Arabic version: مجلس الشيوخ يقرّ تغييرات نظام التأمين الوطني للإعاقة بعد اتفاق مع الائتلاف
According to SBS News, controversial changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme have passed the Senate after Labor reached a deal with the Coalition. The upper house approved the package on Tuesday night by 28 votes to 12, following the release of 63 government amendments just hours before the final vote.
Labor has promoted the NDIS reforms since April, including new powers for the relevant minister and reductions in social funding, as part of an effort to save $37.8 billion by the end of the decade. One late amendment will allow severely disabled Australians who need constant care to appeal ministerial decisions affecting their funding. Participants will also be able to request variations to specific parts of their plans, including assistance with daily living.
Community and social participation funding will remain ineligible for appeal. Greens disability spokesperson Jordon Steele-John said the changes would remove a lifeline for thousands of Australians, particularly given the role of such funding in helping disabled people access friends, appointments and work. He said Labor and the Liberals had decided to strip people of rights regardless of safety and dignity.
The package also includes increased penalties for NDIS providers who benefit from kickbacks and specific whistleblower protections. NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister said there would be aggravated integrity offences covering obtaining funds by deception, providing false or misleading information, abuse of position as a participant’s nominee, and intentionally destroying records.
The Coalition’s support followed an agreement to remove a so-called widow tax from separate federal budget reforms. The original tax legislation would have meant divorcees and widows lost negative gearing entitlements when an investment property title transferred into their name. The NDIS legislation had remained in the Senate while the government’s projected budget savings were eroding, SBS News reported.
