Coalition commitment to entitlement based scheme

Tuesday 17 September 2013

People with Disability Australia (PWDA) welcomes the appointment of The Hon Kevin Andrews MP to the position of Minister for Social Services, and of Senator Mitch Fifield to the position of Assistant Minister for Social Services (with responsibility for Disability and Aged Care).

“PWDA looks forward to working with Senator Fifield in his role,” said Mr Wallace. “Over a significant period, we have developed a respect and recognition of the knowledge and skills that Senator Fifield brings to the disability portfolio and we look forward to the opportunity to work with him in the new Ministerial line up as announced yesterday by Prime Minister-elect Abbott.”

“We welcome the alignment of disability and ageing and hope that it prompts discussions about the disability and aged care interface.  We also understand that the coalition intends to bring disability policy and employment services under one banner.  We need action on jobs and infrastructure to deliver on the promise of the NDIS.”

“The Coalition has indicated the NDIS will reflect the Productivity Commission’s recommendation of an individually tailored system of support based on needs, with the entitlement for support going to the individual,” said Mr Craig Wallace, “and we are encouraged by Senator Fifield’s unequivocal commitment to full implementation.”

“We note the incoming Government’s decision to title Ministers after functions in portfolios.  While obviously we would have preferred the word disability in a Ministry title, this matters little next to the need to get delivery on the commitments the Coalition has made to the disability reform agenda.”

People with Disability Australia Incorporated (PWDA) is a national disability rights and advocacy, non-profit, non-government organisation. We have a cross-disability focus, representing the interests of people with all kinds of disability and our membership is made up of people with disability and organisations mainly constituted by people with disability.
Our vision is of a socially just, accessible and inclusive community, in which the human rights, citizenship, contribution, potential and diversity of all people with disability are respected and celebrated.