State to push for disability scheme

Rallies in support of the scheme were held around the country yesterday, including in Hobart where hundreds gathered outside Parliament.

There, politicians of all persuasions and levels of government spoke in favour of a scheme.

Simultaneously, at a rally in Sydney Ms Gillard announced that from the middle of next year 10,000 people with a disability would be part of a trial of the scheme at four yet-to-be-announced sites.

Federal Community Services Minister Julie Collins said she would like Tasmania to be one of those sites.

``As a loyal Tasmanian obviously I'm keen to see Tasmania on that list, but obviously that will be determined on a range of factors,'' she said.

``It's a very complicated system at the moment, as we've heard from many people today, so we've got to do a lot of unravelling (first) and start again.''

Premier Lara Giddings said the state was well placed to become a trial site because of the way it already provided disability services.

However, she said there was still considerable detail to be worked out between the Commonwealth and states including how to fund the scheme, who would administer it, who would be eligible and what support would be offered.

``COAG has acknowledged that reform of this magnitude will need to be achieved step by step, over a number of years but we are committed to making this important scheme a reality,'' Ms Giddings said.

At the Hobart rally, one disability advocate said the scheme was about providing everyone with basic human rights - not luxuries.

``The time for talking is over; we need action now,'' she said.

A working group of community and sector representatives is being set up to assist with the transition in Tasmania.