NDIS savings redirected to aged care
Tom McIlroy
The health minister, Mark Butler, will detail savings from the NDIS on Wednesday, and reveal that some of the savings will go to help older Australians with the provision of essential services like showering, dressing support and continence management.
Labor is winding back elements of its aged care reforms, removing out-of-pocket costs for non clinical services in the Support at Home scheme.
The government has faced criticism from advocates for elderly people, experts and aged care providers, who said these personal care services are essential for people’s independence and ability to stay at home.
The minister for aged care, Sam Rae, said the changes will be effective from 1 October this year.
double quotation mark Showering, dressing, continence care – these aren’t optional extras. They’re the basics of ageing with dignity, and no older Australian should miss out because of cost.Older Australians, their families and providers told us these services needed to be protected. We’ve listened, and we’re acting.
Key events
Thousands of traffic fines linked to AI cameras withdrawn in WA
Officials in Western Australia have withdrawn thousands of AI-camera traffic fines for seatbelt misuse in the six months since the technology went live in the nation’s largest state, Australian Associated Press reports, but the government will press ahead with more of the controversialk devices.
More than 53,000 seatbelt infringements worth more than $29m have been issued to Western Australian drivers since the cameras went live in early October.
The state’s transport department has withdrawn about 2,050 of those, meaning about $1m in fines have been waived.
But WA police and road safety minister, Reece Whitby, told ABC Radio yesterday that the cameras were saving lives and the system was working.
double quotation mark These new safety cameras have actually changed (driver) behaviour … on our roads. We’re seeing offences being picked up at a scale we’ve not seen before because the cameras actually look down into the (vehicle) cabin. That’s a good thing.
Less than 4% of all seatbelt fines issued had been withdrawn, he said, and the vast majority of fines are accurate.
A total of 3,381 fines were appealed and about 60% of those were cancelled.
Drivers are unhappy about the cameras with some caught multiple times for the same offence.
The road safety commissioner would conduct a review of all infringements issued across the state, Whitby said, but AI-traffic cameras would continue to be rolled out.
Greens say community has ‘no confidence’ proposed savings from NDIS will help disabled Australians
Jordon Steele-John, the Greens’ spokesperson for disability inclusion, said there is “no confidence” in the community regarding proposed savings from the NDIS, set to be revealed by health minister Mark Butler today.
Steele-John told RN Breakfast this morning:
double quotation mark People cannot understand, quite rightly, in my opinion, why a government facing a budget, which is ultimately always about choices, would choose to cut their services rather than make the gas exporters pay their fair share of tax, tax Gina Rinehart or Clive Palmer a bit more, or maybe … buy one fewer submarine from Donald Trump rather than take away their ability to connect with their community or get the absolute basics they need to live.
Steele-John went on to say disabled people and their families are “sick of being used as political footballs”.
double quotation mark We’re in a situation right now where the state government is saying we cost too much. The federal government is saying we cost too much. And in the middle are disabled people and our families who will end up receiving less services and support. We will end up without the supports that we need to live.
And while we’re on the subject of a tax on gas exports, check out more on the views coming out of Labor’s environment action network (Lean).
Pocock calls for government to put ‘Australians ahead of gas companies’
Jordyn Beazley
Independent senator David Pocock has said a 25% tax on gas exports is not a “radical idea”, and has urged the government to put “Australians ahead of gas companies”.
Speaking on ABC’s 7.30 last night, Pocock said:
double quotation mark We’re one of the biggest gas exporters in the world, and yet we feel poor every time gas prices go up internationally. And then we look at Norway, and they’ve got a $3tn sovereign wealth fund. Australians know that this just comes down to political leadership, political courage, to actually put Australians ahead of the gas company.
Pocock said he is not “demonising the gas industry”, adding that “we need this industry for the transition” to renewable energy. He said:
double quotation mark This is gas that belongs to all Australians. And a 25% gas export tax would not only raise $17bn in a normal year, probably far more, when we see the kind of windfall profits that we’re likely to see, but it would actually reduce the price of gas for Australian manufacturers, businesses and households, and that is a very good thing at the moment.
NDIS savings redirected to aged care
Tom McIlroy
The health minister, Mark Butler, will detail savings from the NDIS on Wednesday, and reveal that some of the savings will go to help older Australians with the provision of essential services like showering, dressing support and continence management.
Labor is winding back elements of its aged care reforms, removing out-of-pocket costs for non clinical services in the Support at Home scheme.
The government has faced criticism from advocates for elderly people, experts and aged care providers, who said these personal care services are essential for people’s independence and ability to stay at home.
The minister for aged care, Sam Rae, said the changes will be effective from 1 October this year.
double quotation mark Showering, dressing, continence care – these aren’t optional extras. They’re the basics of ageing with dignity, and no older Australian should miss out because of cost.Older Australians, their families and providers told us these services needed to be protected. We’ve listened, and we’re acting.
Fourth man charged over alleged kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian
NSW police have charged a fourth man over the alleged kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian.
The 85-year-old disappeared from his North Ryde home on 13 February and his remains were found on 24 February near a golf club in Pitt Town.
Police do not believe he was the intended target of the kidnapping but was taken in a case of mistaken identity.
Three people have already been charged with Baghsarian’s murder.
In a statement issued early Wednesday morning, police said they arrested a 19-year-old man on Tuesday morning at Mt Druitt police station.
He was charged with murder and take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasion actual bodily harm.
The man was refused bail to appear in Mt Druitt local court today.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Nick Visser will be your guide through the morning.
Today the health minister, Mark Butler, will detail major changes to the NDIS including significant funding “savings”. The government says the savings, in part, from the national disability insurance scheme will go to funding improved aged care including showering and dressing.
And there has been a development in the case of the alleged kidnapping and murder of 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian earlier this year, with a fourth man arrested and charged.
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