Greens MP Tamara Smith congratulates #Stand By Me campaign success

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith has congratulated disability advocacy services for their strong campaign to retain funding for their services.

This comes after the NSW government’s partial back-down on cuts to disability advocacy services in response to the #StandByMe campaign.

“People with a disability can celebrate the news that State government has caved into community pressure and won’t proceed with their planned cuts to disability advocacy services that would have impacted people right across NSW.

“While the government has done the right thing in the short-term, it’s shameful that the Liberal-Nationals continue to see people with a disability as easy targets and have only guaranteed disability advocacy funding for two years.

“Disability advocacy services assist some of the most vulnerable people in our community with a range of everyday issues, including housing needs, service complaints and developing their NDIS applications and plans. Families were very worried about losing access to such support.

The proposed cuts to disability advocacy services was tied to the transition to the NDIS and was expected to wipe out 50 NSW advocacy groups from June 2018.

“Today we celebrate this win, but must also recognise how appalling it is that the State Government thought it could get away with cutting funding for people with a disability. The NSW Government must commit to maintaining disability advocacy funding into the future,” said Tamara Smith.

“The Greens congratulate the #StandByMe campaign and will continue to support the rights and funding for people with a disability,” said Ms Smith.

10 April 2018