Key facts
- Health Minister Mark Butler is pushing to pass NDIS reforms this month.
- Butler warned that delaying the NDIS bill could cost the federal budget billions.
- The proposed changes aim to improve support quality, integrity, and combat fraud within the NDIS.
- Opposition parties, including the Coalition and Greens, have criticized the government's timeline for NDIS and tax reforms.
- Disability advocacy groups and providers have also criticized the proposed NDIS changes.
Health Minister Mark Butler is urging the Coalition and Greens to pass proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) changes as early as this month, warning that delays could cost the federal budget billions of dollars. Butler stated that a six-month extension for an inquiry into the NDIS bill would mean six more months without necessary reforms to improve service quality, integrity, and combat fraud.
The Coalition and the Greens have criticized Labor's compressed timeline for the NDIS changes, as well as reforms to negative gearing and capital gains tax, and have suggested they might collaborate in the Senate to extend inquiries. Disability advocacy groups and NDIS providers have also voiced strong criticism of the proposed NDIS changes during recent public hearings. State and territory disability ministers have raised concerns about their capacity to replace disability supports for the estimated 200,000 participants expected to be moved off the scheme by 2031.
Butler expressed strong conviction in the government's NDIS plan, though he did not rule out potential amendments. He accused Angus Taylor of using the NDIS bill as a political tactic related to other budget matters. According to budget papers, the NDIS changes, which aim to limit access to the scheme supporting over 760,000 Australians, are projected to reduce participant payments by at least $37.8 billion by 2030.
Liberal frontbencher Jonno Duniam, announcing his retirement, emphasized the importance of taking time to "get this right" on both NDIS and tax reform, cautioning against making changes on the fly. Phil Thompson, a former shadow assistant NDIS minister, expressed dissatisfaction with the government's approach, feeling that participants are being treated as mere budget figures. The NDIS inquiry is scheduled to release its report on Tuesday, while hearings for the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing changes are set to begin on Monday.