A report from the NZDSN National Conference
Event: New Zealand Disability Support Network 2024 National Conference
Location: Wellington Takina Events Centre
Date: Monday 17- Tuesday 18 June 2024
Opinion: By a disabled participant
Okay, everyone. I need to pre-warn you about the direction of the government and Whaikaha based on what I heard at the NZ disability provider network conference. I don't think Minister Louise Upston or Whaikaha CEO Paula Tesoriero thought there would be disabled people in the audience.
Tesoriero was the first keynote speaker. She confirmed that last year's transformation budget was put into "My Home, My Choice," which examines the transformation of residential care.
Tesoriero also said they met with the Australian government's national disability insurance scheme at the beginning of the year, which led them to halt the transformation of disability support services.
The review is not going to change anything.
Tesoriero said the additional funding only goes to the people with the highest need, meaning residential care. Apparently, they are doing this in Sir Robert Martins's name. I pulled them up on that and said no, that's not what my friend wanted. He wanted everyone with a disability to have support regardless of their degree of disability.
The second keynote speaker, Minister Upston, told the providers in the room that transformation would not be happening at all. That means enabling good lives; in other words, system transformation will not occur even after the review. She stated that it would not be until the GDP is stable, which means comical finance.
Minister Upston stated that Whaikaha was not told to decrease its costs or savings. However, I have heard otherwise from disabled people in Whaikaha. They say there is a travel ban for Whaikaha employees and that they were told to save 7% of costs, too. A staunch provider in the audience confirmed this.
I asked the Minister if communication devices would be addressed, but not sufficiently to reduce the waiting list. It went unanswered.
The third keynote speaker was Dr Sam Bennett, Disability Programme Director, Grattan Institute, Victoria, Australia. He was a policy analyst at a university in Australia that is not respected, trying to state that Auitsm was driving the course of NDIS to overspend due to high rates of autism diagnosis and that the government's national autism strategy is causing the government money strain. This person does not work for the government. I berated this speaker in front of everyone.
Last Updated 19/06/2024
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