Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the NDIS and Minister for Government Services. Minister, NDIA officials told estimates that under the Albanese Labor government up to $2 billion of the $45 billion per year devoted to the NDIS is being spent on illicit drugs, holidays and expensive cars, just to name a few, and that 90 per cent of NDIS plan managers have significant indicators of fraud. Why has the minister and his hand-picked CEO allowed this to happen?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member opposite is referring to some evidence that was given in estimates in the last couple of days, but he didn't mention the person who gave the evidence.

Opposition Member:

An opposition member interjecting

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Don't worry, mate; I think you write your own speeches. The name of the gentleman who gave the evidence is Mr John Dado. The reason he was giving that evidence is that I picked him to come and work at the NDIA because those opposite did not take fraud in the NDIA seriously. Mr Dado is in charge of what is called Fraud Fusion Taskforce. Another memo to the members opposite: we set up that taskforce—$126 million to tackle fraud. And what did those opposite do? Nothing—zip; nada; nothing at all.

It's because of this government that we are now addressing the issues in the scheme. The reality, if you want to talk about all of Mr Dado's evidence, is that he has said that the problem with the NDIA's payment system is that it's immature—because those opposite never invested in the back door of the system to make sure the shonks couldn't rip off disabled people and the taxpayer. The gall of those opposite!

Mr Dado has informed me about plan managers. He has said that they surveyed 900 of the smallest ones, with the least turnover of business. It turns out that 350 of them are not reporting their financial income to the ATO. That is because, until this government was elected, no-one ever asked to have the ATO and the NDA talk to each other. These plan managers pay themselves as downstream providers. They're approaching participants on public transport and offering cash on the condition that no services will be delivered. They're fabricating services and claims. They're predicting to be the participant.

The very reason we can debate this today is because it takes a Labor government to catch the crooks. You had an F troop of ministers in the NDIA, and now you're actually doing a better job as opposition spokesperson. You've got Banquo's ghost, Senator Reynolds, running around in the upper house. The opposition put up Stuart Robert, an MP who even they don't own anymore.

The problem is that these problems have taken a long time to establish. But ever since we got elected: Fraud Fusion Taskforce, 500 compliance investigations, 222 matters under investigation right now, 20 prosecutions right now. When the opposition were in power, only $231 million in payments were investigated; under Labor, it's several billion. Thank goodness— (Time expired)