S1: Uh, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned that the National Disability
S1: Insurance Scheme is not affordable in its current form. Where
S1: have you been for five years? Laying the groundwork for
S1: major changes to the $50 billion program, which is going
S1: to be a $62 billion program in forward estimates to
S1: become the central savings plank of next month's budget. Nicole Rogerson,
S1: the chief executive of Autism Awareness Australia. Nicole, do you
S1: get the impression that the part of the NDIS that
S1: they're looking to make the most savings from is autism
S1: and spectrum are the type areas.
S2: Look, we just don't know yet. Um, I think it's
S2: fair to say the government's already last year made a
S2: lot of announcements about the changes that would be in
S2: the autism sphere, particularly for children. So we don't yet
S2: know what the announcement is going to be tomorrow. I
S2: think it might be more broad than just autism itself.
S3: So, Nicole, it appears that what they're trying to do
S3: is push push it back to the states. And so
S3: if you if you imagine how that plays out for autism,
S3: what do you think's going to be the outcome?
S2: Well, I hate to be a doomer here, okay? Because
S2: I just want to be really clear. I think it
S2: is really sensible for the federal government to come in
S2: here and say, we need to make some changes. The
S2: NDIS cannot be a runaway train of cost. We need
S2: it to be here in the long run. And successive
S2: governments have failed. The NDIS has, as has the agency itself.
S2: So clean up time is here. I totally get it.
S2: What we're asking the government is to think about this
S2: really carefully and, you know, measure twice, cut once. You know,
S2: we we need a scalpel here, not a machete. So yeah,
S2: they are trying to bring the states back in and
S2: the states agreed to do that. But of course what
S2: happens is then that becomes a fight between the feds
S2: and the states as to who owns what. Who's paying
S2: for what. And in the end, people, vulnerable people with
S2: a disability lose out. So that will be a no
S2: win scenario if that's where this lands.
S1: Someone told me about three years ago what was happening
S1: with the NDIS is that state governments were simply pushing
S1: it all onto the federal government to get it off
S1: their books and onto the federal government's books. Is that true?
S2: Oh, that's absolutely true. That started ten years ago. The
S2: states ran away from disability. The minute those four letters
S2: of NDIS came up on a headline, you know, they
S2: ran away fast, so they're coming back. I think it's
S2: fair to say kicking and screaming. But in that mess
S2: of fed state, who does what, we have to remember
S2: that there are hundreds of thousands of Australians with a disability.
S2: This this scheme has given dignity and agency to those
S2: people who need it. It's not their fault that the
S2: runaway cost has been allowed to continue. That lies with
S2: the agency, and that lies with successive governments, as far
S2: as I see.
S1: MM. Well done. Well, said Nicole. Nicole Rogerson, chief executive
S1: of Autism Awareness Australia.