Transport Subsidy Scheme

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:16): Supplementary: given the cessation of the state voucher scheme, which has been cashed out to the NDIS, can the minister guarantee that no SA Transport Subsidy Scheme user will be worse off or receive a lesser service?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:16): I thank the honourable member for his subsidy which—sorry, his supplementary question.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: He was talking about subsidies, supplementaries. In terms of that particular matter, my department advised me that in relation to nobody being worse off under the NDIS, that Labor ministers were advised that they shouldn't actually be using those particular expressions and they continued to use them and, unfortunately, have misled some customers. We are pushing because we are acutely aware that this scheme is important to people.

We are very keen to make sure that, indeed, this is not the only issue on which we continue to have discussions, particularly with our federal colleague the Hon. Stuart Robert, on matters to do with the NDIS transition and areas that are yet to be resolved. However, we are working assiduously towards the best outcome that we can possibly obtain for South Australian customers.

I also find it ironic that the Labor government talks about the cashing out of the scheme because who did that? That was their agreement. While we are at full scheme as of 30 June this year, the National Disability Insurance Scheme and ongoing matters are things that continue to exercise my department and myself on a very regular basis.