Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

Australian families are right to be concerned about the Albanese government's Thriving Kids program. As shadow minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and shadow minister families and social services I'm hearing these concerns directly, and they cannot be ignored. Labor's program, designed to direct children with autism away from the $50 billion a year National Disability Insurance Scheme, is already raising serious concerns for many families across Australia. To date, only two jurisdictions—South Australia and the Northern Territory—have agreed to the program. This is despite the Prime Minister stating it had been committed to at National Cabinet.

This new $4 billion Thriving Kids program was due to commence by 1 July this year, but the start date has already been pushed back to October. When Labor first announced Thriving Kids, it made clear that the NDIS eligibility would change, with only children experiencing the most acute developmental delay remaining on the scheme. Instead, children aged eight and under with delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs will be supported outside the NDIS.

What does this mean for families? Following Labor's announcement of the program, Children and Young People with Disability Australia surveyed 1,535 parents, carers and young people. Of those, nearly four in five—or 79 per cent—said the rollout was too rushed and risked children with disability falling through the cracks. Families are right to be concerned. From 1 January 2028, these changes will apply to children aged eight and under, with even those already on the NDIS subject to reassessment. That means mums, dads and grandparents already exhausted from caring for a child with disability may now be forced to fight through even more bureaucracy just to retain the support their child relies on.

We must also acknowledge that the concept of moderate autism is itself contested by people with lived experience and advocacy groups. At the same time, we are seeing increased reliance on automated systems to allocate funding. The government says the program will bring consistency, but for many families it is creating uncertainty and fear.

As the member for Lindsay in Western Sydney, I hear these concerns every single week. Families speak about delays and cuts to NDIS plans, providers taking advantage of vulnerable participants and plans being reduced by decision-makers with little understanding of disability. Data provided to the Senate showed that 30 per cent of reassessed plans between May and October last year had their funding reduced by an average of 22½ per cent. Appeals are rising sharply at the Administrative Review Tribunal, where the agency running the NDIS spent $60 million on external lawyers last financial year to fight participants. Some people fighting the bureaucracy have reportedly died waiting for an outcome on their case. This is not just a policy issue; it is a human one, and it does not stop with the NDIS.

From 2027, children under eight with mild to moderate autism or developmental delays will no longer enter the scheme. Instead, they will rely on schools, early childhood centres, Medicare and community services. As experts have pointed out, this responsibility will fall heavily on teachers and early childhood educators, many of whom want to help but simply do not have the resources, the training nor the time. We already know how fragile inclusion is in our schools. Data from Children and Young People with Disability Australia shows that 60 per cent of parents report their child with disability has been bullied, a 10 per cent increase since 2022. More than half say their child has been excluded from excursions or camps, and almost one in three report restrictive practices such as restraint or seclusion. This is the reality families are navigating.

It is critical that the Albanese government gets this right. As the shadow minister, I support reforms that strengthen the sustainability of the NDIS, but not at the expense of vulnerable children and their families. Families deserve to know exactly how this program will work and how support will be delivered in real, practical terms. They deserve to know what this means for their child. Of particular concern, under these changes, funding and support plans for NDIS participants will be generated by a computer program with little to no discretion for staff to intervene. That means a significant reduction in human judgement in decisions that profoundly impact people's lives. For families already under pressure, that uncertainty is not just frustrating, it is frightening. Families need clarity, they need confidence, and they need a system that works with them, not against them. If we get this right, we give every child a chance to thrive. If we get it wrong, the consequences are lifelong.

Debate adjourned.

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