Breaking News: Productivity Commission Draft Report Released
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This afternoon the Productivity Commission released its long
awaited draft report into Disability Care and Support.
The Commission has recommended the introduction of a National
Disability Insurance Scheme and has outlined a number of
recommendations about the way it could operate and be funded.
The report is long and detailed, examining many of the complex
issues that must be addressed before the NDIS can be introduced
and implemented. As a result it will take some time for us to go
through all the detail. In the meantime the key points are:
The Commission has accepted that the disability system is
"inequitable, underfunded, fragmented and inefficient and gives
people with a disability little choice ... a real system for
people with disabilities is required." The Commission has
therefore accepted the need for reform and for an NDIS.
The Commission has also accepted that the nation must better meet
the needs of those people who currently do not receive any or
only inadequate support.
The Commission recommends the introduction of a fully funded
National Disability Insurance Scheme with individualised funding
to ensure people with a disability and their families are able
to exercise greater choice and control about the supports they
need.
Thank you to the many individuals and organisations who took the
time to make a submission to the inquiry to make the case for
change - the Commission has listened to your stories and acted
on them.
There has been considerable media interest in today's
announcement - you will find all the coverage on our website and
our facebook page as it becomes available.
But positive recommendations are only one step on this journey.
We are still a long way from all parties committing to
implementing the Commission's recommendations.
We need to maintain the pressure on Members of Parliament and
opinion leaders to introduce the NDIS. We need to continue to
spread the word, and increase the number of people who have
taken the "Count Me In" pledge on the website
[http://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/take_action/].
Please continue to spread the word among your family, friends,
neighbours and colleagues.
The Productivity Commission thinks every Australian should count.
Now let's convince the people and the parliament.
John Della Bosca and the NDIS team
