JAYNIE SEAL, SKY NEWS REGIONAL: Joining us live now is Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Emma McBride. What a welcome, Emma. And great to see you as well.
EMMA MCBRIDE, ASSISTANT MINISTER: Good to be with you Jaynie, and incredible to welcome our most successful Olympians back home to Australia. So proud of all of our athletes and their performances, and particularly proud of Nicola, our high jumper from the Central Coast bringing home a silver medal. Incredible results for Australia at these Games.
SEAL: And it was interesting, we heard from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the event there and, you know, he welcomed and congratulated, as he should have. You know, it's not just the Olympians, it's the family, the friends, the supporters, the volunteers, everybody that helped with this great success. He also made a good point there as well about whether it's a win or not, we've got to face adversity. And it's about really inspiring our young or anybody really to get onto a field or to get into the pool and get off our phones, perhaps.
What is the importance in terms of mental health and the importance to see such a unified country, especially through so much doom and gloom across the world?
MCBRIDE: It's incredibly important. And we've seen the lift in spirits of Australians right across the country. That sense of connection, that sense of belonging. And we know how important that is for people's mental health and wellbeing, and also for their physical health. As the Prime Minister mentioned, I've seen so many young children get excited. My niece wants to sign up for Little Athletics and she's looking at starting in September. The difference it's making to children and families right around the country for their physical health, for their mental health and wellbeing, and that sense of belonging and connection as a society and in communities right across the country.
SEAL: All right. Well, let's turn to NDIS. The reforms are possibly going to pass parliament with the support of the Coalition, despite not being backed by the state governments. Certainly a lot of negotiations with federal and state governments. What's being done here? Because looking at so many comments from the community, the NDIS community, they're really angry, worried and concerned that it's not being done the right way and it's not being looked at properly.
MCBRIDE: This important legislation, which takes up key recommendations from the independent review, is sitting in the Senate at the moment. And what this is about is getting the NDIS back on track. The NDIS was designed and intended to give people choice and control, and in communities like mine, I've seen families and participants like Leanne where the NDIS, with a well-designed package, has transformed lives. That's what this legislation is intending to do. There's no doubt that there have been cowboys that have ripped off the NDIS and it must be cleaned up so that people who benefit from it most have the most support that they need. So this is really important legislation to get the NDIS back to what it was intended to do for people like Leanne and families like hers right around the country.
SEAL: What would you say to this post that Sam Connor, the former president of Disability Australia, has mentioned? Negotiations – certainly there has been no meaningful consultation. There's been no work to ensure the Bill is compliant with human rights, nor that the thousands of valid critiques from people with a disability, lawyers and academics have been addressed. This Bill must not pass. What would you say to that comment?
MCBRIDE: I know, and having spoken with the NDIS Minister only yesterday, Minister Bill Shorten was as a parliamentary secretary, critically involved with consulting the community with co-design and co-production to make sure that the NDIS gave people choice and control. That's what it's intended to do. Under the Coalition it was off track. It needs to be back on track and we need to make sure that every NDIS participant and those who need to be in the system can be. It's really important legislation. I know there has been widespread consultation and I understand that there are differences of perspectives, but this is important legislation for NDIS that is making a genuine difference to the lives of so many Australians.
SEAL: All right. We've almost run out of time. We've got about 10 seconds, I think, for this answer, I know it's probably not long, but 1 in 3 students are performing below the baseline education standard according to this year's NAPLAN results. What actions need to be taken by government to support children with their education?
MCBRIDE: These results show that serious reform is needed. That's what is being led by Minister Jason Clare and our government. There's money on the table to work with the states and territories. The Northern Territory has signed up already. This is serious work that must be done, and the government is committed to doing.
SEAL: Assistant Minister Emma McBride, sorry to cut you short there, but thank you so much for your time. Great to see you.