In the often-unyielding business of politics, there is nothing more high stakes or complicated than passing crucial legislation that can change people’s lives.
A balance must be struck between who is directly impacted, the economic consequences, the considerations of our society and the demands of implacable opponents. For the past two and half years, I have worked with my Labor colleagues, departments and disability advocates to design legislation that would preserve and sustain the National Disability Insurance Scheme for future generations of Australians.
It was some of the most important and complex work I have ever done in my career.
On Thursday, the Albanese Government achieved the milestone of passing the critical NDIS legislation that puts people with disability back at the heart of the scheme.
The goal of these reforms has never been in question — it is all about supporting Australians with disability and their families to lead a fulfilled life by achieving the outcomes they seek from the support provided.
It has taken years of hard work from this Government to achieve, and it could not have been done without the incredible efforts of the disability sector and the trust of people with disability and their families and support networks.
While there was sometimes fear and misinformation used to further personal and political agendas, tens of thousands of Australians took part in consultations to ensure we got it right.
To suggest that what we have achieved was designed to cause any harm to people with disability would be a lie.
Those of us who have been on the NDIS journey from the beginning could never have dreamed of the scheme we have today and that is what I am most proud of.
The legislation will make the NDIS better, stronger, fairer and more sustainable.
I know talk of parliamentary process can be dry, but this legislation is life-changing for people with disability.
The legislation is going to allow the disability community, advocates and governments across the country to get on with the business of reforming the NDIS which, there is broad acceptance, had gone off track.
The Albanese Government worked alongside the States and Territories and reached across the political divide to get this Bill through the Parliament.
I am grateful that we’ve been able to put our differences aside and show our universal agreement that Australians with disability deserve the world-leading scheme that is the NDIS.
The hard work starts now as we join with the disability community to co-design the reforms and how and then they will be implemented.
There will be changes to how NDIS participant budgets are set so they are more flexible and provide clearer information on what they can and can’t spend their money on — more choice, and more control to determine the best way to use NDIS funding to support their disability needs.
The Bill we passed this week will also make intervention pathways easier for participants, including children who we know benefit greatly from getting the right support from as young an age as possible.
It will allow for assessments based on the needs of the whole person rather than just individual support items, and that will mean a much more holistic approach to support that helps participants reach their goals of social and economic participation.
The reforms to the NDIS Act will enable the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to use parts of its compliance and enforcement powers more efficiently.
This will empower the commission to do more to stamp out violence and abuse of people with disability and stop the rorting and fraud.
We want participants to be safer and we want to make sure every dollar meant for the participant, gets to the participant.
The Bill is the first step in restoring the scheme to its original intent to make life easier and more fulfilling for Australians with permanent and significant disability — to only fund disability support needs that are the responsibility of the NDIS as part of a broader disability support ecosystem. This Bill restores that intent.
In an unprecedented show of unity, the Albanese Government and the Council for the Australian Federation have agreed to significant changes to enhance co-governance arrangements, rulemaking and approval processes for the NDIS.
Putting the scheme on track to realise its full potential will require effort to ensure the scheme is here for future generations of Australians.
But equally important is an effort from all of us — all levels of government, people with disability, and the broader Australian community — to create an inclusive society for all Australians with disability.