Minister refuses to commit to funding the Ageing and Disability Commission

After it was revealed in September by the Ageing and Disability Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald that the Ageing and Disability commission has suffered from a 60% budget cut Abigail has asked the Minister for Disability Services how they intend to restore funding back to the indicative budget of $29 million.

The Minister refused to answer the question, as other Ministers closed ranks to shut the question down.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: My question is directed to the Minister for Families and Communities, and Minister for Disability Services. Given that the Ageing and Disability Commission is chronically underfunded and will be unable to fulfil its statutory functions next financial year under its current projected budget, as revealed by the commissioner during the recent budget estimates hearings, what actions has the Minister taken since budget estimates to secure the funding that the commission needs to function in the manner intended by this Parliament when it passed the enabling legislation?

The Hon. NATASHA MACLAREN-JONES (Minister for Families and Communities, and Minister for Disability Services) (16:26): I thank the honourable member for her question. As explained at budget estimates, the commissioner has the funds required to continue his requirements and his statutory responsibilities for the next financial year. We will be working with him to move forward into future budgets.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: I ask a supplementary question. Will the Minister elucidate how her answer responds directly to the question as to what actions she has taken since budget estimates to secure that funding?

The Hon. Damien Tudehope: Point of order: To use the word "elucidate" does not mean the question is in order. The supplementary question reframed the previous question, which the Minister has answered.

The PRESIDENT: The question did not seek an elucidation of the answer of the Minister. In that regard, I rule it out of order.

TAX SUPERPROFITS TO PAY WORKERS MORE

NSW is missing out on tens of billions of dollars. By introducing a progressive coal royalty structure similar to the one in Queensland, we would have raised an extra $20 billion last year.

The NSW Government owns and controls, on behalf of the people of this state, the rights to the minerals and materials that naturally occur in NSW land.

Huge fossil fuel companies are only able to extract and sell these commodities with the consent of the State. It’s time they paid a fair price for that privilege.

The fossil fuel industry has made hundreds of billions of dollars out of their cosy relationship with governments. Granted permission to extract and sell coal, these large multinational fossil fuel corporations pay just over 7% in royalties back to the people of NSW – keeping the rest as mega-profits for themselves. These companies have a track record of taking more than their fair share and leaving communities suffering and stranded with poisoned groundwater, devastated landscapes and a stranded workforce when it suits their business models.

Globally, the hyper-inflation of fossil fuel prices driven by price-gouging opportunism and war profiteering from Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has delivered record windfall profits to these already obscenely wealthy corporations. In the last year, NSW coal exports totaled over $70 billion dollars, but the people of NSW will only see about 7 cents in every dollar, or about $6 billion dollars of that amount.

Rather than going toward schools, hospitals and public infrastructure, billions of dollars went into the pockets of multinational mining corporations. The Greens believe there should be more money for schools and hospitals and less for mining billionaires.

Sign our petition calling on the NSW Labor Government to increase coal royalties to invest in communities.

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Minister refuses to commit to funding the Ageing and Disability Commission

TAX SUPERPROFITS TO PAY WORKERS MORE

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