Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak also on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025. I want to start by acknowledging the work of the Community Affairs Legislation Committee and thanking the secretariat and my fellow senators for their considered engagement. The committee's report makes it clear that these reforms are not just necessary but also overdue. It highlights persistent gaps in safeguarding and enforcement within the scheme and the need for stronger regulatory tools to protect participants and absolutely uphold the integrity of the NDIS.

At its core, this bill is something very simple but also something very important. It is about respect, dignity and safety for people with disabilities. The NDIS is one of the most significant social reforms in this country's history, and it represents a promise that people with disability will be supported to live full, independent and dignified lives. But a promise is only as strong as the system that it upholds. What we know from the royal commission, from the independent review and from the lived experience of participants is that the system has not always been safe. We have seen abuse, we have seen neglect and we have seen exploitation. When that happens, it's not just a failure of compliance; it's also a failure of justice. This bill responds directly to those failures.

When Labor came to government, the NDIS lacked basic prevention controls for fraud and noncompliance. Our government acted. We invested over $550 million to establish the Fraud Fusion Taskforce and began the work of putting the scheme back on a sustainable footing.

But there is more to do. The committee heard clearly that regulatory gaps remain and, in too many cases, the system has not been able to prevent harm or respond effectively when it occurs. There was also strong support across the sector for reforms that strengthen accountability and safeguard participants. This is absolutely what this bill delivers. It strengthens the power of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission; it enables early intervention, stronger enforcement and real accountability. Most providers are doing the right thing. They are committed, professional and working every day to support people with disabilities. But, unfortunately, some are not. Some exploit a system designed for care. Where there is fraud, there is too often harm, violence, abuse and neglect. This is why this legislation matters.

This bill introduces a stronger and more proportionate penalty framework. It includes higher civil penalties for serious breaches, new criminal offences for the most egregious conduct and real consequences for those who deliberately put participants at risk. Penalties should not be seen as a cost of doing business. They should send a clear message that harm to people with disabilities will not be tolerated. This bill expands on banning order powers. It closes loopholes that have allowed individuals to move across roles to continue operating despite unacceptable conduct. If someone is not fit to work in this space, they should not be able to re-enter through another pathway.

It also introduces antipromotional orders to address predatory and misleading marketing practices. Choice and control must be grounded in honesty and transparency. This bill further strengthens information-gathering powers; this allows the commission to act more quickly and address risks before they escalate into harm. Importantly, this legislation also includes participant safeguards. The 90-day cooling-off period for participants seeking an exit to the scheme is a practical protection. It ensures decisions are informed and are not made under pressure.

This bill is not about punishing providers. It is about protecting people, it is about restoring confidence in the NDIS, and it's also about sustainability. A system that tolerates exploitation is not sustainable, it is not financial, and it certainly is not moral. The NDIS must have a stronger regulatory backbone. It must be proactive, consistent and centred on participants' safety. The Albanese Labor government has been very clear. We will protect the integrity of the NDIS. We will support providers who are doing the right thing. We will act against those who are not, and people with disabilities deserve nothing less.