Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I am very proud to be speaking on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024. This important bill is designed to implement the transformative recommendations outlined in the final report of the review of the NDIS.

The government is proposing a series of amendments to the NDIS legislation, referred to as 'Getting the NDIS Back on Track', and that's exactly what it's doing. This has been a big issue in my community, as it has been with many members throughout the House, in speaking with local participants and providers, and we have listened and acted. These amendments are needed so that governments working with the disability community can really improve the scheme. The bill represents this profound commitment by our government—the Albanese Labor government—to recalibrate the trajectory of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, all with the overarching aim of reinstating its original ethos and significantly enhancing the experience of its participants.

The bill will usher in a new era of NDIS reforms that ensure the scheme can continue to provide life-changing outcomes for future generations of Australians with disability and for those that are in the NDIS now, whilst also ensuring that every dollar in the scheme gets to the participants for whom the scheme was designed. It will also bolster the powers of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to protect participants from illegal and unethical conduct.

During the election campaign, we announced a commitment to a complete review of the NDIS that would be conducted by independent experts and timed to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the inception of the scheme in 2013. The launch date of the NDIS review was brought forward by a year after we were sworn into government and were able to examine the urgent need for repair to the scheme. We understood how urgent that was.

In October 2022 the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme initiated the evaluation of the NDIS in order to improve the framework of the NDIS and essentially to rebuild trust, confidence and pride in the scheme, because it is such a vitally important scheme. As a fundamental election commitment of the Albanese Labor government, the NDIS review really addressed head-on the need for repair after what can only be described as a decade of neglect under the previous Liberals and Nationals government.

Led by an independent review panel, the review involved extensive consultation with the Australian community. This consultation encompassed over 10,000 contributions and nearly 4,000 submissions from individuals, families, carers and disability representative organisations. The culmination of this inclusive process was the unveiling of the final report on 7 December 2023, with 26 recommendations and 139 supporting actions, all crafted to steer the NDIS towards its full potential.

Crucially, the panel absolutely ensured that the voices of participants were not merely acknowledged but actively incorporated into the fabric of the NDIS review. Through consultations and much stakeholder engagement, the panel gathered insights, perspectives and, really importantly, lived experiences, which served as the basis upon which all the recommendations were built. This very strong participatory approach was instrumental in fostering a sense of ownership and agency among those most involved in and impacted by the NDIS.

Now the Albanese government is delivering on its commitment to build a strong and sustainable NDIS by providing a further $468.7 million to get the NDIS back on track. This builds on the $213.7 million to fight fraud and to co-design NDIS reforms with people with a disability, announced earlier this year. This year's budget will drive the implementation of key recommendations from the independent review. The 'getting the NDIS back on track' bill will provide clarity over who can access the NDIS; enable better early intervention pathways for people living with psychosocial disability and children younger than nine years old with developmental delay and disability; and improve how NDIS participant budgets are set, making them more flexible and providing clearer information on how they can be spent.

Many of the changes to the scheme will be implemented through the new NDIS rules, which will be put in place following the initial amendments made by the bill. The NDIS rules set out the details of how the scheme operates. Again, those new rules will be co-designed with the disability community—continuing to keep the voices and needs of people with disability at the heart of all of the NDIS reforms.

At its core, the bill seeks to fortify the foundational pillars of the NDIS—namely, access, which is so important; budget setting; and quality and safeguarding. All of these are absolutely needed. Among the reforms envisaged are the delegation of rule-making powers for priority areas identified by the NDIS review, the conceptualisation of the framework for an early intervention pathway, and the enhancement of transparency and flexibility in the allocation and utilisation of NDIS funds. Moreover, the bill endeavours to strengthen provisions pertaining to expenditure within allocated supports and to bolster the efficacy of the NDIS commission. That will ensure that the participants receive the support they need when they need it most, and that's what it's all designed for.

Furthermore, this bill lays the groundwork for fostering a cohesive system of support for individuals with disability that comprises inclusive mainstream services alongside foundational supports. All the changes that we have made are based on the principles of empowerment and inclusivity and are symbolic of an evolution of our NDIS, one characterised by resilience, responsiveness and relevance. Of course, all of these reforms build on the original idea of the NDIS. When it was introduced, it was a transformative moment for those of us who were here, for this parliament and for our nation to have such a scheme in place, because, as we know, for many, many years it had been called for. I'm very proud to say it was a Labor government that delivered it, and it's now a Labor government that's getting the NDIS back on track.

Importantly, through these changes the government has really highlighted our unwavering commitment to inclusivity and collaboration throughout the whole implementation of what we're doing. The legislative approach adopted in the NDIS amendment bill reflects a key recognition of the imperative to co-design changes to the NDIS rules in partnership with the disability community. By seeking the input of, the feedback from and the expertise of individuals with disabilities and their families, carers and advocates, our government absolutely aims to ensure that the NDIS evolves in lockstep with the evolving needs and aspirations of its participants. That is what is at the heart of what we're doing.

All that is proposed in this legislation is backed up by our $468.7 million investment, which includes $45.5 million to establish the NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee, $20 million to start preliminary consultation and design work to help people with a disability navigate the services, $5.3 million to undertake preliminary work to reform NDIS pricing arrangements and over $213 million of recently announced funding to fight fraud and to co-design NDIS reforms with people with a disability. To fight any sort of fraud that potentially has occurred, it's vitally important to have that massive amount of funds.

I will say in my concluding remarks that this bill, the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024, represents a real testament to the resilience and resolve of all of those that it supports. I want to recognise all those who have participated and make sure that their input is heard. We are always listening to the lived experiences of people in all areas. In particular, with redesigning the NDIS, this is vitally important. All of us are so committed to improving the experiences for all Australians with disability who interact with the NDIS, as well as their families and carers. Of course, what drove us with that is the past 10 years, when we did see underfunding of the NDIS and a lack of commitment from the previous government. We saw and heard the problems firsthand, and some of the issues and problems that people had were devastating. We absolutely made that commitment, and I'm really proud to be here as part of the government that's delivering upon these reforms.

After that decade of neglect under the Liberal and National governments, we can now pave the way for a more equitable, accessible and empowering NDIS, one that truly embodies the principles of dignity, choice and autonomy, because that is at the heart of it. People with disability and their families know that they can trust this Labor government to continue to protect the scheme and absolutely get it back on track. Our government is committed to improving outcomes for participants and ensuring that every dollar of funding goes to those who need it most. That's absolutely imperative. With this bill and our investments in the budget, our government reaffirms its commitment to leaving no-one behind and to building a future where every individual can thrive and flourish.

As I said, I am extremely proud to have been part of a Labor government that delivered the NDIS here in this chamber over a decade ago and, now, to be part of another Labor government that is committed to continuing to improve the scheme for the betterment of the Australian people. That is an absolute commitment. It is always Labor governments who are on the side of the Australian people, and we'll continue to deliver life-changing reform and provide all those supports wherever they are required. In this case it has been a long time coming, and we are very proud to be in government and be delivering these absolute changes to the NDIS that are long overdue.

I commend the bill to the House. It's vitally important that we get the NDIS back on track, and it's the Albanese Labor government that's doing that.

See this speech in context