Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The NDIS, as you are well aware, Deputy Speaker, was to be a game-changer for those living with profound and severe disability, for the people who care for them and for those of us who love them. As the former Prime Minister behind this scheme, Julia Gillard, said, the NDIS would finally bring the security and dignity to those who would benefit from the scheme. At the time, it was a bipartisan scheme due to the advocacy and action of those campaigning for it, including of course the mover of today's motion, the member for Maribyrnong. But what we've seen since the change of government in 2013—a bit under seven years ago—are some beautiful words from those opposite, but their words do not match their actions.

In an area that was the last in the rollout for the NDIS, I was absolutely appalled to find that, time and time again, when I raised an issue about people in my community working with the NDIS and interacting with it, that there was nothing new to be learned in our electorate, just a failure to systemically address things that had come up four years previously so that, wherever it was rolled out, the same issues arose time and time again. We have to look at this in the context that we're here to talk about the Tune review. It's the 21st review into the NDIS in seven years, so I join today with the member for Maribyrnong, the member for Fowler and the member for Adelaide on this side of the chamber to say: 'Please act on all 29 recommendations of this review.' I say this, having had the member for Maribyrnong in my electorate for a forum, where we heard from many people who have concerns about the processes, and we've heard a lot about that today.

I also attended a state-wide forum, where we heard from all of the stakeholders, all of whom went on to make submissions to the Tune review, and all had concerns about this government's record on the NDIS, because they delayed the rollout, because they capped the number of staff, because they kept the price of services too low, because they failed to invest in the workforce needed for such a profound reform in Australia, because they said the NDIS wasn't fully funded and misled the public to believe they needed an increase in tax before backing off that plan, because they built their own hopes of a surplus on the back of an underspend of $4.6 billion in the NDIS—I can't tell you how disappointed the families in my electorate who are getting NDIS support are about that last one—and now they're failing to implement all of the recommendations made by David Tune. In fact, many of the recommendations that were in the NDIS joint standing committee's interim report, published in December 2019. Like everyone here, we're all meeting with people in our offices, and our offices are assisting people with a disability or their carers or people who care about them. We're all hearing the same concerns over and over again, and it is only in enacting, through legislation, the 29 recommendations that these will be addressed.

We had feedback given to the review that showed the participants found the transition to the NDIS confusing and frustrating, with some people saying they missed the supports offered under state and territory systems, particularly active case management; that they're frustrated about delays and a lack of transparency around how the NDIA makes decisions; that they want to have more support and become informed and effective consumers; that they feel the NDIS is too complex and difficult to navigate; and they feel they're not recognised as the experts in their disability. More, they feel the NDIA staff do not understand disability or appreciate the challenges people with a disability face as part of everyday life.

In my electorate, I know about the work done by our local Warringa Park special school. I know that an assistant principal was working pretty much full time on supporting the families in their engagement with the NDIS. Schools aren't funded to do this work, but it was necessary the help the young people at that school so as to ensure that they ended up with the support they need. So I join colleagues today in calling for a properly funded NDIS to deliver security and dignity to Australians living with a disability, their carers and family. Deliver the things that they need. Deliver the NDIS that was promised in this place prior to your election.

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