David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, I'm really concerned about what sort of evidence the NDIA is going to require of participants to show that they need access to period products. We have a recent survey conducted by Share the Dignity that found that one in three people struggle to afford menstrual products. They found that it's particularly acute for people with disability. Seventy-eight per cent of respondents with disability said that they struggled to afford this basic dignity; 78 per cent of people with a disability said that they struggle to afford period products in Australia. How much of a saving is the Commonwealth actually expecting to make from making it harder for NDIS participants to obtain period products? Honestly, to go to some of the questions earlier, surely this is something that Australians would be happy to fork out for—to allow women to have the dignity of being able to afford period products for people who may need period underwear, which are more expensive.