Australia politics live: Kurt Fearnley appointed new NDIA chair; ASX falls after overseas downturn

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The government has tabled its response to the interim royal commission report into defence and veteran suicide.

Matt Keogh gave a ministerial statement as he tabled it:

When a person enlists in the ADF, they are signing up to be something more than themselves – they are signing up to serve their country, to serve the people of Australia.

The rate of veteran suicide in Australia is a national tragedy; it is a rate that is significantly higher than across the general Australian population.

It is devastating that Australia has lost more serving and former serving personnel to suicide over the last 20 years than through operations over the same period in Afghanistan and Iraq.

It is a great tragedy that the Australian government – successive Australian governments – have failed those who have served our nation.

Governments have also failed the families of those people, families who have carried a heavy burden of their own through the pain and suffering they have experienced.

Updated at 23.48 EDT

It is almost question time – so now is a great time to get some lunch or whatever it is that can help you get through

What about adding ADHD to the NDIS?

Bill Shorten:

I have asked the agency to give me more advice about diagnosis with ADHD in terms of eligibility for NDIS. There are tens of thousands of people who are on the scheme who are diagnosed with autism as their primary condition. Neurodivergence is an area where the eligibility requirements are not always clear and they depend on individual circumstances.

Bill Shorten says those who say quality of disability care drops after 65 ‘have a point’

There is a proposed class action against the NDIS excluding people over 65.

Bill Shorten has responded to that for the first time in this press conference:

We haven’t seen the details of the proposed class action so I cannot comment specifically on that.

In terms of the issue that we have, the NDIS for people up to 65, and then a different scheme, aged care, for those over 65. There’s people in the community who say that the quality of disability care after the age of 65 is [inferior] to the quality of disability care before 65.

I think they have a point.

The NDIS was originally set up between 2010 and 2013 to fill what was a gap at that time. As we were campaigning to create the NDIS from 2007 onwards, we saw aspects of the aged care system back then superior to disability care.

Problem is there’s been nine years of coalition government since then, and despite the challenges of the NDIS, the tables have turned a bit.

Aged care and parts of its operation have fallen into a rut and NDIS, despite all the challenges, is still a scheme which looks better for people in aged care than what they have. The scheme was designed [for under] 65. I think there’s a challenge for disability care for people over 65. Whether or not the solution is an NDIS, which would be very expensive, or an improvement to the quality of disability care in aged care, that will be a matter for the whole of the government to talk through.

Updated at 23.33 EDT

Does the new chair of the NDIA have a comment on how it was previously run?

Kurt Fearnley:

I won’t make comment on the previous administration. I will make comment that … trust is critical for the scheme to succeed.

Trust allows people to take risks. Risks is where there’s opportunity. But also this is – the relationship between a participant and a scheme is something that is so important and so – it is allowing them to be them.

I will do everything within my power to engage with the people who I have fought alongside, who I have engaged with, for the last decade, when it came to the advocacy of the scheme.

We’re also bringing not just my voice, but we’re also bringing Maryanne [Diamond] and Graeme [Innes], who bring a depth of experience to the organisation in the board level, whether it be their advocacy role, or Marianne’s experience of working within the NDIS itself.

Look … I always wanted to hear one thing and that is hearing people from this position talk to people with disabilities and say you’re worth it. That everything this – all the bumps and bruises and all the fights and all the hard yards that they are doing, as advocates for themselves and their families, but also – this organisation can be what we believe – can be what we believe it to be. For now, I just need to take a breath.

Get to know the organisation. And to, I guess, with the guys behind me and also Rebecca [Falkingham], sit down and really understand where we’re at and bring with us our hopes of where it can go to.

Updated at 23.32 EDT

Is Kurt Fearnley a participant of the NDIS and what has been his experience with the scheme?

It’s a complicated answer. I am not a participant myself. I remember having conversations with the late Stella Young and we went back and forth about the life I live is a great life.

And the need for services that the NDIS provided, I wanted to be able to advocate for it from the other side of the scheme. Actually I regret that choice. I wish I was a member of the scheme. I do have family within the scheme that I won’t elaborate on too much because that’s their story.

But, as of today, no, I’m not a member – personally I’m not a member of the scheme. That’s the thing about disability – there’s so many, so many stories around disability that will not be members of the scheme, will not be participants of the scheme.

We don’t – we aren’t a cover-all for disability, disability is complex and disability is varied and disability has many, many stories to tell. I have worked in the organisation on the independent advisory council and I have worked on the governing board of a service provider for the last two years as well. But not a participant.

Updated at 23.24 EDT

Kurt Fearnley is speaking on his appointment to the chair of the NDIA:

I’m really excited to take on this role. I think it’s important that the participants of the NDIS get to see themselves in this organisation and trust with the organisation itself is a visceral thing.

The scheme cannot be a success without trust and that is build over a period of time. It’s been eight years since I was an independent advisor throughout the rollout. And being a part of the conversation of lobbying to get the NDIA, the hope within the community of what it would mean to people with disabilities is still there.

It’s filled – that’s one thing I do know about the community of people with disabilities, they are filled with hope.

The scheme itself – I can’t wait to get to know the people within the organisation, to get to know those that are building the NDIA. It’s an honour the minister would see me fit to take on this role. And I can’t wait to join the board with, well, with two other voices behind me, of people with disabilities, who have another fresh take on what this organisation can be.

Updated at 23.17 EDT

Health minister says government preparing for possible new Covid variants

The health minister, Mark Butler, says the government is preparing now to avoid a repeat of last summer’s Covid chaos, with his department taking a number of steps in anticipation of potential new virus variants growing in the northern hemisphere winter,

Butler said the former Coalition government had not prepared enough on rapid tests or vaccination, and was forced into “playing catch-up” as Omicron cases exploded late last year and early this year. He noted the Labor government had expanded eligibility for vaccination booster doses and anti-viral treatments. Butler told a Parliament House press conference this morning:

I’m very committed to making sure we don’t have to play catch-up, in the event there is another wave.

The minister said his department was “working very hard”, outlining extended Covid measures announced last week on support for aged care, vaccines, rapid tests and medical care.

I’m sitting down with my department to make sure we have all the measures in place that are ready to respond to another wave, if and when that occurs.

The minister again urged eligible Australians to get their third or fourth doses of Covid vaccine. He said he expected the Omicron-specific vaccines to be available to Australians in the next few weeks, subject to further testing from health authorities.

The real challenge is for people to take their third dose. There are still well over five million Australians who have gone well over six months since receiving their second dose who have not yet received their third dose.

He added that the Atagi immunisation advisory group would continue to consider expanding access for fourth doses to those under 30.

Updated at 23.13 EDT

The minister for the NDIS, Bill Shorten, is making his announcements on the NDIA:

Australian Paralympic legend and disability advocate Kurt Fearnley has been appointed chairman of the board of the National Disability Insurance Agency.

The NDIA board will also welcome new members Dr Graeme Innes AM and Maryanne Diamond.

There are now five people with disability on the NDIA board, including current board members Leah van Poppel and Meredith Allan, the largest number in its history.

Dr Denis Napthine, formerly chair, will return as a board member.

After an extensive recruitment process, the National Disability Scheme (NDIS) will also have a new chief executive, with Rebecca Falkingham accepting the role.

Falkingham has extensive experience leading departments and major projects in NSW and Victoria. She joins the NDIS after spending several years as the Secretary of the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety in Victoria.

Falkingham will be the first permanent female chief executive of the NDIA.

Updated at 23.31 EDT

Luke Henriques-Gomes has more on the “impossible choices” people receiving jobseeker and youth allowance are forced to make every day.

The government has no plans to change the rate in this budget.

While Australia is pretty close to “full employment”, not everyone is able to work full time jobs because of disability, chronic health issues, carer responsibilities, or other things life throws up at you. It is not as black and white as “just get a job”. Many are working while receiving social security benefits – but the work may be contract, or insecure.

And raising the rate to above the poverty line is not a disincentive to finding work. It gives people space to be able to find jobs which work for them – and means they can free up their minds from intense financial stress.

Updated at 23.05 EDT