Joint doorstop interview with Sarah Henderson MP at event marking 10,000 NDIS participants
E & OE
FIFIELD:
It’s great to be in Geelong with Sarah Henderson, the Member for Corangamite, and also NDIS participants Tina and Adam to mark more than 10,000 NDIS participants. It’s a milestone on the way to a full national NDIS. There are close to 3,000 NDIS participants in the Barwon trial site at the moment. When the NDIS is rolled out nationwide, there’ll be about 460,000 NDIS participants. We heard some wonderful stories today about the difference the NDIS is making in the lives of individuals. A 56 year old woman who has a disability, who has been able to move out of home and into her own accommodation with support, so that her mum can spend more time being a mum and less time providing support and care to her. Also the story of a seven year old boy who’s now able to tie his shoelaces.
So we’re really here talking about the stuff that is the core business of government – and that is providing assistance to people who face extra challenges for reasons beyond their control. And the NDIS is one of the reasons why, as a Government, we’re taking some difficult decisions in other areas. Because we want to make sure that as a Government, as a community, we have the resources to fully fund the NDIS, which is exactly what we’re going to do.
JOURNALIST:
What’s the most satisfying aspect of this programme for you? It is on time and on budget, that must be very satisfying. Or is it the more personal stories you hear when you come to places like this?
FIFIELD:
What I do, what Sarah does, what the staff of the NDIS do, only has meaning in terms of the difference that it makes in the lives of individuals. So if the NDIS can help an individual get the daily living supports that they need, which puts them in a better position to consider a job, that’s a fabulous thing. If support from the NDIS can help someone who is an adult who’s been living at home with mum and dad for forty of fifty years to move out into a place of their own, that’s a fabulous thing. So to me, the NDIS really only has meaning in terms of the difference it makes in the lives of individuals.
JOURNALIST:
You mentioned housing there, that’s certainly one of the kinks that still needs to be ironed out. What’s going on behind the scenes there to find a solution for those people who aren’t able to move out yet.
FIFIELD:
There’s a lot of work taking place in relation to housing. The NDIS won’t seek to supplant or replace the state’s current and ongoing role in relation to public housing and social housing. But what the NDIS can do is to make some strategic investments – to partner with other organisations in relation to some projects. The NDIS can also help with home modifications – those things that can make it easier for individuals to access accommodation.
JOURNALIST:
What’s the main problem? Is it lack of stock and a lack of money? Or is it a difficulty overcoming those barriers of having so many agencies involved and so much red tape?
FIFIELD:
I think it’s a two-fold issue. One is, many people with disability need support to live independently. And at the moment, under the existing state arrangements, there simply aren’t enough dollars to provide that in-home support that people need. The NDIS will be doubling the amount of money that goes toward supporting people with disability. So that recurrent side of the equation will be addressed by the NDIS. The other side is finding appropriate accommodation, and the NDIS can make a difference in terms of home modifications, and also partnering with service providers to find the right accommodation for the individual. But there’ll still be a role for the states in terms of public and social housing.
JOURNALIST:
I’ve got a few questions about Tony Abbott’s leadership. Do you think it needs to come to a head next week – the questions surrounding the leadership?
FIFIELD:
Tony Abbott is a fine Prime Minister. He enjoys my support and the support of the broad party room. What colleagues should be doing is what I’m doing, what Sarah’s doing, which is focussing on the people’s business. My attention is focussed on rolling out the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and also reforming the aged care sector. That’s what people want, is for us to focus on their business.
JOURNALIST:
Would you support a spill motion?
FIFIELD:
I don’t think that there will be such a motion. There are no challengers. Tony Abbott is the Prime Minister, and as I said, he enjoys my support and the support of the broad party room.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think the Government needs to change its strategy, given that there are all these questions?
FIFIELD:
As a Government, we should always be willing and seeking to communicate better. We should always be taking the opportunity to get our message out. And when the public are telling us that we need to lift our game in terms of explaining our program, then we’ve got to take heed of that and do that. And I think the Government has taken heed of that. And I think all colleagues will be redoubling their efforts to explain that we inherited debt and deficit, that on a no policy change basis, the nation’s debt would reach around $667 billion. Now the problem with debt figures of that magnitude is that it compromises the Government’s capacity to do its core business. What I’m determined to do and make sure is that Labor’s debt does not compromise our capacity to deliver the NDIS.
JOURNALIST:
When you talk about winning back that public support, it seems like you’re saying it’s more about the selling the message rather than the policies themselves that are causing these questions. Is that true – is that how win back support – just be making the message stronger rather than changing the policies?
FIFIELD:
Explaining what we’re doing and why we’re doing it is critical. But we’ve also got to make sure that the policies that we’re expounding are ones that enjoy broad community support. The onus is on us as a Government to explain what the problems are that we’ve inherited, and what the solutions are to those problems.
JOURNALIST:
Sarah, does Tony Abbott have your full support?
HENDERSON:
Margaret can I just begin by saying as a strong local voice for Corangamite I’m incredibly proud to be here today. This is a great day and I certainly think, as Mitch has said, we need to be very focussed on the business of government, and this is an incredibly important part of government. 10,000 participants – 3,300 participants in the Barwon region – changing lives for the people of Geelong and Colac and this whole region. So let’s not forget the many wonderful things that our budget is doing to help people for the better.
The other important thing about the NDIS and the NDIA is that the headquarters are of course here in Geelong – and it’s creating jobs. A big part of my job is to help create other jobs as part of our Government team. We’re getting on with the business of investing in infrastructure and creating jobs and helping people – and the NDIS is a very important part of that.
In relation to the Prime Minister, as I’ve said repeatedly, yes the Prime Minister has my support. He enjoys the support of myself and the broad range of colleagues in the Cabinet and I also think in my estimation across the backbench. It’s unfortunate to see what’s happening. It needs to end quickly and we need to focus on getting on with the business of governing and doing a better job for Australians.
JOURNALIST:
When you say it needs to end quickly, does it need to end in a spill, do you think, to bring it to a head?
HENDERSON:
No, I just think that the disaffected colleagues need to get back to business, and they need to start listening, they need to start doing their jobs. That’s what I’m doing – the Prime Minister was here last Friday, visiting Colac, Torquay, Geelong, Birregurra – we’re talking about petrol prices in Colac, we’re talking about the mobile phone blackspot in Birregurra, we’re talking about the needs of Torquay, jobs in Geelong. That’s what people want to see. That’s what people want us to focus on. Not ourselves, they want us to focus on the needs of the people of Corangamite and that’s what I’m doing.
JOURNALIST:
These ongoing questions are undoubtedly causing distraction – that must be very frustrating for you. Why do you think that is?
HENDERSON:
Well it is frustrating, because as I was with the Prime Minister on Friday, he resonated very strongly on the ground. We visited a local pub in Colac and he was received very warmly. People can see what the Prime Minister is doing. We’ve done many of the things that we said we would do — abolish the carbon tax, abolish the mining tax, drive jobs growth, invest in great infrastructure projects like the Great Ocean Road, like the Princes Highway duplication. Of course another great initiative – 250 jobs for the Australian Bureau of Statistics Centre of Excellence. So there’s lots of exciting things in this region, and here today we are celebrating one of the most exciting initiatives of our Government, of course joined with the previous government – rolling out the NDIS and we’re very, very proud of today’s achievement.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think that Tony Abbott will lead the Government next week and lead them to the next election?
HENDERSON:
As I indicated, Margaret, I don’t get any sense of any change. The Prime Minister has very strong support. Yes there are some disaffected members, but I don’t get a sense of change. The Prime Minister is doing a terrific job. Yes we can listen, we can do some things better. One of the great things the Social Services Minister announced is a new consultation round for a families package, and he’ll be coming down to Corangamite, I’ll be meeting with mums and dads and grandparents about what we need to do to provide more accessible and more affordable childcare. So yes, we need to sell our message, we need to consult better than perhaps we have been on all policy issues. But I can tell you Margaret, as a marginal seat Member, I’m out there every single day. I’m listening to people. I’m acting on the things that matter, whether it be petrol prices, whether it be mobile phone blackspots, whether it be things like traffic chaos or Anglesea and the bushfire risk, and most importantly jobs. That’s my focus, and that’s the focus of this Government.