trials as they have already commenced and as they continue; the interim report
of Stantons International; the final report at the end of the trial period; and
the voices of people with disability. As the member knows, there have been a
variety of forums at which people with disability and their families have had
input about the outcomes of these two trials. All of those have been taken into
account.
I am really pleased the member has
raised this issue. I have made it really clear that the reasons we have to
commence discussions with the commonwealth right now are three or fourfold. The
first reason is that, when the trials finish on 30 June 2016, we cannot then
begin having a discussion with the commonwealth on how we want this to roll out,
because people in those trials right now want to know what the transition is
for them after 30 June 2016. More importantly, many people out there in the
community are waiting for an understanding of how they will be captured, and
what time frame and what opportunities they have for getting into the NDIS as
it rolls out, and when it is going to happen. In fact, I get a lot of
correspondence from people asking when their turn will come about.
Secondly, one of my real concerns is
that if we wait until 30 June 2016 to commence these discussions, there is a
fair chance that the federal government would be in caretaker mode or about to
go into caretaker mode. The period in which further negotiations could commence
could be anything up to six months, with the caretaker mode prior to an
election, an election, and a new government et cetera.
Hon Ken Travers interjected.
Hon HELEN MORTON : The new government could still be a
Liberal coalition government, do not worry; but it will be a new government.
That is the word that is said—a new government is a new government is a
new government, regardless of which brand of government it is. It could be that
the ministers change, for example, and we would have to commence negotiations
again. That could be a full six months in the making. Our state election is not
long after that, and as a result of that we could lose 12 months before we
could commence negotiating with the federal government. As a result of that, I
have asked the federal government to commence discussions with us around the
options that we might have in rolling out the NDIS across Western Australia,
and we intend to have that bedded down before the current government goes into
caretaker mode.
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