Cameron Caldwell (Fadden, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's wonderful to join with my fellow committee members today in speaking to this report. I would like at the outset to just thank all of the committee members for their genuine engagement on this issue, particularly the committee chair. The inquiry was pretty pressed for time and we were a little bit location limited, but I think everyone worked very hard in the circumstances to try and get the best possible inquiry report together. I think it's been a very useful exercise. The member for Macarthur, who is the chair of the committee, particularly brings a lot of real-world experience to this particular topic. The coalition are broadly very grateful for the skills he brings to this place and to this topic.

I also want to thank the many people who made contributions by way of either submissions or evidence. This is not always an easy process. It's a difficult topic for many people to talk about. On the lived experience that people have either as a person to whom the NDIS or potentially Thriving Kids would apply or as parents of those children, it takes a degree of strength to get up and make a contribution. But it's a valuable contribution because it helps shape the future of what the healthcare system of Australia will look like. So I want to make a proper acknowledgement of those contributions.

At the outset, I just want to say that the coalition supports early identification and early intervention for children with developmental concerns. We will work constructively on sensible reforms that protect the NDIS for the long term. Thriving Kids is described as a national system of supports for children aged eight and under with developmental delay and disability and low to moderate support needs delivered through mainstream services. The report notes the initiative is intended to ease pressure on the NDIS by offering earlier supports through settings like GPs, early childhood education, play groups and community health centres. We note the government has committed $2 billion over five years, with design to be settled with the states and territories. The report also notes evidence that around 739,000 participants receive NDIS support, and of those about 23 per cent are children under nine.

What we, as coalition members—I should acknowledge the member for Nicholls, my coalition colleague on this committee—support in this report is that co-design is essential. The report recommends an inclusive co-design process with evidence based interventions. We support strong safeguards, such as phased implementation and preventing loss of supports as the new arrangements roll out. We support better integrity and oversight, including the recommendation for an inspector-general of the NDIS. We support a single portal of entry, with multiple referral pathways so that families are not forced to navigate a maze. We support a clear principle that being in Thriving Kids must not preclude a child from entering the NDIS later if their needs change.

We know there are areas where the government is failing these families right now. Evidence cited in the report describes families receiving information that is confusing, incomplete or poorly conveyed with slow communication. It also describes inconsistency in decision-making, with families reporting the same diagnosis producing different outcomes. Most concerning, the report records wait times of six months to four years for assessments and therapies, even in urgent cases. Sadly, by any measure that doesn't qualify as early intervention. The system is failing at the moment when families need help the most.

Our major concern is that we've got a major announcement, but we are still lacking a huge amount of detail. I was hoping that we would help flesh this out through the inquiry and the report. The report itself notes that families have been repeatedly told that the change is coming, but the announcements have too often not been matched with detail, adding to their uncertainty and anxiety. Coalition members are saying plainly that families deserve answers on the basics: who will qualify and how decisions are made; what supports are funded, at what intensity and for how long; what safeguards exist if a child's needs escalate; and what review rights families have and where they go when things go wrong.

The report notes concern that accessing supports outside the NDIS can sometimes be perceived as affecting future access, and it stresses Thriving Kids participation should not block later NDIS entry. We agree with that direction, but we add this: no-one should be shifted out or delayed from entry unless viable alternative supports are in place and operating. This must be tested in practice, not just promised in a media release. The transition risk is real, and the families that we heard give evidence are warning this parliament about that. The report records widespread concern about the transition, including the risks of exclusion and loss of supports, and the need for clear rollout timelines and transparent communication. Stakeholders have called for clear pathways for children who will need ongoing support, particularly around the age nine transition point.

We will keep pressing the government on one test: will any child be worse off during transition? And another warning: schools are not going to be a magic solution, and the report warns against such wishful thinking. It records serious concerns about positioning schools as the central hub, including that many schools are not adequately equipped and staff can lack training and capacity. It also records concerns about bullying and discrimination, and that for some children the school environment can be quite difficult. If the government intends schools to play a larger role, it must fund capability, workforce and safeguards and not just pass the problem to our teachers.

The report identifies workforce shortages, limited outreach and telehealth constraints as a significant problem for regional and remote areas. It also notes families can face hours of travel, and telehealth is not always suitable for children with autism. We will hold the government to account to ensure service access is not determined by postcode. We support practical service models for thin markets, including commissioned approaches and hub-and-spoke options, where evidence supports them.

The report recommends dedicated resourcing to ensure robust data accuracy, transparency, interoperability and consideration of Indigenous data sovereignty principles. It also recommends a rapid review after 24 months of operation, with the review to be reported back to the House, which is appropriate. Coalition members support these accountability measures because families deserve proof that outcomes are improving and that they're not just slogans. We will work constructively on reforms that are clinically informed and financially responsible. We will support sensible measures to address the NDIS growth trajectory while keeping the scheme true to its purpose. We will fight to ensure that no-one falls between the cracks. And we will not support changes if alternative supports are not genuinely available.

The future steps that this government takes are really important. They must stop running this sector by announcement. They must publish the detail that families need in order to plan their lives and consult properly with parents, clinicians, allied health professionals, educators and disability advocates. They must provide clear transition pathways and communication so that families are not left anxious and confused. And we must ensure that participation in Thriving Kids never blocks access to the NDIS when needs change.

The government really needs to finalise, as a matter of urgency, an agreement with the states and territories on the design, funding, roles and responsibilities and an implementation timeline for Thriving Kids to provide certainty to families and providers. The objective must be simple: earlier help, clearer pathways and better outcomes for children and their families. We will support what is sensible, strengthen what is missing and hold the government to account until the detail matches the promise. The future of our children deserves that.

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