Time for Labor to support the NDIS

The Government is fully committed to supporting the timely rollout of the NDIS in Tasmania, and it is time Bryan Green did the same.

Mr Green is suggesting the Government should slow down the NDIS transition by withholding the funds we are transferring to the NDIA for disabled taxi support.

It is disgraceful that Labor is attempting to wind back our involvement in the NDIS. The Hodgman Government has made a massive $572 million commitment over the next four years across a number of agencies to facilitate its establishment, and we will transfer every dollar that would have been used for disabled taxi support to the NDIA.

We do that on the expectation that the NDIA will take care of the transport needs of those eligible Tasmanians, and there is a very effective safety net in place for eligible Tasmanians moving from the expiring State-based program to the federal NDIS.

All those who have not accepted their new support package from the NDIA remain fully accommodated by the Tasmanian Government on compassionate grounds.

We remain committed as a Government to work with the NDIS Transitions Options Reference Group, which includes National Disability Services, Advocacy Tasmania and Carers Tasmania.

My colleague, the Minister for Human Services, has also written to her federal counterpart seeking an assurance that access to appropriate transport supports will continue for NDIS participants.

It’s important to note that nobody is obliged to become an NDIS participant just because they are eligible to join. If a person doesn’t become a participant they can continue to receive taxi subsidies through the Tasmanian Government program.

Sadly, truth and facts do not matter to Mr Green. He has continually shown over the past year that his sole agenda is to scare Tasmanians and spread fear amongst our most vulnerable.

It is time for Mr Green to stop playing games and state publically that he supports the full rollout of the NDIS in Tasmania.
Rene Hidding, Minister for Infrastructure