NDIS provider crackdown ‘pandering to union mates’

Labor’s provider crackdown is unfairly targeting small businesses, Peter Dutton’s new assistant NDIS spokesman says.

Hollie Hughes, the Coalition’s new assistant NDIS spokeswoman. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Peter Dutton’s new assistant NDIS spokeswoman, Hollie ­Hughes, says Labor’s crackdown on unregistered providers is unfairly targeting small businesses, flagging the Coalition will closely review the policy ahead of the next election.

The Opposition Leader ­announced a mini reshuffle to his shadow ministry on Tuesday, adding new portfolios ahead of the next election, including Senator Hughes for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Liberal MP James Stevens for economic waste reduction and Liberal MP Phil Thompson for the defence industry.

Senator Hughes, whose son was diagnosed with autism in 2012, expressed strong concern about providers being audited by the National Disability Insurance Agency, saying they were often sole traders who had long standing relationships with participants on the scheme.

She accused NDIS Minister Bill Shorten of “pandering to his union mates”, warning Labor’s push to weed out unscrupulous providers would force participants to rely on larger services backed by unions.

“We want to make sure that an already thin market of support workers isn’t further weakened,” Senator Hughes said.

“There needs to be a better way to manage this … this will decimate the support worker market and they need to be mindful of any unintended consequences of destroying small businesses in the process.”

Mr Stevens said the Coalition was concerned about rising numbers of public servants under the Albanese government, raising ­expectations the opposition may seek to crack down on the number of bureaucrats in Canberra ahead of the next election.

“We are concerned about the growth of expenditure in the number of public servants, and Labor’s pet projects, and we want to see an efficient government. Every taxpayer dollar needs to be spent in the best interests of Australians,” Mr Stevens said.

Mr Thompson named workforce as his No. 1 priority in his new role, signalling the Coalition might pursue policies to improve Australian Defence Force members’ access to housing.

It comes after The Australian in January revealed Australia’s $43bn defence sector was facing a workforce and confidence crisis that threatened the nation’s AUKUS plans, with half of the ­industry struggling to attract and retain staff. A former ADF member, Mr Thompson also accused Labor of “sneakily” cutting defence funding from Adelaide in favour of Darwin.

Mr Dutton’s new spokesman for multicultural engagement, Queensland Liberal senator Paul Scarr, said the Coalition needed to establish “good faith” with the Chinese-Australian community and recognise its contribution to the nation over the past 150 years.

Senator Scarr, who will work under multicultural affairs spokesman Jason Wood, said the Coalition could “do better in terms of engaging with multicultural communities”.

“It’s really important we reach out to all of these communities. It’s a question of spending time with the communities, with the leaders of the communities so they realise our engagement is in good faith and the values of the Liberal and National parties align with their values.”