JENNY MACKLIN MP SHADOW MINISTER FOR FAMILIES & PAYMENTS SHADOW MINISTER FOR DISABILITY REFORM MEMBER FOR

JAGAJAGA
MEDIA RELEASE ABBOTT MUST GUARANTEE NO CUTS, NO DELAYS TO THE NDIS Tony Abbott must immediately give an iron clad promise that he will not cut or delay the NDIS. This week in the Parliament Joe ockey deliberately tried to undermine the NDIS! and by the looks o" it! he is at it again today. The report on the "ront o" today#s Australian is an outrageous re$hash o" the Abbott %overnment#s attempts last month to undermine the NDIS by deliberately misrepresenting the "acts. &uite clearly! this is all part o" Joe this 'ay#s budget. ockey#s strategy to so"ten the ground "or cuts in

People with disability! their carers and "amilies have waited their whole lives "or the NDIS. 'any o" them "ought "or decades "or the NDIS to become a reality. People with disability! their carers and "amilies do not deserve to hear their %overnment constantly try and undermine its success! only months a"ter it began. Already! more than (!)** people with disability are bene"itting "rom the NDIS + plus the many carers and "amilies who are bene"itting! too. Now is not the time "or Tony Abbott to renege on his promise to deliver the NDIS. Now is the time to assure people with disability the NDIS will be delivered in "ull and on time! as promised. The Abbott %overnment owes it to people with disability and all Australians to "ight any moves to undermine or cast doubt on the "uture o" the NDIS. I" the Prime 'inister is as committed to the NDIS as he says he is! he should immediately guarantee there will be no cuts or delays to the NDIS! and tell his senior ministers to get on with the ,ob o" delivering it.

People with disability are counting on him. The "acts The National Disability Insurance Agency#s second -uarterly report! released on ./ 0ebruary! showed some very positive signs. o The report showed that more than (!)** people are already bene"iting "rom the NDIS since it launched last year. o It also showed that people#s individual plans are being "inalised "aster than they were in the "irst -uarter! and at a lower cost. o It reported that participant satis"action with the scheme is very high. The bulk o" the variance in the numbers in the report and the bilateral agreements is in South Australia + it is a matter o" public record that the relevant South Australian department strongly disputes the numbers printed in the report. The report clearly states that e1trapolating the numbers in the report to make assumptions on "ull scheme costs is not possible at this stage. It shows that at December (*./! 23* million o" support had been committed to people currently participating in the scheme! with 24* million to be paid in (*./$.5. The total amount o" "unding allocated in this period is 2.5) million. 6hair o" the NDIS 7oard! 'r 7ruce 7onyhady A'! told A76 8adio National on (( 0ebruary (*.5 that the early costs o" the scheme are particularly a""ected by the "act that people with the most severe and pro"ound disability are being prioritised "irst! as intended9 :It#s important to recognise this is very early days! we#ve ,ust had something like (!;** people come into the scheme. The early costs are particularly a""ected by the nature o" the disabilities o" those people that are coming into the scheme. There#s considerable evidence that many o" the high support clients are coming into the scheme.< ='r 7ruce 7onyhady A'! A76 8adio National! (( 0ebruary (*.5> END MEDIA CONTACT CATHERINE CHARLESON 0419 987 947 9 MARCH 014