Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I rise to speak on the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the increasing risk to its sustainability. One Nation strongly supports the principle of the NDIS and ensuring that Australians with disability have the support they need that is reasonable. The NDIS was the necessary response to a situation in which many disabled Australians, mostly young people, were falling through the cracks. It was intended to help people who could not otherwise get the help they needed. But, as is often said, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The hell facing the NDIS is one of sustainability.

It was recorded in August that the average payment per NDIS participant had increased by 11.8 per cent per annum over the past three years. Total participation costs were $6.6 billion in the quarter to 30 June this year, a 33 per cent increase over the same period last year. The total cost of the scheme is $25 billion per year, and it's expected this figure will rise to $40 billion by 2025, only four years away. In fact, the number of people that the NDIS supports is approximately 460,000 and growing, and the NDIS will cost more in 18 months than the cost of Medicare for all Australians. This is unsustainable and needs to be brought under control, or the people who really need NDIS support will be the losers. Unlike every other taxpayer funded scheme, the NDIS is not means-tested, meaning very wealthy people can access it. One Nation supports a review of the NDIS with a focus on ensuring the scheme is meeting its original intention of helping people with a disability which requires assistance and helping only those who need it and ensuring NDIS funding is not supporting those for whom sufficient support is already available through mainstream health, education and—

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Hanson.