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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 6 Hansard (16 May) . . Page.. 1706 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

As to local issues: I notice that the ACT Council of Social Service accurately expresses concerns over many of the measures. ACTCOSS makes a good point. They say, "Are we creating a country worth defending?" Why is this federal government looking to the poor, the physically and mentally disabled and the disadvantaged to fund its grandiose fortress Australia policy?

The big issues in the ACT-disability services, improved service for people on low incomes, and affordable housing-do not get any positive impact from the budget.

As the past shadow minister for community services, I am concerned by the changes proposed to the disability support pension. Other members have expressed their concern this morning. The changes show the distance of the current federal government from what is really happening in disadvantaged areas around Australia.

The change to reduce the work criterion from 30 hours a week to 15 is very difficult. It had to be achieved by altering the definition of work for the purpose of DSP in the Social Security Act. There are probably other definitions that need changing too. The changes would apply from 1 July 2003 for all new applicants. All continuing DSP holders will progressively be reviewed and some will be forcibly transferred to Newstart.

I do not think the federal government realises that people with disabilities spend a lot more in certain areas-in medication and in support needs-than average citizens. Most people do not have to spend in those areas. I expect everyone in this chamber has heard the accounts of people who, because of their disability, spend more on particular medical support products. This federal government is going to remove people from that pension and put them where not so much money is available to them.

As part of the background propaganda, a disgraceful generalisation is being spread that DSP has been, to quote someone in the federal sphere, an early retirement scheme. That is just mean. Yes, let us have justice, by all means, but let us protect the innocent. In fact, many people on DSP were transferred under government policies. Because Newstart is a completely inadequate an inappropriate scheme of income support, it just has not worked for the federal government.

More people with disabilities will now have the activity test applied to them. That was shown to be a serious problem in the recent independent breaches inquiry. This will mean is that we will probably see lots of breaches, and the disadvantaged will become even more disadvantaged.

The changes to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme will mean that changes for basic medications will impose undue hardship on families living on low incomes. The ACT's rapidly ageing population will find this increase alarming.

I share the concerns already expressed by the Chief Minister that, given the issues identified by the Gallop report, there has been no real increase in funding for the Commonwealth-State Disability Agreement. The ACT will again be left to pick up the Commonwealth's share of the cost of addressing the rising unmet need.

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