Thu, 15th May 2008

Much ado about nothing

Senator Cory Bernardi
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families & Community Services

The Rudd Government’s ‘working families’ budget featured nothing new and continues Labor’s neglect of people with a disability by handballing responsibility to the states, Coalition spokesperson for disability services, Senator Cory Bernardi said today.

Senator Bernardi said the Rudd Government has shown its contempt for people with a disability by transferring responsibility for spending to the irresponsible Labor State and Territory Governments.

“The transfer of $901 million from the Disability Assistance Package and funding for ageing and older carers to the Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) is an absolute joke considering that only late last week it was discovered that the Minister has extended the current agreement until December,” said Senator Bernardi.

“The CSTDA is a prime example of how irresponsible and neglectful a Labor Government, at any level, can be to those who are amongst the most vulnerable in our society.

“How can the Rudd Government guarantee that the States and Territories will act responsibly with the funding if they can’t even negotiate a new agreement with their federal comrades?

“Minister Jenny Macklin promised to fast-track negotiations for the new CSTDA but has quietly let the agreement negotiations slip off the radar.

“This is disrespectful and a slap in the face not only to those with a disability and their carers, but to the disability providers who rely on the funding for essential services.

“The Rudd Government has now provided nearly a billion dollars in funding on a silver platter to their state buddies to pick through at leisure.

“This inexperienced government will be powerless to stop the $1 billion in funding from being wasted due to the neglect and failure of the State and Territory Labor Governments.”