Rudd Government puts disability services in ‘too hard basket’.

The Rudd Government is giving up on Australians with a disability, with a proposal to transfer responsibility of all disability services to the states and territories, Coalition spokesman for Disabilities, Senator Cory Bernardi claims.

Senator Bernardi said the Rudd Government was abandoning those who are amongst the most vulnerable in society, by shifting responsibility to the state and territory Labor governments.

“It defies belief that the very states and territories that have stalled negotiations of the Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) for more than a year, are now going to have complete control of all services,” Senator Bernardi said.

“The Coalition Government had to step in and provide $1.8 billion in new funding over five years because of the failure of the state and territory Labor governments to adequately fund disability services.

Now, Kevin Rudd is giving up and putting disability services in the ‘too hard basket’.

 “Someone needs to be held accountable for the delivery of disability services. Kevin Rudd said during the election that the buck stops with him, yet now he is proposing to shift that accountability to the states and territories.

“People with a disability and their carers deserve better.”