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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-03-20 Daily Xml
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National Disability Insurance Scheme

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:21): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Human Services regarding the NDIS.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Lisa Pearce has an 18-month-old son. Lisa is legally blind and uses taxi vouchers every day to get to and from essential medical appointments. If the South Australian Transport Subsidy Scheme, which the minister has said has nothing to do with her, isn't extended, Lisa's travel allowance under the NDIS will leave her up to $200 a fortnight out of pocket. This will mean she may have to pick and choose between which essential appointments she attends or go without food and basic amenities.

My question to the minister is: in terms of funding, will the minister guarantee that Lisa and other visitors who are living with disability will not be worse off under the NDIS than they would have been if this government guaranteed block funding?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:22): I think I thank the honourable member for her question. She is actually mixing up several issues, as the Labor Party are wont to do; if I can take those separately. On the issue of people not being worse off under the NDIS, I have received advice from my department that former Labor ministers were advised not to—

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Point of order, Mr President.

The PRESIDENT: Excuse me, minister, there is a point of order. The Hon. Mr Hunter.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I'm sorry to raise this, sir. I was giving the honourable minister some leeway, but he is having an ongoing conversation on his phone that's going on for too long, and none of us can hear the honourable minister's response.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wade, could you please take the phone call outside? Minister.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I was advised by one of my agencies that Labor ministers had made comments publicly to the effect, in the main, that in relation to the NDIS nobody would be worse off. They were advised that that was not actually correct. In relation to the specific matter of the transport scheme, that is a matter for the Minister for Transport, the Hon. Stephan Knoll. I have had discussions with him, but it is his ministerial responsibility.

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