CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Mr SMALL (Forrest—Opposition Whip) (09:42): Police officers have our backs every single day, and we think it's time that we had theirs. Across Australia, officers are facing more pressure than ever. They're being asked to do more with fewer resources, all the while navigating a system that makes an already demanding job even harder.

Too often they feel undervalued and unsupported by policies that fail to recognise the reality of frontline policing. We can and we must do more to stand with those who keep our community safe every day. That's why the Liberals are calling on the Albanese Labor government to cut taxes for police by extending FBT concessions, bringing them into line with ambulance officers and other frontline workers.

This is a straightforward and commonsense reform that would lift their take-home pay and send a clear message that our police across Australia are genuinely valued, like other frontline workers. People across Forrest are telling me that they want to back our police officers, with thousands already signing my petition. It's time we stood up for those who stand up for us every day: our men and women in blue.

I rise today to speak on behalf of Fraser, a father of two and a profoundly vulnerable NDIS participant from my part of Australia who is being failed by the system that was meant to support him. Fraser lives with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, which is a mouthful. It is a rare, progressive, devastating neurodegenerative disease that robs him of coordination, strength, speech and, fundamentally, his independence.

Despite clear medical evidence, he has faced months of delay and neglect. When my office visited his home, we found conditions that no Australian should endure. His wheelchair broke in January and his request for a powered wheelchair has languished on a desk somewhere, leaving him trapped, unable to safely leave his home or spend meaningful time with his daughters.

Worse still, his mobility supports were paused during an unrelated appeal. Fraser has already fallen into active traffic due to failing equipment. His plight simply cannot be ignored any longer.

Across the NDIS, people like Fraser are being failed. Instead of tackling the fraud and waste, the organised crime and the corruption, this government seems to have turned its focus on participants. The NDIS must protect the vulnerable, not force them into a battle for basic supports they cannot live without—up against lawyers, backed by taxpayer money, who are actively seeking to deny them the very supports the scheme was designed to provide.