Jenny Macklin's lead role in developing the National Disability Insurance Scheme is amplified in today's Cabinet re-shuffle. In addition to her role as Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, she will take on the title of Minister for Disability Reform.
Bill Shorten has been promoted to Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. He retains Financial Services and responsibility for the National Injury Insurance Scheme.
The Prime Minister has also announced that the Minister for Social Inclusion, Tanya Plibersek, becomes the new Health Minister and that Mark Butler expands his Mental Health and Ageing portfolio to become the Minister for Social Inclusion. The Minister for Social Inclusion has a key role in developing and implementing the Government's not-for-profit reforms.
Earlier this month the Prime Minister announced the formation of a new agency to lead the Commonwealth's work in designing the NDIS. The agency, which will be based in Jenny Macklin's department, will oversee projects that help prepare the disability sector for the NDIS. $10 million has been allocated to fund such projects. An example might be a project that assists service providers to adapt their business model to individually-attached funding. The new Commonwealth agency will utilise expertise among State and Territory officials. NDS awaits further information on the structure of the new agency and the guidelines for the new funding.
The ALP National Conference, at which the Prime Minister announced the agency, endorsed a motion to support the NDIS in the ALP's platform. The Liberal Party and the Nationals passed similar motions of support at their national conferences earlier in the year. These are welcome developments.
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What can be made from the fact that Bill Shorten has moved with NIIS but left behind NDIS?
ReplyDeleteThe rumours are that the size of the finance involved - $6,200,000,000 p.a. - makes this a near political impossibility.
Does the Opposition's bipartisan support of the $10M spend to review if, when & how to invest the $6.2B mean that both sides of politics will not give their unconditional support to fixing the financing of disability?
Time to lie down in front of the bulldozers again? Remember: "if I fall off a ladder put me in a car and smash that into a wall" - at least that way compulsory third party insurance will cover the costs.