Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Steele-John for his question. It is correct to say that this is a significant change, it is an important one, and it is a change we recognise is of significance to the disability community. It is why I have spent some time since the announcement was made speaking with representatives of that community and why the minister, Mr Butler, made clear in his remarks to the National Press Club that our intention is to proceed in consultation, in deep engagement, with the disability community about the policy changes that were foreshadowed in that speech.

The reason why this issue is so consequential is because the NDIS is one of Australia's great human rights achievements, and that achievement belongs to all of us but it particularly belongs to the disability movement that campaigned for this scheme. It is a big part of Australia's social policy legacy, it is one that Labor is proud of, and it needs to be sustainable. These things are not intentioned, but the scheme is still growing too fast. The scheme costs much more than was ever anticipated, and it is distorting other parts of the care economy.