3 May 2013

Labour says NZers should be included in scheme

9:07 pm on 3 May 2013

The Labour Party is calling on the Australian government to make New Zealanders living in Australia eligible for the country's proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The scheme called DisabilityCare now looks set to become a reality, but New Zealanders in Australia claim it discriminates against them because they are not classified as permanent visa holders.

Although living and working in Australia, New Zealanders have a special category visa which cuts their access to social security and despite them paying for the scheme they are not entitled to it.

Labour's foreign affairs spokesperson Phil Goff said New Zealanders living across the Tasman deserve the same rights as Australians and they want the issue resolved.

"What this scheme does is highlight the broader unfairness that people who are making their futures and their lives in Australia.

"They're paying all the tax they should be paying - but they're not entitled to the same sort of assistance that any other Australian or person living long term in Australia would be entitled to."