Northland disability sector gets loud to protest Government funding cuts
Idea Services members added a positive vibe to the Whangārei protest, performing kapa haka for the crowd. Photo / Denise Piper
People with disabilities and their whānau have a message for the Government: “Our voices will not be silenced”.
About 100 people protested in Whangārei on Friday against Government changes which they say are unfair and drastically impact the disability sector.
Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston said the changes were necessary because of the dire financial state of the sector.
The changes include:
- Taking responsibility for commissioning services for people with disabilities off Whaikaha - the Ministry of Disabled People and giving it to the Ministry of Social Development.
- Halting the rollout of Enabling Good Lives, a programme designed to give people with disabilities more autonomy over the services they use.
- Freezing funding to residential care facilities and putting tight financial controls on disability service providers..
The changes come on top of earlier cuts to respite care through Whaikaha’s individualised funding programme.
The lack of consultation is a silencing of the disabled voice in Aotearoa said one of Friday’s speakers, Wally Noble, a member of the Tai Tokerau Enabling Good Lives Leadership Group, who is also a wheelchair user and disability sector trainer.
“The changes have affected how we access the very services that enable us to live with dignity,” he said.
“When these decisions were made, where was the consultation with our community, with our whānau and, most importantly, with us?”
Noble said the changes were not progress but exclusion.
“Too many of us are struggling to live with these changes that we didn’t ask for.”
Tiaho Trust CEO Jonny Wilkinson said the changes take disabled people backwards and are not fair.
“This Government is undermining the very progress we’ve been fighting for - progress that is meant to provide choice, flexibility and control over our lives.”
Another speaker, Kathryn Sadgrove, spoke on behalf of parents and carers of people with disabilities, who have been hugely affected by the changes to respite care funding.
“For some of us, it’s been about 20 years since we’ve had a holiday properly ... 24/7 care takes its toll.”
As well as the talks, the protest included an uplifting kapa haka performance by members of Northland Idea Services.
While heavy showers had people running for shelter, they were warmed with chants including: “When disabled rights are under attack; join us, fight back”.
Upston blamed the previous Government for the dire state of the disability support system including unsustainable costs, uncontrolled spending, and a lack of transparency on services and support disabled people could access.
“The changes we announced earlier this year were necessary to tackle these problems and ensure the substantial funding we have provided for essential services, equipment or support gets to the disabled people who need it most.
“I appreciate this means moving at pace, but this was essential to get the right financial controls in place.”
Upston said the coalition Government wants the best outcomes for disabled New Zealanders, their families and those who care for them, which is why it provided a $1.1 billion funding boost for disability support services in this year’s Budget.
A taskforce has been setup to implement the urgent changes and there will be consultation before more changes are made, she said.
“The Government has not yet made any decisions regarding eligibility criteria for flexible funding, and this will not happen until there has been a period of consultation with the disability community. Their voice and insights will be so important to getting those decisions right.”
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.