Page 2608 - Week 09 - Thursday, 16 September 2021
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I will not go into details for travelling arrangements for detainees across the city or interstate. It is a matter for the security of operations of the AMC and the security and safety of their staff as well. I can say, of course, that there were arrangements that have changed because of the COVID situation. I believe that the AMC has done an extremely good job and acting commissioner—
Mrs Jones: A point of order, Madam Speaker. On relevance, is the minister genuinely not able to tell us how he moves people from here to Jervis Bay?
MADAM SPEAKER: I think the inference in that was around security concerns and he was not going to go into detail. I could be paraphrasing you, Minister—
MR GENTLEMAN: Yes, they move them by vehicles.
Minister for Disability—COVID-19 response
MR MILLIGAN: My question is to the Minister for Disability. Minister, the lockdown began at 5 pm on Thursday, 12 August. You wrote to the federal Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme on the 27 August asking for “urgent assistance” for Canberra’s disability sector, which was particularly vulnerable during this lockdown. The letter was sent to the wrong address. Minister, why did it take you over two weeks to advocate on behalf of these vulnerable Canberrans?
MS DAVIDSON: I thank Mr Milligan for the question. I would like to start by acknowledging the incredible work that is being done by people in the disability sector and in the disability community to share information with each other and support each other during a very difficult time. It has been very challenging for everyone. In regard to supports from the NDIA, I had a conversation with the federal minister on the day that the first cases were discussed in the media conference, and expressed to her the need for support. Conversations then continued between various officers.
There were several requests made to the NDIA for support, about which we had not received a lot of response. We eventually resorted to contacting the federal minister directly to ask for some help, which has resulted in some assistance now being provided. It would, however, have been really helpful if the level of assistance that we were able to access in the ACT through the NDIA was more closely aligned with the level of assistance that is being provided to New South Wales. That would have been very helpful for the sector here, particularly in regard to additional funding for NDIS providers, who are having to manage workforce shortages because of close contacts being in quarantine as well as the additional PPE requirements. But, yes, we have been working on trying to get more support from the NDIA.
MR MILLIGAN: Minister, how long was this vital federal assistance delayed because you sent correspondence to the wrong address?
MS DAVIDSON: I do not believe it is sending something to the wrong address if you send it directly to the federal minister’s email address which is correct. Whether they have the right business processes in place to pass that on is another matter. In any case,
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