Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, I just wanted to come back to when you were answering the question from Senator Reynolds regarding the number of people on the scheme. I don't think it's any secret—I've been quite open and honest—that I think there are too many people on the scheme. I think there are too many people that are looking to the NDIS as the only lifeboat—that there are people who are going onto the scheme who do not have permanent and lifelong disabilities. We do know, in a demand-driven scheme, that the only way that you can get the cost down or you can cap the growth—whatever way you want to refer to it—is by cutting the number of participants or cutting the value of their plans.

We're just trying to find the exact words, but, during your answer, you said, 'If the people who are on the scheme after this bill is passed are those who the scheme was intended for,' which I don't have a problem with. I was just wondering if you could perhaps offer us some clarity on who the government thinks are the people on the scheme at the moment that shouldn't be and, in the future, who are the people who will perhaps no longer qualify for the scheme.