National Disability Insurance Scheme

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:32): I do have a supplementary, thank you, Mr President—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter, please!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter, minister, if you want to have a private conversation, please have it outside the chamber. The Hon. Ms Bourke is about to ask a supplementary.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I note, in conjunction with the minister's answer, that this is now the second time that you have refused to answer the details we are asking about the end date. Will the minister undertake to work with and fund the disability support sector properly and put an end to the merry-go-round about the funding and when the cease date will be happening?

The PRESIDENT: It's not really a supplementary, but the minister is keen to answer it.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:32): Mr President, it's just embarrassing actually—really, really embarrassing. In terms of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, I don't know how many times I have to repeat myself about this scheme and the radical reform that it is undergoing. I heard Julia Gillard in recent months say that it was part of the crowning achievements of her term as prime minister. Premier Jay Weatherill signed the bilateral, which means that we are under these arrangements, which means that, when we are a full scheme, the states step away from funding them. I can't understand. We have been working assiduously, as I have talked about, through our quarterly check-ins—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Go on, minister.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Thank you—through our quarterly check-ins, through individual advocacy on behalf of individuals, individual advocacy on behalf of organisations, where we are able to escalate matters on their behalf, where they have particular issues. There are a range of interface issues as well, which are the things that concentrate the minds of my departmental officials and the commonwealth officials to ensure that people don't fall into gaps. This NDIS change has been coming for a long time. I am somewhat baffled by this line of questioning from Labor members who don't even understand the scheme that has been set up.