The Greens have slammed Labor’s NDIS cuts, saying their decision to kick 160,000 people from the scheme and reduce supports for disabled people is a cynical and cruel decision while gas exporters’ untaxed profits soar.
Labor’s declaration that more restrictive eligibility for the NDIS will remove 160,000 people from the scheme – ahead of the codesign process that would supposedly design those criteria, has left the disability community facing months or years of anguish and fear.
Under Labor’s NDIS cuts;
- There will be a real cut to funding each year across the forward estimates, with growth caps stuck below inflation while corporate profits soar,
- An estimated 160,000 people will be removed from the scheme entirely, leaving disabled people fearing whether they will be excluded,
- Participants face an estimated $5000 reduction in funding for social and community participation supports that provide critical social contact,
- Participants’ ability to request changes to their supports is reduced, with restrictions on unscheduled assessments
- The move towards an approved list of Supported Independent Living providers also poses risks to the choice and flexibility under the scheme.
The government’s decision to announce reverse aged care cuts show the cynical calculation Labor has made about who it thinks should be able to have the basics required to live a good life.
Labor says people should move to other supports – but governments have failed disabled people for years, through lack of investment in publicly available supports, high-quality accessible public housing with shared supports, and mental health in Medicare, and the low rate of the Disability Support Pension.
The Greens say they will oppose Labor’s cruel cuts to the NDIS, saying that the government is cynically pitting people who need care against one another while letting rich gas exporters off the hook.
Senator Larissa Waters, Leader of the Australian Greens said:
“The Greens will fight hard against Labor’s plans to cut the NDIS and strip away basic rights from disabled people.
“Labor is today cynically booting 160,000 people off the NDIS while letting big gas corporations avoid $17 billion in tax.
“How dare this Government, who promised they wouldn’t cut the NDIS, balance their budget by selling disabled peoples’ dignity.
“This is an extraordinary betrayal of disabled people by a Labor government that promised to protect the NDIS, not cut it. Australians with a disability and everyone who loves them are angry, and they’re not going to let Labor take away their dignity without a fight.
“Budgets are about choices, and Labor is choosing to cut the NDIS instead of taxing rich gas corporations. Labor needs to show courage, tax the big corporations and 1%, stand up to Donald Trump, and get these billions back into the essential services we all rely on.
Senator Jordon Steele-John, Greens Disability spokesperson said:
“Disabled people are disgusted with this betrayal by Labor. Labor promised to protect the NDIS, but they are cutting it instead.
“It’s shocking that Labor is choosing to cut vital services for disabled people rather than tax gas exports, make Clive Palmer pay a little more tax or buy one fewer AUKUS submarine.
“Disabled people are now left dreading whether they will be one of the 160,000 people Labor plan to kick off the NDIS – because their disability is too invisible, or because a computer predicts they will be fine without supports.
“These supports enable us to get out of bed in the morning, to connect with community and to avoid social isolation, and the government has announced it’s their intention to slash them.
“It’s disgusting that Labor would strip that sense of hope away from disabled people and their families when the ultra-wealthy are doing so well.
“Labor is making these cuts because they believe we are an easy target. They are wrong. We are angry, we are organised, and we will fight back.”