Launceston
E & O E - PROOF ONLY
As Prime Minister, I have been working with the Government, with the disability sector leading our nation towards the creation of DisabilityCare - a new and better way to make sure that we support people with disabilities who today bear burdens of an underfunded and fragmented system.
I want to make sure that for every Australian, they've got the peace of mind that comes with knowing if you ever became in a circumstance yourself where you acquired a disability or someone in your family did, that you would get the support you need.
I've been very determined to create DisabilityCare because I don't want to see any Australian left behind.
We've done a lot of work to create DisabilityCare and to roll it out around the nation, including reaching a new funding agreement with Tasmania today.
Yesterday, I outlined to the nation a plan for funding for DisabilityCare; a plan for long-term funding by increasing the Medicare levy by half a per cent; a plan to ask every Australian to contribute to a scheme from which every Australian benefits because they get peace of mind.
I am very pleased that today the Leader of the Opposition has said that he is prepared to support this plan; that the Leader of the Opposition today has said he is prepared to support an increase in the Medicare levy.
The Leader of the Opposition has changed his mind on this matter and I welcome that change of mind.
And on the basis of that change of mind by the Leader of the Opposition, I will bring to the Parliament the legislation to increase the Medicare levy by half a per cent.
I am pleased that the Leader of the Opposition has made his statement today.
We will continue to get on with building DisabilityCare and I look forward to the launch sites for DisabilityCare coming into operation on 1 July, including the launch site here in Tasmania.
JOURNALIST: Will you agree to all of Tony Abbott's conditions for his support?
PM: I understand that the Leader of the Opposition has raised some matters of detail.
In those areas the Government was already working prior to my announcement about the Medicare levy yesterday.
On the question of savings to support DisabilityCare, we have been outlining long-term savings.
What I've announced with the increase in the Medicare levy would fully fund what we need to do in DisabilityCare over the next five years.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
PM: As I've remarked on more than one occasion, we dealt with these questions in the Parliament when we passed the legislation to start up DisabilityCare; so that legislation has been to the Parliament.
Mr Abbott had an opportunity to read it then. It was supported by everybody in the Parliament.
There are obviously some matters of detail that Mr Abbott raises, but they are the kinds of things on which we've been working for some time now and were working well prior to yesterday's announcement.
JOURNALIST: Will you agree to all elements of the NDIS needed for the launch being legislated in the current Parliament?
PM: We've legislated for DisabilityCare. It passed the Parliament unanimously, so that's done. It's already done.
What we need to do now on the basis that the Leader of the Opposition has changed his mind and indicated that he is prepared to support an increase in the Medicare levy is bring to the Parliament the legislation for the Medicare levy.
There are regulations and things to be made under the legislation we've already passed.
Of course the Government has been working on those and has been for some time and was prior to yesterday's announcement.
JOURNALIST: When would the increase in the levy coming in?
PM: As I announced when I first spoke about this matter, on 1 July 2014.
JOURNALIST: Do you hope this is the tipping point for the remaining states to come on board?
PM: That's a question for state governments but I do think when we look at what's happened over the last few days, I did announce a plan for funding for DisabilityCare, a half a per cent increase in the Medicare levy and it received widespread community support.
It received support from quarters that people might not have expected like Premier Newman in Queensland.
It received support, I think, because Australians do understand that it is a fair thing for all of us to share in the costs of creating DisabilityCare.
I am pleased that the Leader of the Opposition has formed the view that he is prepared to support an increase in the Medicare levy, too.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned about Mr Abbott referring to the levy as being temporary?
PM: That's a matter for the Leader of the Opposition. I believe that the DisabilityCare system should be here to stay.
It should be here for the long term. That needs to needs to be funded for the long term.
We will have people in our community with disabilities for all time.
I've met some young people today who will live the rest of their lives with disabilities. They will need care and support in 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 years.
That's why DisabilityCare has to be there for the long term and the way of funding it has to also be there for the long term.
Thank you very much.