Source: Office of the Federal Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Hon. Mal Brough

Media Release
MAL BROUGH MP
Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs

Tuesday, 12 June 2007

States delaying much needed support for disabled
Minister for Families , Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Mal Brough, today slammed states and the Northern Territory for delaying a new Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA.)

"I made a very generous offer at the last meeting of Ministers, to match states funding for unmet need for supported accommodation and respite dollar-for-dollar, subject to states quantifying their unmet need," Mr Brough said.

"Yet, two months later the states have not been able to respond positively.

"This is a very poor reflection on their commitment to some of the most vulnerable and needy people in our community.

"To date, the best the states have been able to come up with is that `work is being undertaken' to determine their own capacity to contribute to meeting unmet need.

"Even though most states have now delivered their state budgets and my offer has been on the table since April 3, no state has provided funds to match the Howard Government commitment.

"After years of complaining about lack of funding and constant demands for more, it is incredible that the states cannot immediately quantify the need within their own states.

"I congratulate the Australian Capital Territory Government, which has put a proposal to me for addressing unmet need in the ACT."

Mr Brough said he had already made a commitment to continuing the current CSTDA, with indexation, beyond June 30 this year , if a new agreement is not in place.

Attached: States letter to Minister Brough

Minister Brough's response to the states

The Hon Warren Pitt MP
Minister for Disability Services
GPO Box 806
BRISBANE QLD 4001

Dear Minister

I am responding to your letter of 7 June, which I received via fax late yesterday afternoon.

I can only say that I am extremely disappointed that, after two months in which you have had the time to consider my offer of matched funding to address unmet need, your letter fails to address that issue in any way. I indicated clearly at the Ministerial meeting on 3 April that I was prepared to match State and Territory contributions on a dollar for dollar basis, and that I looked forward to receiving indications of the States' willingness to contribute to this important area of disability services.

It is equally disappointing that, with the delivery of recent State and Territory Budgets, there is little evidence of efforts to address the issue of unmet need. In only one instance is there a specific link between additional funding and my offer.

My reading of your letter is that the States and the Northern Territory are only prepared to give an indication, by 30 June, of a possible response to my offer. This falls a long way short of what I had explicitly sought - your joint commitment to share with the Commonwealth a contribution toward meeting the cost of unmet need for supported accommodation and respite care services.

I seek your urgent response to this letter with explicit advice as to the detailed plan and costings by your State/Territory to share with the Commonwealth in the financial cost of addressing this aspect of disability services.

As over two months have elapsed since I submitted my offer I also now require your firm commitment to specific
targets for additional supported accommodation and respite care as well as a firm dollar figure as evidence of your willingness to contribute to the wellbeing of the most vulnerable in our community.

Yours sincerely

MAL BROUGH

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Minister Brough

Thank you for your recent letter regarding the Commonwealth's offer for the next Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA).

While your offer of funding for additional supported accommodation and respite to address unmet need is welcomed, we remained concerned at the lack of offer in relation to the Commonwealth 's contribution to base funding, which has been eroded over the life of the current CSTDA, as a result of inadequate Commonwealth
indexation.

States and Territories acknowledge the importance of priorities in relation to transparency and accountability, service quality, unmet need and Indigenous access, and agree that these should be included in the national priorities to be identified in a new multilateral agreement.

Work is being undertaken to determine State and Territory capacity to contribute matching funding in response to your offer. As some States and Territories have prepared and locked in forward estimates as part of the budgetary cycle, it is considered these States and Territories should not be disadvantaged simply because of a timing issue .

It is expected that proposals reflecting the results of this work will be provided to you by the end of June.

State and Territory Governments continue to be committed to the delivery of quality specialist services for the benefit of people with a disability and their families and carers, and to an early resolution of the issues that have arisen in negotiations for a fourth CSTDA.

We are aware that you have offered to extend the current CST13A arrangements beyond 30 June 2007, including the continuation of Indexation. We support this approach on the understanding that we continue to work together to reach agreement on the next CSTDA which, we anticipate will be at our July CDSMC meeting.

State and Territory Governments are concerned to ensure that there is no uncertainty for individuals and families during this time regarding access to existing services. A variation agreement will provide for the CSTDA to continue in force and permit the ongoing delivery of specialist disability services without disadvantage to people with a disability; while negotiations proceed.

Yours sincerely

The Hon Kristina Keneally MP Minister for Ageing Minister for Disability Services New South Wales

The Hon Sheila McHale MLA Minister for Disability Services Minister for Tourism, Minister for Culture and the Arts Minister for Consumer Protection Western Australia

The Hon Delia Lawrie MLA Minister for Families & Community Services Northern Territory

The Hon Warren Pitt MP Minister for Communities Minister for Disability Services, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Minister for Seniors and Youth Queensland

The Hon Gavin Jennings MCL Minister for Community Services Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Victoria

The Hon Lara Giddings Minister for Health Minister for Human Services Tasmania

The Hon Jay Weatherill MLC Minister for Families and Communities Minister for Aboriginal Affairs & Reconciliation, Minister for Housing Minister for Ageing Minister for Disability South Australia