The newly appointed Greens Senator for Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson, dropped in at Byron Bay and met with Jan and a number of other locals.

You can read or watch Peter’s inaugural speech to Federal Parliament here:

http://peter-whish-wilson.greensmps.org.au/content/speeches/senator-peter-whish-wilsons-first-speech-senate

The NSW Greens spokesperson for Disability Services,  Jan Barham is calling on the Premier and the State Government to commit the necessary funding to enable the full implementation of a trial in New South Wales of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The call comes after the Prime Minister announced on Wednesday that an agreement to implement trials of the scheme had been reached with Tasmania, South Australia and the A.C.T but that the NSW State Government had failed to commit the funds necessary to implement the trial proposed for the Hunter region.

“The NSW Government should not be playing politics with some of the state’s most vulnerable people” said Jan Barham. “The NDIS trial is essential for NSW to identify the practical issues for implementation”.

“The NDIS is a ground breaking process for people with disabilities that will provide self determination and dignity for those people and their families”

The proposed trial in NSW would have meant that 10,000 individuals in the Hunter region would have been involved and benefited. But its implementation would require the NSW government to provide $70million in funding over three years – money that Premier Barry O’Farrell says should be coming from the Commonwealth government. Jan Barham says the NDIS should be a top priority and the money should be allocated.

“It’s a great disappointment that the prioritising of funds for this important project are not being made available” said Jan Barham. “NSW will suffer if there isn’t a trial and people with disabilities are right to be disappointed. The recognition of the rights of people with a disability is long overdue and by not progressing the NDIS, this disadvantage is continuing rather than being resolved.”

“Both the State and Commonwealth Governments have indicated a willingness to keep negotiating and I strongly encourage them to do so in a spirit of cooperation and good will to secure an improved living standard for people with a disability in NSW because every Australian counts”.

NDIS Website: www.everyauthraliancounts.com.au
 

Productivity Commission Report into Disability Care and Support (August 10th 2011):
http://www.pc.gov.au/projects/inquiry/disability-support/report/

Jan’s Speeches in Parliament on the NDIS:
(1)   August 23rd 2011 : http://parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20110823043?open&refNavID=HA8_1

(2)   May 3rd 2012: http://parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20120503016?open&refNavID=HA8_1

For Further Comment, please contact Jan Barham directly on 0407 065 061