Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet) Share this | Hansard source

I circulate an addendum to the explanatory memorandum to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Improving Supports for At Risk Participants) Bill 2021, responding to comments raised by the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills in Scrutiny Digest No. 10 of 2021 and comments raised by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights in report No. 9 of 2021. I thank these committees for their consideration of the bill.

The Morrison government is committed to delivering quality and safe NDIS services to participants to meet their needs and support them to live free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. This bill makes changes to the NDIS Act 2013 in response to issues identified in various inquiries into recent cases of abuse and neglect of people with disability, including the independent review conducted by former Federal Court Judge the Hon. Alan Robertson SC into the tragic death of Ms Ann-Marie Smith. Specifically, the bill strengthens information-sharing arrangements, allows conditions to be attached to the approval of quality auditors, enables the NDIS commissioner to further specify reportable incidents, and makes a range of other technical changes designed to improve operations of the NDIS commission.

In summary, these amendments will help ensure the wellbeing of NDIS participants, including those who are at a greater risk of harm, and ensure that the commissioner has clear and effective powers to regulate NDIS providers and respond to incidents of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. The government will continue to review and make adjustments to the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework, the operations of the NDIS commission, and supporting legislation as required, to ensure a quality and safe market for NDIS participants. I cannot overstate this government's commitment to improving protections and safeguards for NDIS participants, especially those who are most at risk of harm.

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