Newman Government still refuses to stand up for disabled Queenslanders

Media Release 

The Newman Government remains consistent in its callous disregard for disabled Queenslanders by refusing to follow the lead of NSW which today agreed to fund the National Insurance Disability Scheme.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Federal and NSW Governments had today reached historic agreement for the roll out of an NDIS in that state, with each government committing in excess of $3 billion for the initiative.

“But while his counterparts and colleagues in NSW are getting on with the job and doing the right thing, the Queensland Premier still has his head in the sand,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“This Premier just refuses to acknowledge the critical importance of this trial and instead cries poor.

“But while he is crying poor, he has managed to come up with the funds to launch his pet project – in fact the only new infrastructure project in the whole state – and that’s his shiny new Executive Building in the Brisbane CBD to house himself and his Ministers.”

Ms Palaszczuk said the NSW agreement was in addition to trials being established in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT.

Shadow Disability Services Minister Desley Scott said Mr Newman would represent one of the only states to not agree to funding when he fronted tomorrow’s COAG meeting with other State Premiers.

“That makes us a national embarrassment – even the Federal Opposition Leader supports the NDIS,” Mrs Scott said.

“The Queensland NDIS trial would cost about $26 million over three years – that’s 0.06 per cent of the State Budget of $47 billion.

“The Queensland NDIS trial would help Queenslanders with a disability overcome significant obstacles and go a long way toward giving thousands of families an improved quality of life.

“Funding this trial is fundamentally the right thing to do.

“But Queenslanders have very quickly become accustomed to a government that simply refuses to do the right thing.”