Oye! News from Australia

Gillard declares three sites for disability scheme

Category: Australia Published on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 15:57 Written by Maaria Adam

The Prime Minister Julia Gillard declared today that the federal government has done an agreement with Labor states South Australia and Tasmania, and with the ACT, to initiate the NDIS. She and conservative state premiers have failed to strike a deal on the opening of a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

At Parliament House, the NDIS was the main topic at today’s Council of Australian Governments meeting. The conservative states had threatened to ruin next year’s planned opening of the NDIS unless the Prime Minister considerably improved her original offer of $1 billion over four years.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said New South Wales and Victoria had only offered modest amounts of additional funds to get a site ($70 million and $30 million respectively). She said, "I want to see the national roll out, but when we do that we know we will be doing it right because we have this experience in these launch sites," "But I am disappointed that we didn't get to an arrangement (with other states) today."

Mr. O'Farrell and Mr. Baillieu tried to insist Ms. Gillard to increase her offer of $1 billion over four years to open the NDIS at four sites, starting next year. NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said he still believed the Federal Government should fund the whole scheme. He said, "There was no way today I was going to short-change people with disabilities." Ms. Gillard said the other states could still come back to her with a bid for trial sites before the next COAG meeting.

 

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