Former minister was employed by banned NDIS provider

Gary Hardgrave, a former federal government minister and now host of a radio show, has confirmed he was on the books of temporarily banned NDIS provider Cocoon SDA.

A former federal government minister was employed by an NDIS provider that was banned over safety concerns.

Gary Hardgrave, who now hosts the drive show on Brisbane’s 4BC radio station, has confirmed he was on the books of Cocoon SDA.

The NDIS provider was slapped with a temporary ban last week over “serious safeguarding concerns”, which has forced up to 438 families to scramble for new homes and services.

Mr Hardgrave was previously an ambassador for the Changjiang Currency Exchange, which was accused of a sophisticated $228m money laundering scheme.

He cut all ties from the money changing company when its directors were arrested in October 2023. He has not been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to either company.

When asked about his associations with two companies, he said: “They’re completely different situations, mate, so I’d be very careful how I put that.”

Gary Hardgrave is a former citizenship and multicultural affairs minister in the Howard government. Picture: Gary Ramage

Pictured at the Christchurch Mosque victims memorial at Australian International Islamic College in 2019. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Walker

Mr Hardgrave, a former citizenship and multicultural affairs minister in the Howard government, said he was “retained to provide them at their request any advice”.

He said he was still helping the company and questioned the NDIS Commission’s decision to temporarily shut down Cocoon SDA’s homes.

“I’m concerned that at the moment that the clients are being left a bit high and dry, which is a bit distressing,” he said.

“That’s not Cocoon’s doing. They’ve (the NDIS) created a situation where hundreds of people have been displaced and that’s not nice.”

Mr Hardgrave has previously posted that Cocoon SDA was a “powerful and positive company making a difference.”

“I’m just there when they need me to do things, hosting events and things like that,” Mr Hardgrave said.

Cocoon SDA Care's executive director operations Pranay Kumar, left (in shirt and tie), and co-founder Muhammad Latif at an Australian Financial Review event in 2024 where the company was named one of the fastest growing in Australia. Picture: Facebook

Sandie Gill, 53, whose son lived in Cocoon SDA Care homes in Brisbane over a period of six months said she had met Mr Hardgrave at the company’s Christmas party in December 2021 in Brisbane.

Ms Gill said her son, now 19, was 15 when he was under the care of Cocoon, and was moved to three different homes in just six months. She said that her son did not like the food provided, which she found substandard.

“They would boil the mince and then just put whole potatoes in,” Ms Gill said.

She said she bought her son new sheets and a doona, but the covers all disappeared after the first wash and were never seen again.

Cocoon SDA says on its website that its mission was to provide “high quality professional care and specialist disability accommodation ... without compromise.”

Cocoon SDA confirmed that Mr Hardgrave has stepped away from his role with the company.

Originally published as Former minister was employed by banned NDIS provider