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Disability

3 items · bills, debates and Question Time, gathered. ← All topics

Bills in progress

Bill · HouseFailed 10–72

Disability · NDIS eligibility and funding overhaul

Add crossbench safeguards to the NDIS overhaul — back it or block it?

The government's bill reshapes the NDIS: moving eligibility to an objective test of a person's functional capacity, requiring people to have tried "all appropriate treatment" before qualifying, letting the minister set funding rules and reduce some support categories, and tightening integrity checks on providers.

During the detailed stage, crossbench MPs moved many amendments to soften the impact on vulnerable participants. The government rejected most, arguing existing processes already cover the concerns, and agreed to one transparency change. Ten separate votes on the amendments were all defeated (roughly 9–11 in favour against 44–72 opposed). The debate ran about 131 minutes before being interrupted.

🗳 A public mood-check, not a scientific poll. Vote to reveal how the chamber voted.

🗳 be the first to weigh in🏛 2h 11m debated

📄 House Hansard, 1 Jul 2026 — National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026; Consideration in Detail timeline ▸

Debates

Motion · SenatePassed 37–29

Disability · NDIS bill inquiry extension

Extend the Senate inquiry into the NDIS overhaul bill until August — back it or block it?

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John moved to give the Community Affairs Legislation Committee more time to examine the government's National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill. His motion required an interim report on 23 June 2026 and a final report on 14 August 2026 — roughly eight extra weeks of scrutiny. Government Senate leader Penny Wong repeatedly moved to bring each stage to an immediate vote. Across a series of divisions the Senate backed the extension, with the closing votes 38 to 29.

🗳 A public mood-check, not a scientific poll. Vote to reveal how the chamber voted.

🗳 be the first to weigh in🏛 26m debated

📄 Senate Hansard, 23 Jun 2026 — Community Affairs Legislation Committee; Reporting Date

drill in ▸close ▾

The strongest case each way

For · Greens (Jordon Steele-John)Argued the community has not had enough time to scrutinise the bill and that it would harm disabled people by cutting the supports they rely on to work, socialise and care for their families. Said more hearings would gather more evidence and build pressure to defeat the bill, and that the government was using it to meet budget targets rather than taxing big corporations.

Against · Government (Labor, Penny Wong)Government Senate leader Penny Wong moved 'that the question be now put' at each stage, seeking to bring the debate to an immediate vote and cut it short. No substantive government argument against the extension was recorded in these speeches.

Motion · SenatePassed 29–23

Disability · NDIS overhaul bill

Order the government to scrap its NDIS overhaul bill — back it or block it?

The Greens moved a motion demanding the government withdraw its bill to change the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The Greens say the bill would remove about 241,000 people from the scheme by 2031, cut supports people rely on to shower, work and leave home, and force people with permanent disabilities to keep proving them. Labor says the scheme is growing too fast to be sustainable and its reforms fix fraud, clarify who qualifies and rein in runaway costs while the scheme keeps growing. The Coalition and some crossbenchers attacked the bill and called for a longer inquiry but did not back the withdrawal motion, which was defeated 10 votes to 32.

🗳 A public mood-check, not a scientific poll. Vote to reveal how the chamber voted.

🗳 be the first to weigh in🏛 2h 30m debated

📄 Senate Hansard, 22 Jun 2026 — National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

drill in ▸close ▾

The strongest case each way

For · GreensThe bill is cruel and should be scrapped: the government's own modelling shows it would push about 241,000 people off the NDIS by 2031 and cut nearly $40 billion, while forcing people with permanent disabilities to repeatedly prove them and stripping supports needed to shower, keep a job or leave the house. Nearly every inquiry witness said it should not pass, and the government could raise the money elsewhere instead of cutting disability supports.

Against · Government (Labor)The NDIS is growing unsustainably — projected to cost around $100 billion a year by the middle of next decade — and a right that can't be sustained is a right denied. The reforms tackle fraud, clarify who the scheme is for, invest $10 billion in supports outside the scheme, and reset community-participation spending to 2023 levels; the scheme will still grow and stay the most comprehensive disability support in the OECD. Claims that supports are being removed entirely are false.

Mixed · CoalitionThe bill as written is not fit for purpose and frightened witnesses who fear for their lives, but the government has failed to even quantify how much fraud exists, ignored thin markets in the regions and given the minister sweeping powers. The Coalition wants a six-month inquiry and proper amendments rather than ramming it through — but did not vote for the Greens' motion to withdraw it entirely.

Mixed · David Pocock (Ind)Reform is genuinely needed — the scheme must be sustainable, well governed and protected from fraud, and participants themselves say savings can be found. But the bill hands the minister power to cut personal, social and community supports by up to 99% with almost no safeguards, and cutting community participation risks the isolation that leaves people unsafe. The inquiry should be extended for proper scrutiny.

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