Australians living with a disability will be returned to the heart of the National Disability and Insurance Scheme, the newly appointed minister promises.
Bill Shorten was sworn in as Minister for the NDIS at Government House on Wednesday.
He was accompanied to the governor-general’s official Canberra residence by scheme participant Cheryl Crilly and her husband Jose Robertson.
A curator at the National Museum of Australia, Ms Crilly has been on the NDIS for six years. She has a spinal-chord injury and is a wheelchair user.
She wants to live in accessible housing with her husband and son, but has been denied home modifications and Specialist Disability Accommodation despite having funding available for it.
The choices Ms Crilly has previously been given by the agency managing the scheme are inaccessible housing or living without her family.
But Mr Shorten vows to restore integrity to the scheme he says was damaged under the previous government.
“Cheryl is on the NDIS and has been seriously mucked around by the agency,” he wrote on Twitter.
“I want to pay respect to people with disability by including them in everything I do.”
Mr Shorten was also appointed as government services minister and will oversee the royal commission into the robodebt scheme.
His appointment to both portfolios was welcomed by the Australian Council of Social Service.
“ACOSS stands ready to work with Bill Shorten on ensuring people with disability have access to the essential services they need and Centrelink is properly resourced to help people when they need income support,” council head Cassandra Goldie said.
