7. Question No. 7—Disability IssuesHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour—Kelston) to the Minister for Disability IssuesQuestion No. 7—Disability Issues7. Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour—Kelston) to the Minister for Disability Issues: Mālō e lelei Mr Speaker. Does she stand by all her statements made during the Disability Issues Estimates hearing at the Social Services and Community Committee on 19 June 2024?Hon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Disability Issues): Yes but since then the independent review has found that the disability support system was in a much worse state than we first understood. Access to disability support services is a postcode lottery based on where someone lives not their level of need and Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People lacks the capabilities necessary to deliver disability support services effectively partly due to their rushed establishment under the last Government. The independent review recommended that the initially planned phase two not proceed as stabilising the disability support system was urgent. That's why last week our Government announced a series of measures to ensure the increased budget of $2.6 billion is distributed in a fairer more consistent way based on need.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Does the Minister stand by her statement that Our Government remains committed to the Enabling Good Lives approach" and if so how does she reconcile this with her decision to pause Enabling Good Lives?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: Our Government of course is committed to the vision and principles of Enabling Good Lives particularly the principle that talks about mainstream first and ensuring that disabled people are supported to access mainstream services before specialist disability services. The independent review highlighted dire issues with a disability support service that required urgent action. Our Government is taking that urgent action.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Does the Minister stand by her statement that "The most critical thing we do is for people who are already accessing and in need of disability support services that we stabilise the system and give them certainty"; if so how can she justify uprooting and transferring disability support services from Whaikaha to the Ministry of Social Development a process for which the cost and time frame is unknown?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: The report that came from the independent review panel unfortunately was bleak. That was on top of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet stocktake that was undertaken for the previous Government and released before the election as well as an independent assurance report that also showed poor financial controls. That is why in order to stabilise and ensure services that are delivered to disabled people are stabilised we've taken urgent action. That is why we are prioritising disabled people their families and carers by making these changes.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Does the Minister stand by her statement that the review into disability support services engaged "with a number of organisations and groups and individuals—disabled and non-disabled."; if so how does she reconcile this with the comments made by New Zealand Disability Support Network chief executive Peter Reynolds who said "The Government's bombshell decision to cut disability support funding in real terms while gutting the Ministry designed by and for disabled people without even deigning to talk with the people affected first is heart-breaking"?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: The state of the books and the rapid decline of the ministry's ability to maintain within its appropriation meant that changes were required. That's why an independent review panel was set up at pace and over that time that the independent review panel was doing its work I met with disabled people with families with carers with organisations with the Disabled People's Organisations Coalition with providers including the organisation that that member referred to to understand exactly how they saw the disability support service and what their experience was. It's fair to say it was bleak; that's why urgent action has been taken.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: How can the disabled community trust a Minister who said her Government was committed to Enabling Good Lives then paused it said they would stabilise disability support services then uprooted it and said they would engage with the disabled community when she didn't?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I just want to reconfirm what this review was about and the actions that were taken. Over many many weeks and the discussions with disabled people families carers and providers it is very clear. It is very clear that the system we have today is unfair it is inconsistent and it is a postcode lottery that delivers to disabled people depending on where they live. That is not sustainable and that is why with an increased budget of $1.1 billion we want to ensure that those with the highest needs get their needs met."