Bill Shorten announced as new NDIS Minister

QDN congratulates Bill Shorten on the announcement that he will be sworn in as the new Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). He has been shadow Minister for the NDIS since 2019 and was also influential in the formation of the Scheme way back in 2013. QDN has been working with Minister Shorten over the last few months both up in Cairns where he met QDN members and staff and also online at our state-wide election forum. We look forward to working with Minister Shorten and his team moving forward in achieving his vision of improving the NDIS for all.

At the recent election, Labor announced its 6-point agenda to fix the NDIS, which in brief, included:

  • Revitalising the NDIA- with a commitment to lift the staffing cap and review labour hire arrangements.
  • Stopping the waste- including cracking down on provider fraud and reviewing the Agency’s use of external law firms.
  • Boosting efficiency- by improving the planning and appeals processes.
  • Stopping unfair plan cuts.
  • Fixing regional access- particularly by looking at thin markets in regional areas.
  • Putting people back into the NDIS- through co-design and having more people with disability on the board.

Additional to NDIS reforms, Labor has also promised to invest in advocacy, explore more flexible housing options, boost employment of people with disability and support Australians with a disability who are not on the NDIS.

Three people smiling at the camera. One man standing wearing a blue long sleeved business shirt, next to him a man is sitting in a wheelchair wearing a QDN black polo, next to him is a woman standing wearing a black shirt and floral skirt.