Premier

Scott Morrison Fails Victorians With A Disability To Boost His Bottom Line

02 April 2019

Victorians living with a disability and their families have been used like pawns by a Liberal Prime Minister desperate to prop up his pre-election Budget line, last night’s Federal Budget shows.

Time and time again, Victoria has called on Scott Morrison and the Federal Liberals to properly fund NDIS providers, but for years they’ve refused – sending hard working providers to the wall, a reduction of services and market failure.

They have also delayed nearly 20,000 Victorians from accessing the NDIS to receive the support they deserve and promised under the NDIS – creating unfair stress on individuals, carers and families.

Scott Morrison’s Budget lays bare the Liberals’ botched implementation of the NDIS, with the Budget revealing a $1.6 billion underspend for 2019-2020 as part of a desperate attempt to deliver a Budget surplus.

These are funds which should have been used to ensure they had met their own targets in the number of Victorians accessing the NDIS, ensure there are proper pathways for complex needs clients and ensuring transport is properly funded in people’s plans.

Victoria will not sign up to an NDIS funding agreement with the Commonwealth if Scott Morrison and the Federal Liberals won’t pay their fair share.

While the Labor Government is investing $2.5 billion in 2019/20 towards the NDIS, the Federal Liberals are going to whatever lengths necessary to keep their contribution secret.

It’s just another reason why you can’t trust the Federal Liberals when it comes to funding the NDIS, and we need an independent pricing model to ensure the states and the Commonwealth pay their fair share.

The budget papers also confirm the Morrison Minority Government is withholding $1.1 billion in DCAF funding that was meant to reimburse Victoria as we transition to the NDIS.

Scott Morrison is also short-changing seniors, with more than 28,000 elderly Victorians waiting for their home support packages, and more than 121,000 nationwide. The Budget confirms no new money, with their paltry extra 10,000 packages nationwide already announced back in February.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Ageing, Disability and Carers Luke Donnellan

“Scott Morrison’s dud budget confirms what we’ve long suspected – the Liberals are short-changing people with a disability to prop up their budget bottom line.”

“Time and time again we’ve called on Canberra to properly fund NDIS providers and they’re delaying thousands of Victorians from accessing the NDIS so they can bank the savings in a desperate attempt to deliver a surplus.”

“This is fraud, and it’s vulnerable Victorians and their families who are paying the price. Scott Morrison and the Federal Liberals have botched the NDIS from the get go.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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