Carers Week Doorstop

Location: Parliament House, Canberra.

QUESTION:

[inaudible]

MITCH FIFIELD:

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is a joint Commonwealth-State venture, and the next rollout sites will be determined by negotiation between the Commonwealth and State governments. Before the last election the previous government unilaterally declared what they thought should be the next rollout sites. Their announcement had no validity. It had no basis to it. This is a cooperative venture and we will work through cooperatively with the other jurisdictions as to where the NDIS should next be rolled out.

QUESTION:

Have those negotiations started?

MITCH FIFIELD:

Negotiations are ongoing. But the focus at the moment is on the launch sites which commenced in the middle of the year. We’ve got to make sure that we get these launch sites right. But we do have to walk and chew gum at the same time. And that means ensuring that these launch sites are well delivered, learning the lessons from the launch sites as we talk to the other jurisdictions about where to next.

QUESTION:

So those launch sites that the government did announce just before the election are quite contentious. Are they still going ahead or are they under negotiation again?

MITCH FIFIELD:

The only launch sites which are real are those that are contained in the intergovernmental agreement between the Commonwealth and the States. And those launch sites commenced in the middle of the year. What the previous government did during the election campaign by declaring where they thought the next rollout should occur was merely a stunt. It was merely a press release. And you can’t determine the next launch sites by way of press release. It has to be determined by way of negotiations between the Commonwealth and the states.

QUESTION:

So as far as you are concerned, they won’t be happening in those sites that were announced.

MITCH FIFIELD:

They weren’t actually announced sites. It was a stunt by way of press release to try and give the impression that there had been agreement between the Commonwealth and the states. The first the states knew of what the previous government announced during the election campaign was when they received a copy of the press releases. So, those press releases, that supposed announcement, had no status. Things will happen cooperatively by negotiation.

QUESTION:

Are you saying that those areas that Labor announced during the campaign won’t be under consideration at all?

MITCH FIFIELD:

No, all of Australia will receive the NDIS. Our objective is to roll the NDIS out through the entire nation. So no part of Australia need fear that they’re not going to get the benefit of the NDIS. The question is the phasing beyond the launch sites and that’s something that will be negotiated with the States and Territories.

QUESTION:

In opposition you made an argument that the government should release the NDIS assessment tool. As Minister, will you be prepared to release that tool?

MITCH FIFIELD:

It is something that I am talking to NDIS Agency about how to release that, how to provide more information to the public. I’m someone who is for transparency.

QUESTION:

Can I just ask a point you picked up in the speech, the Pollie Pedal, expenses is a big story at the moment. Did you claim Parliamentary entitlements to attend any of the Pollie Pedal events?

MITCH FIFIELD:

During the last Pollie Pedal, yes, I would have on a few nights claimed travel allowance. In my duties as a shadow minister, entirely appropriate meeting with carers, meeting with people with disabilities. The Pollie Pedal is a very important community engagement exercise for the Members of Parliament who take part in it.

QUESTION:

A number of MPs have repaid money they claimed to go to trips involving weddings. Do you think it’s appropriate for MPs to be claiming entitlements to attend colleagues’ weddings?

MITCH FIFIELD:

I’m not going to provide on the spot rulings about individual circumstances. You’ve got to know all the circumstances for a particular colleague. I don’t intend to provide an on the spot ruling.

QUESTION:

Given what’s happened recently though with a lot of MPs having to repay them, do you think there is an argument to tighten the rules or clarify the rules surrounding parliamentary entitlements?

MITCH FIFIELD:

Look, I think the situation is fairly straight forward. There are guidelines. They should be observed. Where there are errors then money should be repaid.

QUESTION:

And do you think some MPs have been pushing the limits a bit?

MITCH FIFIELD:

The obligation is on every colleague to observe the guidelines.

QUESTION:

Just getting back to the NDIS. No doubt you would have had discussions with the agencies about how the trial sites are running. Have there been any hiccups that you are aware of, and what do you think is running smoothly?

MITCH FIFIELD:

The purpose of the launch sites is to learn lessons. There will inevitably be teething problems in the launch sites. And part of the purpose of the sites is that you can learn from those and make adjustments before full national rollout.

QUESTION:

Can you give some examples of those learning opportunities?

MITCH FIFIELD:

There will be learning opportunities in terms of the experience of individuals as they make application to the NDIS Agency. Is it a smooth process? There will be things to learn in terms of the interface of the scheme with the aged care system, the interface of the scheme with the education system. So, all those things will be worked through. We’re also going to re-establish the Joint Parliamentary Committee to oversee the NDIS. We will expand the terms of reference of that committee. And we will also extend its life, so it will at least cover the full launch period. And I think it’s important that there be some close parliamentary scrutiny of the scheme. And the Parliamentary Committee will also have the opportunity to provide input as to any adjustments that might be needed before full rollout.

QUESTION:

Since becoming Minister have you actually travelled to the launch site areas to get feedback on the ground from the people who are involved?

MITCH FIFIELD:

I haven’t yet been to Geelong or the Hunter Valley, but it’s high on my list to get there. One of the things I am keen to do, and I’ll probably visit Geelong first, is to actually present myself as someone who has a disability in order to see what the experience is of people who do have a disability. So I’ll put a scenario to the agency, and I actually want to go through the process that people with disability go through. So that I know what the experience on the ground is of people who are making applications.

QUESTION:

So would you do that as a blind shopper as such?

MITCH FIFIELD:

By what I’ve said now I imagine that opportunity won’t be there. But no, I’ll go down, I’ll see them, I’ll let them know I’m coming and we’ll take it from there.

QUESTION:

Can I just ask, when Parliament resumes do you expect to be the Manager of Government Business in the Senate, and how do you see the Senate working after the changeover in June next year?

MITCH FIFIELD:

Yes, I am the Manager of Government Business in the Senate. What will be the experience at the turnover in the middle of next year? The Senate will be an interesting place as it always is. Over the last Parliament the focus was a little more on the House of Representatives. We had the unusual situation where the government of the day didn’t have a majority. I think the attention will, to some extent, return to the Senate. We’ll work with the Senate. We want to have good relationships with all the senators. I’m sure that we can work to see that it’s a workable Senate.

QUESTION:

Will the composition of the Senate affect the timing of any legislation that you bring?

MITCH FIFIELD:

Timing of legislation is a matter that the Government will consider piece of legislation by piece of legislation. But we’ve already made it clear that our first item of business will be the carbon tax repeal legislation. So you can look forward to seeing that soon.

QUESTION:

Do you think it’s odd that John Hogg will still be Senate President until July even though he’s a Labor Senator?

MITCH FIFIELD:

The convention in the Senate has been that the presiding officer arrangements are in place until the turnover of the Senate in the middle of the year. It’s been a long standing convention.