New secret draft NDIS legislation proves the Morrison Government will stop at nothing to cut critical supports for people with a disability who use the NDIS.
 
Not only are the Liberals trying to force people living with a disability to face a panel of its mates for their so-called ‘independent assessments’, but they now want to change the NDIS law, so people have less choice and no voice. 
 
The draft legislation from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), which oversees the NDIS, shows Scott Morrison and his chief vandal Stuart Robert want to:

• Remove the critical ‘reasonable and necessary’ test from the NDIS legislation, which determines the level of funding in a person’s NDIS plan;
• Introduce controversial ‘Independent Assessments’ to restrict numbers of NDIS participants; 
• Dilute the power of state and territory governments, who co-fund the $22 billion scheme; 
• Give the Commonwealth the discretion to decide that any support is an ‘ordinary living expense’ not to be funded by the NDIS;
• Remove or reduce the ability of NDIS decisions to be appealed and allow the NDIA to order a reassessment of anyone who appeals a decision; and
• Find ways to push people off the NDIS and onto other mainstream services.

These changes will have profound impacts on people with a disability and are all designed to pad the Morrison Government’s pockets at the expense of providing people with a disability with any autonomy over their own care.
 
The Morrison Government also admitted last night that it had used sham consultations to hand over $339 million of taxpayers’ money to its mates to provide the so-called independent assessments. 
 
The NDIA boss last night admitted the Liberals awarded huge multi-million contracts to eight companies to undertake the independent assessments without any public consultation with the disability community. 
 
We knew the independent assessment tender was dodgy but to give out huge contracts without listening to a word from people with a disability defies logic and shows a complete lack of respect for the Australians who use and rely on the scheme.
 
The proposed changes will reduce participants’ ability to exercise ‘choice and control’ over their packages and lives and give the Government power to make decisions about support based solely on how much it costs – not how much it is needed.
 
The whole vision of the NDIS was to give severely and profoundly disabled Australians choice, control, and a personalised plan with goals. 
 
These changes would kill the dream of an ordinary life for 430,000 people with disability and their carers.
 
FRIDAY, 26 MARCH 2021
 
MEDIA CONTACT: ANTONIA MAGEE 0409 339 989