Page 2507 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 August 2007
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Of course, the ACT government does not solely fund disability services in our community. Under the Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement, disability investment is a joint responsibility between the ACT and commonwealth governments. Over the past five years the ACT government has contributed 25 per cent more in disability funding than required under the commonwealth state territory disability agreement. By way of an aside, I can remember, when I was the minister for disability services, the fight that the states and territories had with the commonwealth over making sure that the ACT was not disadvantaged in those discussions. I do not lay the blame entirely at the commonwealth’s feet; there are some avaricious states that might hang their heads in shame. However, let me tell you that the biggest barrier to the ACT receiving its full share was the commonwealth government, notwithstanding the delightful Senator Patterson, who was running the case for the commonwealth. Senator Patterson and I actually had a very, very good relationship. She is a wonderful lady, and Australian politics will miss her dearly. I say that quite sincerely.
Mr Mulcahy: She is a nice person.
MR HARGREAVES: She is a very lovely lady. The level of funding provided in this budget is based on a piece of work that has been undertaken around the level of unmet need in our community and the necessity to address some of that unmet need. In the lead-up to the budget, we did a lot of work around prioritising, measuring where we were at and looking at the areas where the money needed to go to. That has been very helpful to date in advocating with the commonwealth regarding the situation the ACT is in.
There is a historical inequity in the Commonwealth State Territory Funding Agreement: we do much worse than other jurisdictions. The ACT is down at the bottom in terms of support from the commonwealth. Where we get 17 cents in the dollar from the commonwealth—and I might highlight this with the shadow Treasurer, in the event that in the year 2085 when they are in government they could actually do something about it.
Mr Mulcahy: Did you say 2008?
MR HARGREAVES: I said 2085. Where we get 17 cents in the dollar from the commonwealth, a jurisdiction like South Australia will get 43 cents in the dollar. We have been arguing that that is unfair. I think the shadow minister for disability services will agree with me here: disability recognises no borders. We should receive the same amount per dollar, regardless of where a young person with a disability resides. It should not matter. We should not receive 17 cents in the dollar for our kids here while in South Australia they receive 43 cents in the dollar. Perhaps we should have the same amount for each of the kids. I am not pointing a finger at anybody; I am just making the point that there is inequity.
If the commonwealth were to match what we are doing, and even if they were to come close to providing what we as a territory government are providing, the benefits to our community would be significant. The government is continuing to negotiate with the commonwealth, and to date those negotiations have been encouraging. The ACT
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