Baillieu must stand up to abbott on disability reform
Posted: Friday, 3 February 2012 | By: Danielle Green
Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu must stand up to Tony Abbott after the federal Liberal leader announced that if he was elected Prime Minister, he would scrap plans for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
By dropping his support for the historic reform, Mr Abbott is now at odds with the position of his Victorian counterparts, Shadow Disability Minister Danielle Green said today.
“What Mr Abbott clearly doesn’t understand is that providing people living with a disability equal access to services is too important to be ‘aspirational’,” Ms Green said.
“But what remains unclear is whether Mr Baillieu still backs a national scheme that supports the most vulnerable members of our community and their carers, or will he fall into line with Mr Abbott.”
Ms Green said Victoria was set to trial the NDIS, but if Mr Abbott won office there will be no national approach to support people living with disability.
“This will be a double whammy for Victorians living with a disability, because the Baillieu government has simply seen the NDIS as an opportunity to cut funding to disability programs and cost shift to the Federal Government,” she said.
“Since the plans for the scheme were unveiled last year, Mr Baillieu has cut funds to individual support packages, aids and equipment, while failing to deliver in a single new respite bed.
“Mr Baillieu must demonstrate some leadership. He must stand up to Mr Abbott and support people living with a disability, their families and their carers.”