NDIS Campaign Presses New Victorian Premier
7 March 2013 at 4:53 pm
The NDIS Every Australian Counts campaign says the change of Premier in Victoria is an opportunity for the state to come to an agreement with the Commonwealth Government on the full roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The campaign is calling on its more than 40,000 supporters across Victoria to email the new Premier, Dr Denis Napthine, asking him to show leadership on disability policy and sign up to the full roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme beyond the already committed to Barwon launch site.
“Mr Napthine has been a strong supporter of the need for the NDIS. He was Community Services Minister in the previous Kennett Government and in that time helped drive some of the early reforms which saw Victoria become a national leader in disability policy,” the Every Australian Counts Campaign Director John Della Bosca said.
“Unfortunately over the last few years Victoria has fallen behind. Now New South Wales is leading the way both on increasing funding to people with disability and in being the first state to sign up to the full roll out of the NDIS.
“The change in Premier in Victoria marks an opportunity to shift from policy nit picking and never ending bureaucratic negotiations around the NDIS to real action.
“Premier Napthine has a deep understanding of disability policy and should lead the negotiations on the full roll out of the scheme in Victoria.
“The disability community wants to see the new Victorian Premier follow his NSW counterpart Premier O’Farrell’s and directly negotiate with Prime Minister Gillard to sign up to the full roll out of the NDIS.”
Recently more than five hundred Victorian Every Australian Counts campaign supporters sent in submissions to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS.
“The Every Australian Counts campaign supporters will be emailing the new Victorian Premier over the next week. I am confident he will listen and act. More than 100,000 Victorians desperately need the NDIS. We are counting on Premier Napthine to be our champion and sign up to the full roll out of the scheme,” John Della Bosca said.
