Labor late to repair NDIS, aged care mess of their own making - Media Release
Labor’s changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and aged care funding yet again show the Prime Minister is always the last to act after community outcry, Member for Mallee and Shadow Minister for Regional Health Dr Anne Webster said today.
“Almost four years ago to the day, the then Albanese Labor Opposition promised to ‘crack down on the fringe-dwelling unregistered cowboys ripping people off, … criminality and fraud’ in the NDIS, and to appoint a senior position to ensure regional service failures were addressed. They have done neither for four years,” Dr Webster said.
“Worse still, when the Gillard Labor Government introduced an NDIS they designed to be open to dramatic expansion from the start.
“When the Coalition, in Government, sought to bring the NDIS’ snowballing cost under control, Labor blocked us. Now they have some hide to now claim they’re fixing the problem!
“Minister Butler’s announcement on Wednesday sent 760,000 Australians living with disability and their families into panic that they might get knocked out of the NDIS.”
Meanwhile, Australians over 65 will potentially be taxed hundreds of dollars more annually as Labor axes a Coalition-era private health insurance rebate. Some older Australians will have to keep making a $50 an hour copayment for home care showering, dressing or incontinence assistance until October.
“The Albanese Government are both heartless and hypocritical. Labor brag that they cut taxes, but are taxing older Australians to pay for Wednesday’s policy changes. Cuts to private health incentives will only add to the burden on our desperately stretched public health system, perhaps seeing as many as 60,000 older Australians left with no choice but to drop their private health cover, during a cost-of-living and fuel supply crisis,” Dr Webster said.
“Labor attacked the former Coalition Government for a modest co-payment policy, but have been taking exorbitant $50 per hour copayments from older Australians for personal care.
“The Albanese Government has belatedly acted after four long years on their policy failures this week, targeting older Australians for the bill – it is disgraceful.”
