Sky News PVO News Hour
PETER VAN ONSELEN:
The implementation of the NDIS, as well as how to pay for it, is going to be a major issue for the Abbott Government in this term and going forward because of the ongoing costs of the Scheme. The Labor party claimed in its last budget that it had funded the thing well into the future but of course that’s on some pretty dodgy numbers, in my view at least. We’ll see what the relevant Minister who has to implement the thing, Senator Mitch Fifield thinks. Welcome to the program.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Thanks very much Peter.
PETER VAN ONSELEN:
Straight off the bat, I mean how many people in rough terms do you think will end up being eligible for the NDIS?
MITCH FIFIELD:
About 460,000 people. And these are people who currently often are on waiting lists for supported accommodation, waiting lists for wheel chairs. An example you often hear is an 11 year old kid, who needs a wheel chair and will have to wait 2 years for it to come and by the time in arrives they’ve out grown it…
PETER VAN ONSELEN:
I don’t think anyone has a problem with that. No one has a problem with that I’m sure; no matter what the cost quite frankly. But how do you avoid the equivalent of bracket creep I suppose, like we saw happen with the disability support Scheme.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well, it’s important to keep the scheme focused on those who are most in need. And this scheme is aimed at those people who have permanent and significant disabilities. About 460,000 people. Contrast that with the disability support pension, which is an income support scheme, not related to the NDIS, but there are over 800,000 people on that scheme…
PETER VAN ONSELEN:
But that has crept up so that it wasn’t always so high.
MITCH FIFIELD:
That’s right, but there are different eligibility criteria for the NDIS, compared to that for the DSP. But you’re right, we’ve got to make sure that we keep this scheme focused.
PETER VAN ONSELEN:
And what about managing expectations? Because something that I’ve picked up when talking to people that run disability groups, their concern is that there are expectations that are too high, if you like. That people that are suffering from a disability think that there is more coming than there perhaps may be. Is that something that you’ve had to battle?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well, I think the previous government have a lot to answer for when it comes to expectations. You might recall they spent about $17 million on glossy TV ads right around the nation, despite the fact that the NDIS isn’t going to be nation-wide until 2019-20. So I think it’s very important that whenever government – whichever side – is talking about the NDIS, they do so factually and using unadorned language.
PETER VAN ONSELEN:
Because otherwise people who are the most needy, their expectations are getting raised beyond what the government will be able to deliver and that’s frankly outrageous.
MITCH FIFIELD:
That’s right.
PETER VAN ONSELEN:
What about the funding though? Because, you’re going to run into significant problems internally. Even though I know that the Government supports the scheme, but internally as the budget crunch comes. Your Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, your Treasurer Joe Hockey. They’re going to be looking at this and they’re going to be thinking wow, that’s a big spending area, and therefore it’s an area that we could perhaps try and tighten up a little bit, how do you battle that?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Tony Abbott, Joe Hockey, Mathias Cormann are all committed to the NDIS. And part of the reason for that is, this is getting back to what should be the core business of government. Now, we all believe in hard work and reward for effort, but we also believe in helping people who face extra challenges for reasons beyond their control. And yes, the Liberal Party, we might be the party of smaller government, but we’re not the party of no government. And I think if you talk to anyone in the community they would recognise that this is the sort of thing that should be core government business. So the announced funding envelope, we’re determined to stick to that, and we’re determined to see the NDIS implemented.
PETER VAN ONSELEN:
Alright, last question on this. Do you think we’re going to end up in a situation where there’s going to be politics played with this by both sides? Labor claiming that they came up with the idea, and then the Liberals cut back whatever version of it. You guys saying that sure they came up with the idea, but they were never able to pay for it, it’s only because of us that you can say well done, the Scheme’s in place.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Look I think there is no doubt that Labor will play politics. Although the last Parliament was a particularly inelegant one, one of the good things about it was that the NDIS was elevated beyond partisanship. Labor haven’t been able to resist temptation to make all sorts of allegations that we are going to hack the scheme, we’re going to privatise it. You name it, they say we’re going to do it. It’s all rubbish. And I would just urge Labor to identify this as one area of public policy that the Parliament comes together on. Elevate it beyond partisanship so that we can work together to make it the best possible scheme.
PETER VAN ONSELEN:
Hear, hear to that, Senator Mitch Fifield appreciate you joining us on PVO News Hour. Thanks for being here.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Thanks Peter.