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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

Australian Senate Inquiry into NDIS Cuts Extended Amid Advocate Concerns

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • An inquiry into proposed cuts to Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has been extended by eight weeks, a move welcomed by disability advocates.
  • The extension was part of a deal between the Albanese government and the Greens party, which also included support for tax reform.
  • Critics argue the proposed changes, which could remove over 200,000 people from the NDIS and save $38 billion, are dangerous and will harm vulnerable individuals.

Disability advocates have welcomed an eight-week extension for a Senate inquiry into proposed cuts to Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The inquiry's pause came after advocates described the process as "ridiculous and disrespectful." The extension, secured through a deal between the Albanese government and the Greens party, also involves the minor party's support for tax reform and several amendments to the NDIS bill.

It should never have taken this much pressure to get more time. Giving people with disability and our families just two weeks to respond to a bill that would reshape the future of the NDIS was ridiculous and disrespectful.

— George TaleporosGeorge Taleporos, chair of advocacy group Every Australian Counts, criticized the initial short timeframe for public response to the NDIS bill.

The Senate inquiry, initially scheduled to deliver its final report today, had already been postponed twice last week. It received over 4,000 public submissions despite being open for just over two weeks and held three days of public hearings this month. Officials informed the inquiry that the proposed changes could remove more than 200,000 people from the NDIS over four years, projecting savings of approximately $38 billion. The government contends these changes are necessary to curb the NDIS's rapid growth, combat fraud, and restore its "social licence."

The [amendments] … do not resolve WWDA's broader concerns about the bill. The central issue is whether these reforms will make it harder for people with disability to access the supports they need to live safely and independently.

— Sophie CusworthSophie Cusworth, CEO of Women with Disability Australia, stated that the secured amendments do not resolve fundamental concerns about the NDIS reforms' impact on access to support.

However, critics, including George Taleporos, chair of Every Australian Counts, argue the cuts are dangerous and will harm vulnerable people. Taleporos stated that the bill requires "proper scrutiny" and criticized the short timeframe given for responses, calling it "ridiculous and disrespectful." While some amendments have been secured, such as softening ministerial powers and increasing transparency in automated decision-making, the Greens maintain their opposition to the bill. Sophie Cusworth, CEO of Women with Disability Australia, stressed that the extension must be used for "genuine consultation" and that the amendments do not address core concerns about access to essential supports for people with disability.

It is better to spend another eight weeks getting reform right, than spend the next decade fixing avoidable mistakes.

— Jenny KaravolosJenny Karavolos, co-chair of the Australian Autism Alliance, expressed support for the extended inquiry period to ensure reforms are implemented correctly.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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