E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RAY HADLEY, 2GB: The National Disability Insurance Scheme is a very, very important scheme, but it can't keep being funded to the level it is. And while ever people steal, and that's what they're doing, stealing from disabled people, we're going to have a problem. Now, I don't know what the courts do with these bastards, but I know it won't be enough. I mean, it's reprehensible, to misrepresent themselves and steal from the most disadvantaged people in the community. Since he's become the Minister for National Disability Insurance Scheme and Minister for Government Services, Bill Shorten's been on to these blokes like a rat up a drainpipe. He's on the line. Minister, good morning.
BILL SHORTEN, MINISTER FOR NDIS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES: Good morning, Ray.
HADLEY: You've got three more and I guess you'll be getting more and more as the year progresses.
SHORTEN: Yeah, I'm really pleased that the AFP was able to do what they did. A man's been charged, others have been told they've got to present to court. It's for over $3 million of fraud. I want to make clear to people and I mean you sort of did that anyway, the NDIS is a good thing and I actually think most Australians don't mind their taxes going to help people profound disabilities. They probably think that's as good a use of tax as any others. But what gets on people's goat is if they think there's spivs, charlatans, opportunists, crooks, people who are getting in between the taxpayer and the person who desperately needs the wheelchair or the therapy and care and ripping them off and ripping the system off. So, I really want to - every day I can talk about this, send a message to those who are siphoning money off, getting in between the taxpayer and the person with a disability, the child who needs the wheelchair or what have you and just say the good times are over or we want you out of the scheme. You know, they were in a long day care. They're in some of the private TAFE training, they move their business - wherever there's government money, there is opportunistic behaviour and we've just got to be incredibly vigilant.
HADLEY: Now the three men we're talking about here, we're not talking about them having disability members of their family and then rorting it. What we're talking about is they set up or purchase a business purporting to be a provider for a disability and then make fake claims. So, the money never goes in any way, they don't skim. They just take the lot. Take the lot.
SHORTEN: That's right. This isn't some participant getting Tim Tams with their tea in the morning and you know, putting it on the on the NDIS card. This is not about a participant. This is about people - fake invoices, systemic organised behaviour, to get money which they're not entitled to and in the process inflate the costs of the scheme.
HADLEY: The other one I see that a bloke returned to the country in June last year. Further investigations see he's facing 25 more charges relating to alleged fraudulent activity, more than $430,000. He's in court March 3, I mean he’s obviously on holiday with the money he skimmed from the NDIS. But the AFP - I mean, they're very proactive, I know, and they do a good job. I had Reece Kershaw in the studio yesterday. But people need to be warned if you want to try and rort the system, Bill Shorten and the AFP are coming after you.
SHORTEN: They leave footprints and what they've been able to get away with in the past is and you know, this would make you face palm, but different government departments don't share enough information and these crooks leave patterns of behaviour. And some of these crooks will have been directors in other shonky businesses over the over the era, and they've moved on like flies to a new barbecue. But we've put more resources into what we call a Fraud Fusion Task Force. That's an exciting name, but it means some more police, some more resources, some more sharing of the data, and they do leave footprints in the long grass, these guys. You know, you look at the data and you can spot them. There's also whistle-blowers. People call in and we'll just say to people currently who are ripping off the system, one of your employees or one of your neighbours is going to dob you in. I want to look after the NDIS. I don't want to be in the law-and-order business, but I do think that we have to be not, you know, rose coloured glasses. Where there's amounts of government money going to vulnerable people, there are other people who will try and clip the ticket.
HADLEY: Anyway, I appreciate the fact I didn't think I'd get you until tomorrow, but it's a very important issue and I commend you on what you're doing and keep up the good work. Okay. Nice to chat again. All the best.
SHORTEN: Good on you, Ray. Thank you very much.