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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-10-24 Daily Xml
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Supported Accommodation

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:47): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Human Services a question about supported community accommodation services.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Labor in government recognised that changes would need to be made with the introduction of the NDIS, and that is why the former government carefully examined the matter, consulted with the sector and stakeholders, and set up a statutory authority to manage supported community accommodation services. My question to the minister is: why did you mislead the South Australian public yesterday by saying that Labor was going to privatise this service when you knew that was not true and, in fact, that it is your plan to privatise the service and not the former government's?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:48): I thank the honourable member for her question. Once again, the Labor Party practises the art of misrepresentation of people's words in this place but—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Regardless of their protestations and a range of objections in terms of trying to rewrite history books, the National Disability Insurance Scheme is actually changing the way that services are funded in a very significant way. I'm not sure whether the Labor Party has recognised that. In terms of a range of services that have been provided by the South Australian government, the former government had a program of withdrawing from those services.

Domiciliary Care was the first service. That was a process that was certainly started under the former government and completed at the end of the 2017-18 financial year. Child and Youth Services is in the process of being transitioned to an employee mutual. That, again, was a process which was commenced under the previous government, effectively towards a new ownership model. The employees will own that, but it is certainly a non-government service.

We also have the adult therapy services, known as ASSIST, which is in transition. There is a range of services in South Australia that have been provided traditionally by state governments, which going forward will not be. I must say this is entirely consistent with what other states and territories are doing as well, whichever hue they may happen to be.

Disability services were particularly developed at a time when the government was the funder and provider of services. They were not designed to be provided under the national disability insurance model, where clients receive individual supports and they can then choose their own provider. This particular decision allows the Department of Human Services to gradually move management of services to the non-government sector, and services can be redesigned to work under the new funding arrangements.

These things are entirely consistent. I encourage all those who may be affected by this to be involved in the consultation processes that we are in the middle of, because they are complex matters. We understand that change is—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, this is not helping anybody. I cannot hear the minister.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: This is not a debate, Leader of the Opposition. This is a question and answer session.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Thank you, Mr President. I think I might have lost my train of thought.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Start again.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I should start again. Consultation with stakeholders is focusing on how the government can implement its decision to ensure, according to three very important principles: continuity in quality client services and supporting client choice, retention of skilled and experienced employees in the disability sector, and growth of the local South Australian non-government sector.

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