Sky News Saturday Agenda with David Lipson

E & OE

LIPSON:

Let’s get straight to our first guest, the Assistant Minister for Social Services and the Minister for Disability, Senator Mitch Fifield, thank you very much for your time this morning.

FIFIELD:

Hi David.

LIPSON:

Mitch Fifield there’s been a bit around this week, reports that the Government, or some within it, are trying to slow down the roll out of the NDIS. You’ve been asked about this several times, so let’s get to the heart of it. What is going on here? Where are these reports coming from and is there any attempt within Government–not by you but by others–to slow down the NDIS?

FIFIELD:

Look David, I’m working extremely hard, the Government is working extremely hard, to roll out the NDIS and to roll it out in full. Since we’ve been in Government we’ve established additional NDIS trial sites. So we now have seven NDIS trial sites. We now have 18,000 people who are participants in the Scheme. People with significant disabilities getting the better deal that they deserve.

I’m currently in negotiations with six jurisdictions for bilateral agreements which will see the plans for the roll out of the NDIS throughout Australia beyond the current trial sites. We do have in the ACT, already underway, the transition to full scheme. And in Western Australia, there’s a slightly different approach where there’s an NDIS-run trial site and also a Western Australian Government-run trial site. At the conclusion of that there’ll be an independent evaluation.

LIPSON:

What about in New South Wales where state officials are apparently mystified that the deal hasn’t been signed? The deadline was August. What’s the delay there?

FIFIELD:

David there’s no delay in relation to New South Wales. The discussions and negotiations are going extremely well and I hope in the very near future to have something to announce in relation to that. But obviously, I can’t announce something before the discussions are concluded and obviously any announcement is one that’s made by both governments.

But I just thought at the start of our discussion it was important for me to outline that in the ACT we’re on the way to full transition. In WA they’re pursuing a slightly different path. And that leaves six other jurisdictions where I’m having good discussions. And we’re working hard, because we want to see the NDIS rolled out in full. That’s my absolute commitment.

LIPSON:

A news release from your Shadow Minister, Jenny Macklin, just a few minutes ago has said, ‘Mitch Fifield’s continued refusal to commit rolling the NDIS out in full and on time isn’t helping’. What’s your response to that?

FIFIELD:

Look it’s been really good that up until this point the NDIS has been able to be elevated above the partisan fray. That we’ve had from all sides a bipartisan approach. I hope I’m not seeing an abandonment of that approach by the Labor Party. But David, I’m not sure how many more times I can say that we’re determined to deliver the NDIS in full. The funding profile required to deliver the NDIS…

LIPSON:

…And on time?

FIFIELD:

… is laid out in the Budget papers over the forward estimates.

The Heads of Agreement–entered into by the previous government with the other jurisdictions in relation to the NDIS–has a target date of 2019, so that’s the timeframe, that’s the environment that we’re working in and towards. But obviously, there could be unforeseen issues beyond the Commonwealth’s control which could affect the schedule in a particular jurisdiction or in a particular region, I mean I think that’s just a matter of logic. But obviously, if anything like that emerged then that would be shared, all governments would be upfront about that. But we’re working hard to deliver the NDIS. And, as I say, to deliver it in full.

I am not looking for ways–let me be clear -I’ve said this in the Parliament and I’ve said this in interviews. I am not looking, and the Government is not looking, for ways to slow negotiations. We’re not looking for ways to, or reasons to, slow the rollout. What I’m looking for are the ways to deliver the Scheme and to make sure it’s the very best that it can be.

But if I can also again state, I guess something that is a matter of logic, in relation to the bilateral negotiations that I’m currently undertaking, the Commonwealth cannot act unilaterally. The Commonwealth cannot declare that negotiations are over, that they are at an end. It takes both parties to reach a conclusion in relation to negotiations. And that’s what we’re seeking to do. Because this is a shared venture of all Australian governments. This is not just a Commonwealth responsibility to deliver. It’s a shared responsibility of all Australian governments. And my ministerial counterparts in the jurisdictions are showing immense goodwill. We all want to get this done. It’s too important not to get right and we will deliver it.

LIPSON:

Hearing Australia. There’s talk that it may be privatised some time in the future by the Government. Can you shed any light on this? Does the Government have plans to privatise Hearing Australia?

FIFIELD:

The Department of Finance has undertaken a scoping study in relation to Hearing Australia. And the Minister for Finance, in May, announced that there would be further consultation with the community in relation to future ownership arrangements of Australian Hearing. But the Government hasn’t made any decision in relation to ownership arrangements for Hearing Australia. One thing that is going to happen, which is a decision taken by the previous government, is that certain community service obligations which were auspiced by and through Australian Hearing will, with the full rollout of the NDIS, be auspiced through the NDIS scheme.

Now, essentially what that means is, for an individual, where there may at the moment only have the choice and the option of getting services from Australian Hearing. They will have, as a participant in the NDIS, the option of receiving services and supports from the service provider of their choice. So that’s an issue that is separate to the question of ownership of Australian Hearing.

So it’s just important to be clear that there are two separate issues. The subject of ownership–the Government has not taken a decision on. The subject of more choice for people in the NDIS, is a separate issue to the question of ownership.

LIPSON:

The Prime Minister’s in WA at the moment and has been in the seat of Canning where there will be a by-election in a month’s time. Fairfax papers today has a report about the Liberal candidate there Andrew Hastie–a very strong candidate by all reports–reporting that he was in command of a unit that’s being investigated for removing the hands of dead Taliban soldiers. Now he wasn’t in the area at the time, he was on a different battlefield according to these reports. What do you feel about these reports. Is it a smear? What’s your opinion?

FIFIELD:

Well I’m not sure what the source of that particular piece is but the facts are, Andrew Hastie is someone who has served his nation with distinction. He has served in the SAS. He has put himself in harm’s way for Australia. He has served as an officer. He has been decorated. And we’re extremely proud and extremely pleased to have someone of his calibre, and of his character as our candidate in the seat of Canning.

LIPSON:

And just finally, Dyson Heydon. The case put forward by the unions yesterday was that a fair-minded lay observer might have doubts now about the Commissioner’s impartiality. Do you think that’s right?

FIFIELD:

Well David I’ll come to that, but I think it’s important just for moment to go back to the genesis of the Royal Commission. And that was a desire on the part of the Government to put in place a mechanism to determine if there was systemic corruption in the trade union movement. And the evidence that has come before the Royal Commission to date has demonstrated that there is. That was our purpose in establishing the Royal Commission.

Bill Shorten is intent on continuing to run his protection racket for particular unsavoury elements of the trade union movement. And the smears that he is perpetrating on Dyson Heydon are part of that effort to continue the protection racket for trade unions.

But Bill Shorten is actually at odds with one of his own team. Stephen Jones on this programme only a few days ago said that the appropriate mechanism when a party to a Royal Commission has issues in relation to a Royal Commissioner, that the appropriate process is that they raise those in the forum with the Royal Commissioner. Which is what’s happening. Bill Shorten says that that’s not appropriate. So the Australian Labor Party have got to get their lines clear on that particular subject.

But look Dyson Heydon is one of Australia’s most respected jurists. He’s been doing an excellent job. And the Royal Commission should be allowed to get on with its work.

LIPSON:

Senator Mitch Fifield, great to talk to you as always. Thanks for your company.

FIFIELD:

Thanks David.