GRIEVANCE DEBATE
Mr THOMPSON (Herbert) (13:08): The National Disability Insurance Scheme has proved to be a lifeline for many of those who have a disability and family members who need that support. But it's unfortunate that many Australians with disabilities have been overlooked and under-served by this Albanese Labor government. From rushed NDIS funding cuts to reassessing plans without warning and kicking people off the scheme entirely, this Labor government has proven it is out of touch with the needs of disability participants.
Rather than targeting fraud and waste, they have been taking aim at families who rely on support. In my own electorate of Herbert in Townsville, I've been hearing heartbreaking stories of participants who have been abandoned by a system that was designed to support them. Providers have been forced to work unpaid, hospitals are turning away people who need help, and participants have been left out in the cold.
One provider told me that when the NDIS cancelled their client's funding they were told to send their client to the Townsville University Hospital instead. The hospital refused admission, the ambulance was turned away, and the client was sent home. This provider continued the necessary home care, valued at $70,000, out of pocket, with the NDIS refusing to pay until I intervened to secure funding from this Labor government.
Another participant, Fred, who suffers from a hypoxic brain injury and who requires 24-hour care, with just two support workers, had his NDIS plan cancelled in July. His providers are still owed over $50,000 and are forced to work unpaid to keep him safe. The ongoing delays are placing Fred at serious risk, and intervention is urgently needed, but this government isn't listening.
Another participant, David, a 50-year-old with dementia, has had his NDIS funding cut, which has left him with inadequate care. Townsville police were called to locate David multiple times this year, including through the deployment of the helicopter unit, after he wandered due to insufficient support. The NDIS responded by saying they are not 'a crisis service', leaving David and others like him in the care of overwhelmed hospitals and unpaid providers.
David's sister told me: This is unsustainable and dangerous, and the responsibility cannot continue to be shifted solely to the provider. NDIS has to act. How can this Labor government justify the anxiety and financial stress they have inflicted on disability participants and their families?
This government is cutting support for our most vulnerable while refusing to listen to their pleas for help. This comes on the back of Labor's disastrous funding cuts through their latest annual pricing review, which has hit the regions the hardest. These new funding cuts have blindsided providers and shocked families.
The travel allowance for providers was halved, meaning many families who live in rural and remote areas will no longer be served. What about people who live on an island like Magnetic Island or Palm Island, where travel is required for these providers? Labor is happy to cater to the metropolitan electorates, but when it comes to regional Australia it's just not a priority.
Allied health professionals are also facing funding cuts, reducing their capacity to help children who rely on the support to move, grow and get stronger. The government gave just 10 working days notice to physios, dietitians, and occupational and speech therapists about funding cuts. Families are now fearing their children are about to lose the therapy support they desperately rely on.
One mother with a daughter who has cerebral palsy told me: It's really terrifying what's happening because it comes down to my daughter's quality of life, and whether or not she will be able to live independently. Her physio provider told me: Because of these cuts, the NDIS physiotherapy workforce is facing collapse, and participants will have no choice but to inundate struggling emergency departments or remove themselves from care altogether.
In regional cities with few alternatives, one provider's service reductions will impact an entire community. I wrote to Minister Butler twice, asking for an extension of three months to allow more time for providers to consult with the government and prepare for any changes. They refused to listen.
Labor is too busy running the numbers and axing the funding to help those who are being hurt the most. These are policies created by inner-city technocrats who don't understand the challenges facing regional Australians. While Labor has been happy to pander to urban voters, families in the regions are left to deal with the fallout of this government's failed policies.
The same goes for Minister Butler's disgraceful treatment of families with children with autism. His botched rollout of the new support system, which isn't fully funded, that the states are supposed to cover half the cost of but haven't signed up to, is only creating more fear and anxiety. In Queensland, the minister found out from the media, in the paper, on the same day as the rest of Australia, that they were on the hook for half the funding.
Seventy-nine per cent of families surveyed by the CYDA said that they are worried about the Thriving Kids program. How can a parent with a child who has autism feel confident about the future when the minister can't even say where their support will be coming from? One mother with a daughter who has level 3 autism told me: Regardless of the new program that was just announced, I'm worried about my daughter's future.
As a father with a daughter who has level 3 autism, I'm terrified. This mother went on to say: Everything has been cut, and it's almost like we're being penalised, because the more we fight, the more reductions are happening. It just shows that this government is refusing to hear the concerns of the families who need the support.
It absolutely pains me to my heart that these families feel like their children are an inconvenient dollar figure on this Labor government's major bottom line. I fear that my daughter, Emery, who has autism, will be left without the supports that she needs. If I feel it in parliament as a politician, that will be reverberated around everyone's electorate.
People are terrified that their child is not going to get the support that they need. At the same time, fraud is rampant. We have multinational companies getting away with scamming the system.
We saw one multi-million-dollar NDIS provider collapse after making fraudulent service claims and unlawful breaches of private customer data. We've also seen another NDIS director buying luxury sport cars, donating to football clubs, owing millions in taxes and fleeing the country when the ATO found out. This is who the government should be going after—not children who need the support and early intervention.
It's these people, these crooks, who are robbing the taxpayer, ripping off the Australian people and crushing the dreams of the children who need the support from the NDIS. We should be targeting these people, because when a fraudulent operation collapses, most of them just phoenix the company and start another one. There need to be real teeth here, real punishment.
Instead, this government is going after the families and the children who rely on these NDIS plans. None of this is good enough. It doesn't put our most vulnerable first.
Any sort of change or reform must have the participant at the forefront of mind. Sustainability isn't about the budget; sustainability is about making sure the participants have the services not just now but into the future. When it comes to reform, the government's top priority should be to ensure that the participants receive the support they need.
This Labor government is letting down our participants and their providers, especially in the regions, and it's time they were held accountable for the sake of our most vulnerable.