So you’ve probably heard a bit this week about the National
Disability Insurance Scheme (or NDIS for short).
On Monday thousands of people around the country joined
forces and attended rallies in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and
Brisbane – all making the point of ‘Every Australian Counts’. This has been a
campaign running for over 18 months now calling on the Government to overhaul
the current disability system.
So what happened? Well Prime Minister Gillard announced at the
Sydney rally that Australia will definitely have a National Disability
Insurance Scheme (NDIS). “Today I can
announce that in the May Budget, my Government, your Labor Government will fund
our share for the launch of the National Disability Insurance Scheme” she said.
PM Gillard also announced the Government will deliver the
roll out of this scheme a year ahead of schedule and the scheme will start to
roll out next year in 4 locations (these haven’t been named yet).
The Government’s media release states this initial roll out
will see about 10,000 people with disability start to receive support under the
new system. Read
the media release here
So what now? It may seem like we have ‘won’ and in many ways
it is a big potential win for all those people who have literally suffered and
continue to suffer under a system that just doesn’t work.
However, now is not the time for us to take our foot off the
pedal, especially if you think about some of the comments made by Opposition
Leader Tony Abbott not too long ago at the National Press Club in February. His
sentiments were that the NDIS
was only a priority if the budget was in surplus.
More recently this week he has pledged bi-partisan support
for the NDIS, however there are still questions being raised from within his
own cabinet (Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey) around
how the NDIS might be paid for. He
says Australian families will find it really hard to pay for an NDIS.
Really? Are we still trying to win political points over an
issue that boils down to people with disability in this country having their
basic human rights denied?
The Every
Australian Counts campaign has recently changed to a harder hitting message
asking such questions as ‘Which country expects a child to wait more than 2
years for a wheelchair?’ or ‘Which country expects someone to live with only 2
showers a week?’. The answer of course is our country – Australia. The
supposedly lucky country – well it seems only lucky for some.
Perhaps Joe Hockey might like to hit the streets and ask
‘Australian families’ how hard it might be to refuse giving a dollar or two to
a kid who has outgrown their wheelchair. Or refusing a dollar or two to the countless
other desperate situations people with disability and their families face each and
every day of their lives. Surely as Australians we can’t be that selfish, give us more credit
Joe.
So do we really care how we pay for the NDIS? Some things shouldn’t
have a price tag - surely basic human rights are one of these things.
Check out the continuing campaign at www.everyaustraliancounts.com.au
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