PRESS RELEASE: THE COST OF DISCRIMINATION

How can decent, ordinary Australians vote to condone discrimination against the Over 65s with disability?
The Gillard Labor government deliberately legislated to ban the Over 65s from being eligible to access the NDIS in 2013 – and the LNP, in government for nine years, have done nothing to remove the discrimination!
It can’t be for reasons of economics because respected modelling* shows that every $1 invested in the NDIS is returning $2.25 to the Australian economy. Such a multiplier effect would mean that the economic contribution of the NDIS in 2020-2021 is around $52.4 billion.
While the Productivity Commission, upon whose recommendations the NDIS was built also made it clear; “ From an economic perspective, the benefits of the NDIS will exceed the costs.”
This is because spending on the NDIS is not simply a cost on one side of a ledger; it is also a critical component of the service economy, directly creating tens of thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity, producing vast positive spill overs.
In this election, neither Labor or the LNP have yet made commitments to address the discrimination, leaving seniors and people with disability over 65 and their families with the worst possible outcome … they have removed their hope.
The Aged Care Royal Commission saw the discrimination and provided the solution in its Recommendation 72, which is supported by many Independents and the Greens.
Australians thought its parliament had removed discrimination against its citizens when they gave First Nation’s people the right to vote in 1962.
Would somebody remind the political leaders?
Disability Doesn’t Discriminate but the Government does. Join the campaign to end age discrimination, go to: https://disabilitydoesntdiscriminate.com.au/

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: National Campaign Manager, Mr David Margan 0407 637 181 (email [email protected]).
More information: * “Per Capita” research report ‘False Economy’ – National Disability Services website
Recommendation 72: Equity for people with disability receiving aged care
By 1 July 2024, every person receiving aged care who is living with disability, regardless of when acquired, should receive through the aged care program daily living supports and outcomes (including assistive technologies, aids and equipment) equivalent to those that would be available under the National Disability Insurance Scheme to a person under the age of 65 years with the same or substantially similar conditions.