MEDIA STATEMENT 29 April 2026
As a father of a daughter on the NDIS, I know first-hand just how important this scheme is to Australian families.
The NDIS is one of the most significant social reforms in our nation’s history. It has changed lives for the better, and it must be protected. I support it, I value it, and I will always fight to ensure it is there for those who genuinely need it.
But the reality is this: under Labor, the NDIS has become mismanaged, unsustainable, and increasingly uncertain for participants and their families.
The recent announcements from the Albanese Government confirm what Australians already know. The scheme is growing too fast, costs are out of control, and its social licence is eroding by the day.
On ABC Radio last week, I made it clear that the NDIS was designed for people with permanent and significant disabilities, yet the scheme has expanded well beyond its original intent.
When the scheme was first established, it was expected to support around 400,000 Australians at maturity. That number has blown out to more than 760,000.
Costs have followed the same trajectory. The NDIS is now costing around $50 billion a year, on par with our national defence budget, and is projected to double within the decade if left unchecked.
That unsustainable, and if we do not act now, the scheme risks failing the very people it was designed to support.
The Coalition has been clear. We support sensible, practical reform to restore integrity and sustainability to the NDIS. But Australians deserve honesty, detail, and certainty and that is where this Government has fallen well short.
The recent announcement raises serious concerns.
Labor is proposing to slow growth dramatically, introduce widespread reassessments, and shift thousands of Australians off the scheme, yet there remains very little clarity about what happens next.
Where will those Australians go? What supports will replace the NDIS for them? And how will vulnerable families be protected during this transition?
Even the Government has admitted the scheme has been exposed to fraud, rorting, and criminal activity on a significant scale. It is estimated that around 10% of the scheme’s costs are fraudulent. That’s $5,000,000,000.00 worth of fraud, paid for by the Australian tax payer. That is unacceptable.
Australians expect their tax dollars to be protected, and participants deserve a system that works for them, not one that is exploited by bad actors.
The priority must be clear: Fix the fraud. Restore integrity. Return the scheme to its original purpose.
What we cannot support is a rushed, poorly explained overhaul that creates fear and uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of Australians with a disability.
Reform must be done properly. It must be done transparently. And it must be done with the people it affects at the centre of every decision.
As someone who understands the NDIS not just as a policymaker, but as a parent, I will continue to advocate for a system that is fair, sustainable, and focused on those who need it most.
Australians with a disability deserve certainty, dignity, and support, not more Labor confusion and chaos.[ENDS]
Media Contact: Brendan West – 0402 556 646 – Brendan.west@aph.gov.au
