With the NDIS senate inquiry report imminent, Mark Butler is still trotting out the line that people with disability are at the centre of his reforms. Many would disagree.
Despite days of harrowing submissions from people fearful about the changes to come, thousands of mostly negative submissions and criticism from disability advocates, federal health minister Mark Butler maintains his NDIS reforms are the “right package of reforms”.
“People with disability are at the centre of these reforms,” he enthused at a press conference to announce new Royal Flying Doctor Service aircraft this morning. He admitted that he’s been keeping a close watch on the submissions and the evidence in public hearings.
“I accept that this is a series of very significant reforms, and for the disability community, big change obviously is going to be confronting.
“But I’m very confident that this is the right package of reforms at the right time for a scheme that we desperately need to secure for the long-term future,” he continued.
His comments come on the day that the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee is due to report its findings into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026.
However late on Friday, the committee requested a further extension of time until 23 June 2026 to allow it to further consider evidence received.
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Their original original due date was Tuesday, then the report was pushed back three days.
This additional extension is no doubt to wade through the extensive number of submissions. At the time of HSD‘s publication today, the report had not been made public.
The criticism of the reforms is extensive, with disability advocates fearful that a reduction in NDIS supports will put people in crisis and increase the strain on the public health system. There are also concerns from the states that supporting structures are not yet built.
“Without a careful, coordinated approach that aligns these changes with broader improvements across the disability support system, there is a significant risk that people with disability will end up in hospitals or other settings that are inappropriate and unable to meet their needs, or have no access to services at all,” the state ministers said in their submission.
They also declared:
“States and territories are not in a position, and have made no agreement, to deliver like-for-like services to people who are exited from the NDIS.”
“There’s a degree of enthusiasm by states when the rubber hits the road to do this because they know it’s what their community needs and expects. There’s another meeting of disability ministers taking place today in Sydney, which the Minister for the NDIS, Jenny McAllister, is chairing,” he said.
However, you wouldn’t know it listening to Mr Butler.
“Again, I know these are hard reforms, but I also know given that they are reforms that were signed off by all premiers, all chief ministers at a National Cabinet meeting earlier this year as part of a bigger package deal, I know state disability ministers know better than anyone else in government because they deal with this on a day-to-day basis, just how important these reforms are.”
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There was some discussion about a possible Coalition-Greens deal to ensure further scrutiny of the reforms. The Greens would support a extending the Senate inquiry into the capital gain tax reforms that the government is also hoping to pass next week. The Coalition would then support a longer NDIS inquiry.
But according to Michelle Grattan’s Grattan on Friday column, the prospect of such a deal seems to have faded.
The success of the government’s budget saving hangs on the NDIS bill getting passed through in the next sitting term.
When asked on Wednesday what difference it would make if the reforms were delayed until the next sitting week in August, Mr Butler said:
“It would make a considerable fiscal difference. It would cost some hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said.
Ms Grattan said the government might have to accept those consequences.
“Despite its hopes of securing the NDIS legislation in the coming sitting, the expectation is the government faces the prospect of having to accept a longer inquiry,” she said.