Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I understand that some members are interjecting because when awful truth is reflected back in a mirror it's a difficult and ugly image to look at, but such is the way of things. Our role as the government is to correct the error of their ways and to find a pathway forward that is sustainable for people with a disability in Australia who so desperately need the assistance and support of the NDIS. Those are the challenges that we have confronted.

Since 30 June 2016, the number of people who have relied on the NDIS has grown from 30,000 to 300,000. It's been the rollout of one of the biggest social welfare reforms in this nation—across a continent. I have to say, sadly, that many of the states have not taken the opportunity to rise to the challenge and show their compassion, empathy and financial support to those people as well. They have seen it as an opportunity for retreat. We have had to fill in every gap but also make sure that we have done so while protecting those most vulnerable and protecting and respecting the contribution of Australian taxpayers—because we have seen a massive growth in the number of service providers, from 3,500 to 20,000, over the same period.

There is nothing Australians want more than to be able to provide support and assistance to people with a disability. That is true. But it will destroy their confidence in and support for such programs if they see service providers profiteer in a malicious way or rip off people with a disability who are vulnerable and can't otherwise support themselves. That's why we have been prudent and responsible in the way we have implemented the NDIS and why there has been so much shame in many of the states that have seen it as an opportunity to cost-cut and retreat as the federal government has entered into the space. It's to make sure that those pricing structures keep meeting the expectations of many of the service providers who are so dependent on the NDIS—that's the point of this motion. We judge a policy not just by its intent but by its outcomes and the government's preparedness to back it up with secure financial resources. I speak often to groups in the Goldstein electorate like Bayley House, under the leadership of Warwick Cavanagh, and Marriott Support Services, under Janine Simpkin. Each one of them works day in and day out to improve the lives of people with a disability so they can live with purpose and dignity. What we in this place owe those people is honesty and the truth, and that is what this government is delivering.

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