Andrew Gee (Calare, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024. I do so because I am a huge supporter of the NDIS, which is making a real difference to the lives of more than 660,000 Australians and their loved ones. Many of those Australians live in the Calare electorate, and the impacts of the NDIS have been life changing. The NDIS is truly something our nation can be proud of. It shows the compassionate heart of Australia.

It's no secret that reform is needed. That reform is needed so that the NDIS can continue to support Australians for generations to come. There has been far too much politics attached to reforming the NDIS. The previous government knew that there was an urgent need for reform, but the reality is it hit the pause button on it because they were worried about a scare campaign from the then opposition. History shows that they were right to be worried. So there is some irony in that it now falls to the new government to undertake this work.

But the point is that, when the NDIS is the subject of pointscoring and partisan politics, things just don't get done. There is a lesson in that for all major parties and MPs. The lesson is: keep politics out of the NDIS for the national good. It's positive that the opposition is not going to oppose this bill. They could have done so. They could have gone down the road of political payback, but they have wisely and sensibly chosen not to do that, and I think they are to be commended for that. I believe that the current minister is diligent and hardworking, and getting the NDIS back on track is a huge and difficult undertaking. I believe the minister should be supported in his endeavours and that the states need to do their part as well. Australians want a fair and sustainable NDIS. They don't want to see the NDIS rorted. They want to see help getting to where it's needed.

This bill isn't perfect, but it's an important step forward on work that everyone in this House knows needs to be undertaken. So I wish the minister well with this work and I commend this bill to the House.

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