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[Opening music]
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] I'm Margherita Coppolino.
I'm the current Chair of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations.
We are one of three organisations that are part of the alliance,
in partnership with Carers Australia and the National Disability Services.
We're here today interviewing Minister Fifield.
Welcome, Minister.
[MITCH FIFIELD:] Great to be here.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] Minister, I know your background,
because we've met on numerous occasions
before the election and after the election.
A lot of people out there don't know a lot about you,
so this is an opportunity for them to find out more about you.
So can you just tell us, what was your experience
of people with disabilities and the disability sector
before you became a shadow minister?
[MITCH FIFIELD:] I think I was pretty typical of people
who have taken on front bench responsibility for disabilities
in not having had a great exposure to people with disability.
I didn't have, at that time a close friend or a family member with disability,
so I had been operating on the assumption that because we live in a wealthy country
and we pay our taxes that if you had a disability
you'd get the support that you need.
Obviously I was wrong.
That wasn't the case.
And the scales literally fell from my eyes as I realised
that the system for people with disability is one that is based on rationing
and queuing and it became apparent pretty quickly that there
had to be a better way.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] Why do you think Prime Minister Abbott gave you this portfolio in this government?
[MITCH FIFIELD:] I think the Prime Minister was keen to ensure that there was maximum continuity
moving from opposition to government,
that I had learnt a lot as the shadow for disability
and there was the opportunity to use that knowledge and that experience in government.
I think the Prime Minister also formed the view that it was particularly important
as we implement the NDIS that there be continuity and that there be someone
in the role of minister who knows what the issues are.
I think he has got confidence in me to deliver.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] And, look, in the disability sector
we were really pleased that there was continuity.
How has the role and your responsibilities changed
as you've moved from the shadow ministry to the new minister?
[MITCH FIFIELD:] When you're in opposition
you're a commentator to some extent and also an advocate.
In government you're still an advocate, as the minister for disabilities,
but you move on to actually being a decision maker
and someone who has responsibility.
I've got to say, once you're sworn in and you formally have that responsibility
it's actually quite daunting.
It's exciting, but it's also daunting because I know that there are so many
Australians with disability who deserve a better deal
and in large part the realisation of that deal falls upon my shoulders.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] Tell us, how would your approach
to the NDIS differ to the previous government?
People really want to know this one. So...
[MITCH FIFIELD:] Well, I think one of the great things
over the last three or four years is that there has been a great deal
of bipartisanship around the NDIS and disability policy more broadly.
People with disability and their families understandably
have a pretty low threshold when it comes to partisan point scoring.
They just want us to get on with the job of fixing things.
One of the things we're going to do is to put in place a joint parliamentary
committee to oversee the implementation of the NDIS,
to ensure that there is a forum where questions about design
of the scheme can be raised by members of parliament
in a way that's not seen to be partisan.
I think that's important to help make the scheme the best that it can be.
I want to see a continuation of the bipartisan approach
so that we can have everyone put their heads together
in a cooperative environment to see the NDIS be the best that it can be.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] Having just said that, what do you think
are some of the biggest challenges that the NDIS will face in coming years?
[MITCH FIFIELD:] One of the biggest challenges is expectations.
There is a varying degree of understanding of what the NDIS is and who it will support.
Some people have the view that the NDIS will provide direct supports
for all Australians with disability.
As you know, it's primarily aimed at providing direct support
to about 460,000 Australians with significant disability.
So I think we've got to be realistic when we talk about the NDIS,
and government has to be very factual.
So when we talk about the NDIS, our language should be unadorned
and we should make very clear
what the NDIS will do and what the NDIS won't do.
Because the NDIS won't be doing and can't do everything
we have to continue to talk about the National Disability Strategy
and the need for all levels of government and also the private sector
and the not‑for‑profit sector to continue to play their part
in making sure that we live in a community that is accepting
and accessible and where people with disabilities have opportunity.
The NDIS can't do it all.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] Were you disappointed when you were appointed
into the minister's position, that it was not a cabinet position?
Were you disappointed?
[MITCH FIFIELD:] I was delighted to be appointed
a minister and to have dedicated responsibility for disability.
I think that's the most important thing.
And what I also found and continue to find incredibly heartening
is that Tony Abbott himself has a tremendous commitment to the NDIS
and to Australians with disability.
And one of the ways that he's demonstrated that is over the past two years
he has led the Pollie Pedal charity fundraiser, which has raised
more than a million dollars for Carers Australia,
and along the thousand kilometre route he has met with carers,
people with disabilities and the organisations that support them.
And the next Pollie Pedal will also be raising money for Carers Australia
and again he will be meeting people with disabilities along that route.
So for the Prime Minister, his commitment is more than professional
to people with disabilities. It's personal.
As a minister for disabilities, I couldn't ask for more.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] So would that also help you ensure that
it receives a high level of focus within government?
[MITCH FIFIELD:] Absolutely. When you have the Prime Minister
practically demonstrating his commitment and using that opportunity
that the Pollie Pedal provides to raise the profile
of people with disabilities and carers, that's an incredibly helpful thing.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] Just recently, Morris Iemma's
recent comments described the NDIS as a worthless, reckless funding initiative
caused quite a concern in the disability sector.
I know I was quite concerned when I heard the comment.
What was your reaction to the comments and is this a view shared by the government?
[MITCH FIFIELD:] Look, there are a lot of people
who are concerned about the state of the budget.
But the point I always make is that good and prudent budget management
isn't the enemy of the NDIS and the NDIS isn't the enemy
of good and prudent budget management.
As a government, we're for the NDIS and we're for managing
the finances of the nation well.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] There's some recent speculation
about the future of the NDIS.
It has been in the papers quite a bit, and so it should.
But it may be the subject of parliamentary review
and that Medibank Private may be involved in administering the scheme.
What message have you got for people with disabilities, their family,
their carers about the future of the NDIS?
[MITCH FIFIELD:] Well, my message about the future
of the NDIS is that it's secure and that we are determined
to implement the NDIS in full.
Part of the design of the NDIS, in fact its very heart, is contestability.
And that is that an individual who is assessed gets to take their entitlement
to the service provider of their choice.
Now, there is absolutely nothing to stop an organisation like Medibank Private
or any other body from offering services to people with disability.
We want to see more service providers.
And already in the launch sites there are new service providers,
some that are not‑for‑profits.
Some that are businesses, who are offering themselves.
And there is nothing to stop Medibank Private doing that,
but that's entirely a matter for them.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] There have been some concerns raised
that some states are using the 2019 full NDIS implementation date
as an opportunity to freeze new state funding for disability
funding for the next six years.
Are you concerned by this development?
And do you believe it will cause a backlog in demand?
[MITCH FIFIELD:] Look, I think it's very important for all jurisdictions to honour
and deliver on their responsibilities to Australians with disability.
Moving from the current state based system of disability support
to an NDIS will take time.
The NDIS won't be in place in full nation‑wide until 2019‑20.
So no government should step back from their responsibilities
in anticipation of the NDIS.
Each jurisdiction has to make sure they play their part
until responsibilities are passed to the NDIS.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] Minister, how do you think the lives
of carers of people with disabilities will be impacted by the NDIS?
[MITCH FIFIELD:] Even with an NDIS in place
there is still going to be a very important role for family carers.
And the NDIS certainly doesn't seek to displace the contributions that carers make.
But if people with disability are getting the supports that they need,
then obviously that will make life a little easier for carers,
because at the moment we're expecting carers in many circumstances to do far more
than is reasonable to expect them to do.
So, it will provide assistance to carers, but it's not going to replace carers.
And carers often are in that role because they choose to be,
because they've got a family member or a friend that they want to help.
Sometimes they find themselves in the situation where they're doing more
than they're comfortable doing,
and the NDIS will make their situation a bit easier.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] The final question, Minister: the NDIS
has been described as the biggest social reform of this generation.
I agree. I think it's great. We all think that.
What do you think are the key opportunities for the NDIS in the future?
[MITCH FIFIELD:] For me one of the measures of success
of the NDIS is going to be improving the levels of employment
of people with disability; that if you get the supports that you need
in your daily life you are going to be in
a much better position to consider employment.
And it can come down to some basic things.
If you have a mobility impairment or you might be a paraplegic
and at the moment you may only get some of those personal things that you need
like bathing a couple of times a week, that can make it difficult to put yourself
forward for employment and for job interviews.
So in some very fundamental ways it will make the consideration
of work easier for a lot of people with disability.
So for me, although the NDIS only directly relates to supported employment,
I think it's going to put people in a much better position
to consider open employment as well.
[MARGHERITA COPPOLINO:] Minister Fifield,
thank you very much for your interview today. I've enjoyed it immensely.
[MITCH FIFIELD:] Terrific. Thanks indeed.
[Closing music]
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