Senator CHRIS EVANS —My question is to Senator Newman, the Minister for Family and Community Services. Is the minister aware that, at a Friends of Post-school Options meeting convened in Perth on 2 August, nearly 200 families of disabled young adults unanimously agreed with a motion calling on the Commonwealth to:

1. Immediately release new places funding for 1998 school leavers

2. Commit to adequate and timely funding for 1999 school leavers

3. Reinstate the WA Post-school Options System as operated from 1991-1998 and encourage other states to move their standards up to meet WA's.

Can the minister confirm that $10 million of growth funding from the highly successful 1998-99 and 1999-2000 post-school options budget has been withheld to fund yet another trial of case based disability employment services for almost exactly the same target group? Why is the minister failing to support this successful post-school options program?

Senator NEWMAN (Family and Community Services; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women) —There has been an arrangement whereby growth funding for the next two years will be turned to a trial of case based funding. Senator, you may not be aware that disability advocacy groups—consumer groups—are really quite supportive of this because they do see that it has not always been in their best interests or the interests of those for whom they advocate to have block funding going to service providers without any requirement or focus on outcomes for people with disabilities. As the minister responsible for disability employment services, that concerned me because these days most services that are provided through funding from government do have a requirement to demonstrate the outcomes. If we are simply giving money without any focus on good outcomes, we are not advancing the cause of people with disabilities, and that should surely be the priority in our minds.

So, as for the last part of your question: yes, there is growth funding for the next two years. I think it is $10 million. It will be turned to a pilot program to focus on people who are trying to have the opportunity to be in the work force to some degree or other, but it will not be money just given to services willy-nilly without any focus on what they achieve—and I am sure you would agree that is a good goal to have. I can see you shaking your head, but that is the purpose.

Senator Chris Evans —It's not willy-nilly; this is an essential, successful program.

Senator NEWMAN —Are you talking about MIFS?

Senator Chris Evans interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! An exchange across the chamber is not in order.

Senator NEWMAN —I am sorry, Madam President, I was just trying to be quite sure what Senator Evans was saying. I answered the second part of the question first. The first part was about the concerns in Western Australia over the ending of a pilot program which was originally intended to run, I think, for—

Senator Chris Evans —seven years.

Senator NEWMAN —No, nothing like that. It was a two-year pilot. It was established in July 1996 and we extended the pilot by 18 months in the 1998-99 budget so that it could be fully evaluated.

Senator Chris Evans —It's been running since 1991.

Senator NEWMAN —The MIFS project has been running since 1996. The need was to fully evaluate it in the context of other disability employment programs. The community's knowledge that the program was coming to an end apparently led to a rapid acceleration in uptake and, as a result, it has been necessary to close off the pilot to new clients. But the 210 people who have had an assessment but have not yet commenced their action plan will be assisted to complete those plans. Findings from the evaluation of the pilot will inform broader reforms which are already under way within the specialist disability employment programs, which is what I am talking about with the case based funding.

The object of that pilot was to trial an approach to assisting people with severe disabilities to prepare for vocational programs. To June 1999 around 42 per cent of those who had left the pilot had done so without completing their program; just over five per cent obtained a work force outcome; just over three per cent, voluntary work; and 34 per cent had gone on to access a vocational program. The pilot is to be completed by 30 June next year and the department and Centrelink will develop an evaluation strategy before that time. The evaluation is expected to be completed by the end of next year. (Time expired)

Senator CHRIS EVANS —Madam President, I ask a supplementary question. I suspect the minister might have read from the wrong brief. This is not about the willy-nilly throwing of money at people; this is about a post-school options program that has been in place for years and is servicing young disabled people. What I want to know is this: is it not the case that the case based trial will not be up and running until November? Basically, you said we should focus on people with disabilities—that is what I am trying to do. How can you justify withholding millions of dollars for almost a year while 68 young Western Australian adults with disabilities have languished at home, their social and physical progress deteriorating on a daily basis because of the cuts to that program? That is what I want you to focus on: this particular program and the needs of those young people.

Senator NEWMAN (Family and Community Services; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women) —The case based funding trial that Senator Evans seems to have a problem with has been worked up in consultation with the industry, consumers and the department, and we released a paper for consultation with stakeholders. People are supportive of the way ahead of the government. The money that you say has been stockpiled—or whatever you said—is being used for another pilot targeted at people with special needs.

Senator Chris Evans —Another pilot?

Senator NEWMAN —Yes, it is. I told you that it was a pilot focusing on people with their employment needs and focusing on whether the employment services can do things better for them. I would have thought that would have been something you would have endorsed; I am surprised to find that you do not seem to. The trial will be using growth money for 1998-99 and 1999-2000.

Senator Chris Evans —That wasn't the question.

Senator NEWMAN —You have just asked about that funding. Up to $10 million in a full year in 15 high-need regions across Australia—I would have thought that you would have been pleased about that, Senator. I wonder why you are not.