2nd Mar 2017, 10:12 AM – Representatives National Disability Insurance Scheme Savings Fund Special Account Bill 2016 - Second Reading - Don't agree with bill's main idea

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Labor Party MP Jenny Macklin, which means it was unsuccessful.

The motion called for the House of Representatives to not agree with the bill's main idea. In parliamentary jargon, the motion asked for the House to not give the bill a second reading.

What is the bill's main idea?

The bill creates a special account to fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). According to ABC News, part of the $2.1 billion expected to fill the special account will come from a "crack down on the Disability Support Pension and cut[ting] off carbon tax compensation for all new welfare recipients". The Government argued that this special account is necessary because the NDIS is currently only partially funded.

But the Opposition disagrees, arguing that the NDIS is in fact fully funded and so this special account is unnecessary. They also questioned the Government's motivation for creating the account at all.

Read more about the bill in its bills digest and on ABC News.

Motion text

That all the words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"the House declines to give the bill a second reading because:

(1) the National Disability Insurance Scheme was fully funded when Labor left office;

(2) this bill is nothing more than an attempt by the Government to use the National Disability Insurance Scheme to justify further cruel cuts to the most vulnerable in our community; and

(3) this Bill has unnecessarily caused significant concern in the disability community and threatened community confidence in the future of the National Disability Insurance Scheme—a scheme that Labor created and which will help hundreds of thousands of people with a disability when fully rolled out."