WEBVTT - 'We need to make some changes': NDIS to be a the forefront of the upcoming budget 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:03.279 Uh, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned that the National Disability 0:00:03.279 --> 0:00:05.640 Insurance Scheme is not affordable in its current form. Where 0:00:05.680 --> 0:00:07.960 have you been for five years? Laying the groundwork for 0:00:08.000 --> 0:00:10.880 major changes to the $50 billion program, which is going 0:00:10.880 --> 0:00:14.280 to be a $62 billion program in forward estimates to 0:00:14.280 --> 0:00:17.720 become the central savings plank of next month's budget. Nicole Rogerson, 0:00:17.720 --> 0:00:21.720 the chief executive of Autism Awareness Australia. Nicole, do you 0:00:21.720 --> 0:00:24.079 get the impression that the part of the NDIS that 0:00:24.079 --> 0:00:27.880 they're looking to make the most savings from is autism 0:00:27.880 --> 0:00:30.920 and spectrum are the type areas. 0:00:31.760 --> 0:00:34.240 Look, we just don't know yet. Um, I think it's 0:00:34.240 --> 0:00:36.879 fair to say the government's already last year made a 0:00:36.880 --> 0:00:39.920 lot of announcements about the changes that would be in 0:00:39.960 --> 0:00:43.040 the autism sphere, particularly for children. So we don't yet 0:00:43.080 --> 0:00:45.680 know what the announcement is going to be tomorrow. I 0:00:45.680 --> 0:00:49.280 think it might be more broad than just autism itself. 0:00:49.760 --> 0:00:52.120 So, Nicole, it appears that what they're trying to do 0:00:52.120 --> 0:00:55.000 is push push it back to the states. And so 0:00:55.000 --> 0:00:57.400 if you if you imagine how that plays out for autism, 0:00:57.400 --> 0:00:59.040 what do you think's going to be the outcome? 0:00:59.920 --> 0:01:03.280 Well, I hate to be a doomer here, okay? Because 0:01:03.280 --> 0:01:05.000 I just want to be really clear. I think it 0:01:05.000 --> 0:01:07.760 is really sensible for the federal government to come in 0:01:07.760 --> 0:01:10.080 here and say, we need to make some changes. The 0:01:10.080 --> 0:01:13.280 NDIS cannot be a runaway train of cost. We need 0:01:13.280 --> 0:01:15.600 it to be here in the long run. And successive 0:01:15.640 --> 0:01:19.680 governments have failed. The NDIS has, as has the agency itself. 0:01:19.840 --> 0:01:22.699 So clean up time is here. I totally get it. 0:01:22.740 --> 0:01:25.540 What we're asking the government is to think about this 0:01:25.540 --> 0:01:29.339 really carefully and, you know, measure twice, cut once. You know, 0:01:29.380 --> 0:01:32.940 we we need a scalpel here, not a machete. So yeah, 0:01:32.940 --> 0:01:35.260 they are trying to bring the states back in and 0:01:35.260 --> 0:01:37.539 the states agreed to do that. But of course what 0:01:37.540 --> 0:01:39.700 happens is then that becomes a fight between the feds 0:01:39.700 --> 0:01:42.059 and the states as to who owns what. Who's paying 0:01:42.060 --> 0:01:44.580 for what. And in the end, people, vulnerable people with 0:01:44.580 --> 0:01:46.940 a disability lose out. So that will be a no 0:01:46.980 --> 0:01:49.220 win scenario if that's where this lands. 0:01:49.220 --> 0:01:51.779 Someone told me about three years ago what was happening 0:01:51.780 --> 0:01:55.340 with the NDIS is that state governments were simply pushing 0:01:55.340 --> 0:01:57.540 it all onto the federal government to get it off 0:01:57.540 --> 0:01:59.940 their books and onto the federal government's books. Is that true? 0:01:59.980 --> 0:02:02.860 Oh, that's absolutely true. That started ten years ago. The 0:02:02.860 --> 0:02:05.740 states ran away from disability. The minute those four letters 0:02:05.740 --> 0:02:08.780 of NDIS came up on a headline, you know, they 0:02:08.780 --> 0:02:11.900 ran away fast, so they're coming back. I think it's 0:02:11.900 --> 0:02:15.780 fair to say kicking and screaming. But in that mess 0:02:15.780 --> 0:02:19.380 of fed state, who does what, we have to remember 0:02:19.380 --> 0:02:21.980 that there are hundreds of thousands of Australians with a disability. 0:02:22.020 --> 0:02:25.260 This this scheme has given dignity and agency to those 0:02:25.260 --> 0:02:28.340 people who need it. It's not their fault that the 0:02:28.380 --> 0:02:31.820 runaway cost has been allowed to continue. That lies with 0:02:31.820 --> 0:02:34.460 the agency, and that lies with successive governments, as far 0:02:34.460 --> 0:02:35.180 as I see. 0:02:35.220 --> 0:02:38.380 MM. Well done. Well, said Nicole. Nicole Rogerson, chief executive 0:02:38.380 --> 0:02:40.420 of Autism Awareness Australia.