Premier Chris Minns (second from left) and Jacinta Allan (second from right).Credit:Ben Searcy
Allan said the NDIS was a federally administered program but the support of the states would be needed to change how the program is funded and run.
An independent review of the NDIS,which is beset by cost blowouts,is set to be released before national cabinet meets on Wednesday and the states will be pressed to take greater responsibility for funding the treatment of early developmental disorders and mild autism,particularly in schools.
The NDIS and health system will feature prominently at national cabinet as Shorten seeks to limit spending growth to 8 per cent,down from about 14 per cent at present.
Following a meeting of the country’s treasurers on Friday,the states also demanded billions of extra dollars in GST payment and infrastructure investment and flagged possible tax rises if Canberra did not cough up more funding.
At issue with the GST is the cost of a deal struck by then-treasurer Scott Morrison in 2018 which guaranteed Western Australia its GST share would not fall below 70 cents in the dollar – and which also ensured no other state would be left worse off until at least 2027. The cost has massively blown out,from $2.3 billion to $33.9 billion.
The states have asked federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers to promise no state will be left worse off,but Minns acknowledged that a deal may not be struck at the meeting.
One option being considered is a compromise that would keep the existing GST arrangements in place,so no state is worse off,ahead of a 2026 Productivity Commission review of GST distribution.