Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much for the protection, Acting Deputy President. As I was saying, the Liberal amendment earlier called for a two-month delay so that the government's bill can go back to the Senate committee for more consultation. The Liberal-Greens Senate alliance will have a $1.1 billion financial cost to the scheme. That's right—a $1.1 billion financial cost to the scheme. But, most importantly, it will also have a human cost, allowing people with disability across Australia to continue to be exploited by dodgy providers and criminals. The delay will stop the government from using its NDIS legislation to close loopholes in the operation of the scheme. What we know is that the delays will cost Australians $663 every single minute, $1 million every single hour, $24 million every single day and $160 million every single week. It could have been passed; we have wasted $70 million already. A two-month delay on the passage of the NDIS bill means a $1.06 billion increase to NDIS expenditure over the forward estimates.

All the interjections that we are hearing is because those opposite and the Australian Greens are embarrassed about their conduct in this place.