Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Financial Services) Share this | Hansard source

In this role we get the opportunity to meet some very brave and inspirational Australians, none more so than those living with a disability, their parents and carers. When Labor established the National Disability Insurance Scheme, our aim was to ensure that disability services were properly funded for once in Australia; that people living with disability stopped being treated as second-class citizens; and that we ended the lottery around the delivery of services, accommodation and respite, to give Australians with a disability and their families the lifestyles that they deserve.

Unfortunately, under this government, disability services have gone backwards. Many Australians living with a disability and their families are missing out on critical services because of a massive underspend by this government on the National Disability Insurance Scheme. They've seen $4.6 billion ripped out of the NDIS to prop up the coalition's so-called surplus. Under the Prime Minister and the Liberals, the cap on NDIS staffing has led to outsourcing and to a loss of professionalism and continuity of services. And, sadly, the massive delays across the system have meant that more than 1,200 Australians with disability have died whilst waiting for their support package. That's simply not good enough. The Liberals have had six years of stewardship of what should be a world-class scheme, but instead they've pillaged it and left people with a disability out in the cold. Enough is enough. The time has come for changes to be made to ensure that the NDIS works as it was intended, is properly funded, has adequately trained professional staff and is focused on the needs of Australians living with a disability.

It's rare that two state governments from opposing sides of politics would team up to take on the government on an issue. But this is exactly what has happened with the National Disability Insurance Scheme. On Friday Victoria's Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Luke Donnellan, joined with the New South Wales Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services, Gareth Ward, in calling for the government to fulfil their promise on NDIS funding and release the cash that has been earmarked for it that Australians living with a disability so richly deserve. These states have had enough of the Morrison government when it comes to the NDIS. They've seen this money cynically saved by this government from the massive underspend during the transition period as thousands struggle to navigate the scheme and access the services they deserve. The money was meant to be established as a reserve fund, set up by the end of 2019, with accumulated funds committed to helping people with a disability. Yet, despite repeated requests from the Victorian and New South Wales governments, the Morrison government not only refused to release the money but are yet to establish the fund or even provide the proposed fund design governance arrangements so it can be established. This neglect is yet another blow for people living with a disability, continuing to wait too long for their NDIS plan. The result is families and carers being placed under unnecessary stress, people with complex needs struggling to find appropriate accommodation and disabled Australians not getting the care they deserve.

We know where the government sends this money, and it's not to those living with a disability. Australians with disability desperately need action and funding from this government to ensure that our vital National Disability Insurance Scheme doesn't fall into further disrepair. While we'd prefer to see action rather than more reviews, I welcome the findings of veteran public servant David Tune. His findings that the scheme is plagued by delays and is frustrating to understand echo the experience of many thousands of participants. We welcome his recommendations: that the NDIA trial having agency delegates perform all plan functions in-house, though the review notes that this may have a requisite impact on the—Liberal imposed—staffing cap; to fund navigator roles to help people through the system; to create participant services to guarantee and ensure basic standards are met; for legislated time frames for decision-making and for the publication of NDIS reports; for greater investment in the carer workforce; for a national outreach strategy that would facilitate rollout to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and core communities; a reinforcing of the NDIS objectives and principles; and a return to the original vision of the 2011 Productivity Commission report.

Enough is enough for people living with disability under this government. It's time for the government to properly fund the NDIS and properly staff it.

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