Tasty Plate
Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:42): (475) My question is to the Minister for Disability. Tasty Plate was a much-loved community service provider in Warrnambool, providing opportunities to individuals of all abilities. The closure announcement was a devastating bolt from the blue for employees, volunteers and the whole community. Brophy Family and Youth Services must have been aware of the alleged unviability of the service for some time. Given her close links to the organisation, Minister, what representations did you receive from your Labor colleague and member for Western Victoria Ms Ermacora?
Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:42): I thank Mrs McArthur for her question. Brophy family services are, as are all of our community service organisations, very important partners in the delivery of social services across our state, be they disability services, family services or a range of others. As I understand it, Tasty Plate was a service that was funded by the Commonwealth government. As I think is well on the record, my discussion with the Commonwealth government and their funding for important disability services within Victoria and across the country is a very live conversation at this point in time as we consider the recommendations of the NDIS review and the recommendations of the disability royal commission. The extent to which the state and the Commonwealth can continue to partner in relation to the delivery of social services and in particular disability services is a very live issue and one that is very close to my heart. Only earlier this week I was having exactly that conversation with Minister Shorten.
In relation to the specifics of your question, I have met with Brophy family services before, but the particular program that you refer to is not a state-funded program, it is a Commonwealth NDIS-funded program. From my perspective the more that the Commonwealth continues to invest in NDIS services in Victoria, the better.
Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:44): Minister, you did fail to answer the question, because obviously it would be of concern to everybody, and certainly that member for Western Victoria who is very closely associated with this organisation should have made representations to you regardless of whether it is Commonwealth or state funded. You failed to answer that part of the question, so I will give you the opportunity to do so now. Minister, do you also support the generous offer of a pro bono review by KordaMentha of Tasty Plate’s viability to determine whether this much-loved community organisation has an ongoing future either with or without Brophy Family and Youth Services in charge?
Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:45): I thank Mrs McArthur again for her question, although I reject the premise of it and the insinuation. But again for the benefit of the house, Brophy family services is an important partner in the delivery of many social services. The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing has a relationship with Brophy family services in relation to a number of important services. Tasty Plate is not one of them. Tasty Plate was indeed a federally funded NDIS service, a service supported by the NDIS. For people who otherwise have made their decisions as to whether or not their NDIS plans will include Tasty Plate, that is a matter for the Commonwealth and the NDIS, and it is a matter for those individual participants as to whether or not they want Tasty Plate to be a part of that. I am not the minister solely responsible, with the Commonwealth responsibilities for NDIS. I suggest that perhaps that would be a matter better taken up with the Commonwealth, as indeed I am endeavouring to do on a range of disability services to ensure that Victoria continues to get its fair share of Commonwealth support for NDIS-funded services.
Bev McArthur: On a point of order, President, the supplementary question was about whether the minister would support – even advocate to the federal minister – KordaMentha and take up that offer of a pro bono viability.
The PRESIDENT: There is no point of order. That is just debate.