Published: 15 Jul 2011
MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin has again shown his strong support for the National Disability Insurance Scheme at meeting of the ACTU Executive in Melbourne.
This follows a resolution passed at the ALP NSW State Conference last weekend, supported by the MUA.
In Australia, most people have no idea of the desperate state the disability support system is in, and how few targeted supports and services are available to people who genuinely need them. In the eyes of the Average Australian, if you are born with or acquire a disability, someone, somewhere will provide the services you need, when you need them. The truth is that this is just not true- Australia performs poorly in the provision of disability support compared to most similar countries. The draft report of the productivity commission into the lifetime care and support of people with a disability found that: “the disability support system overall is inequitable, underfunded, fragmented and inefficient and gives people with a disability little choice.”
The draft report productivity commission into lifetime care and support of people with a disability proposes two national schemes to fix the crisis:
The NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme); and
The NIIS – providing support for people who suffer a catastrophic injury and would be based on widening and strengthening existing state based schemes like the TAC and workplace injury schemes
The NDIS and NIIS would create a secure, consistent pool of funds from which support for people with a disability, their families and carers could be drawn. It would create a nationally consistent, fair, efficient and effective system of support. The scheme would be a person-centred and individualised, based on the choices of the person with a disability and their family
The campaign for the introduction of a NDIS is a once in a generation opportunity to provide assistance to Australia’s real “forgotten families”, Australians with a disability, their families and carters. The introduction of the NDIS would provide a guarantee to all Australians that should you or someone you love acquire a disability at birth, or through illness or accident that you and your family will be supported.
Finally, the concept of an NDIS was originally put forward by the Whitlam government and is a critical missing piece of Australia’s social welfare system. It is unfinished business for the Labor movement that has resulted in millions of Australian families relying on charity to receive basic aids and supports such as wheel chairs, lifting devices and vehicle modifications. All Australians deserve the opportunity to participate in their community. An NDIS would make every Australian Count.
You can join the campaign by going to the "Every Australian Counts" website
