Senate passes major reforms to taper ballooning NDIS

Members of the disability community have reacted angrily to the passing of NDIS reforms to rein in spending blowouts, after an emotional debate.

The Senate has passed sweeping new reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, in a major legislative win for the Albanese government, after an emotional debate.

The government’s Bill aims to rein in the ballooning NDIS spending, amid forecasts it would cost taxpayers $50bn by 2025-2026 without urgent intervention.

Among the Bill’s measures is a cap on 8 per cent growth and tightened eligibility requirements for services in a bid to shave off $14.4bn over four years.

The NDIS Bill to rein in spending in the key government service has passed the Senate. Picture: NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

States and territories will also play a bigger role in providing support to NDIS patients under the reforms.

The Albanese government sees the overhaul as a big step to getting the NDIS “back on track”, but the disability community has taken a different view, with some saying the reforms will thrust people depending on the support scheme into uncertainty.

Even within the Senate, the Bill was passed with voiced apprehension from the Coalition.

Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes said while the Coalition was not entirely convinced by the NDIS bill, it would not stand in the way of the good elements. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

In teary remarks to the Upper House, Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes said while she was not “filled with confidence” by the legislation, there were good elements that the Coalition would not stand in the way of.

But she homed in on the government’s pledge to co-design services, imploring it to engage the “people who genuinely need this scheme”.

“So, we will support this – please, please get it right. Please do more. Please work constructively with us to do more to make sure that people aren’t left behind,” Senator Hughes said.

Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John called the NDIS bill “the greatest betrayal of our community ever perpetrated by the government.” Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Greens senators gathered to support Senator Jordon Steele-John during the vote on the NDIS. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

But Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John was not so diplomatic with his words.

He unleashed on the government and the Coalition, calling the Bill’s passage “a moment of pain, fear and fury”.

Senator Steele-John condemned the bill as “the greatest betrayal of our community ever perpetrated by the government.”

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John says members of the disability sector feel betrayed over the NDIS reform Bill. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Flanked by disability advocates, Senator Steele-John later told the media the government had stripped Australians with disabilities of their “right to negotiate with the government” to get indivualised care.

“I sit before you in a wheelchair that had to be built to my specific measurements, that needed to be selected and designed together with a team of professionals,” he said.

He said every advocate beside him was “here because of a piece of assisted technology, or a therapy, or the work of a support worker, or all over those things combined in an individualised way based on their specific circumstances.”

“There is the profound sense of betrayal that comes from having these cuts,” he says.

He says the community “fought together” to build the NDIS, and “now we have been betrayed and pushed back”.

“This Bill is a broken promise from a Labor government that many in our community trusted. I’ve heard that many people in our community feel betrayed,” he said.

Liberal senators Maria Kovacic and former NDIS minister Linda Reynolds abstained from the vote. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The Greens voted against the changes, as did Tasmanian independent Tammy Tyrell and former Labor senator turned independent Fatima Payman.

Former NDIS minister Linda Reynolds and NSW Liberal senator Maria Kovacic abstained.

The Bill returned to the House where passed later on Thursday.

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten said the new Bill would make a big difference disabled Australians.

“The NDIS is a great chapter in the history of disability in Australia, but it’s not the book,” he told reporters later.

“We want to write a new chapter about foundational services working with the states. Heaven help us if the Greens were ever in charge of the NDIS, because they are dangerous.”

Mr Shorten also had a crack at Senator Reynolds.

“The reality is that when she was minister, she came up with a half baked idea which was going to hurt a lot of people, and she couldn’t get it up,” Mr Shorten said.

“We’ve come up with a better plan, more co-design, and we’ve got it up. But as for Senator Reynolds, I think I will try not to ever talk about her again.”

Originally published as Senate passes major reforms to taper ballooning NDIS