Labor will modify its NDIS laws and invite eight weeks of extra scrutiny over plans to cut $38 billion from the scheme, in exchange for the Greens pushing the federal budget’s tax package through Parliament this week. Source: The Age.
The government secured a deal with the crossbench party yesterday after weeks of horse-trading over the two centrepieces of last month’s budget – the tax package and an overhaul of the $56 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme – spurred by furious debate in parts of the community.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the Greens deal yesterday, flanked by Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Health and NDIS Minister Mark Butler, and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher.
Mr Albanese said there would be a small cost to the NDIS delays, estimated to be hundreds of millions of dollars, but that the government would seek the Coalition’s support in pushing through with the scheme overhaul in August.
“We have a Senate that we have to deal with, and that is precisely what we’re doing,” Mr Albanese said.
“These reforms are important. They’re a result of an ambitious budget that was handed down in the interests of the Australian people.”
The government has gambled its political capital by seeking to make historic cuts to the NDIS and introduce a tax package that includes a $250 income tax offset and $1000 instant deduction for workers, as well as curbs on negative gearing and a new method for calculating capital gains tax concessions.
It has copped backlash from the Coalition and small businesses over the surprise tax changes, and voters have also marked the government down for broken promises in opinion polls.
Controversy over the NDIS changes, however, will be drawn out for another eight weeks. The laws will enable the government to cut future NDIS spending by $38 billion in the next four years, and remove more than 240,000 people from the scheme.
Greens leader Larissa Waters said the party had pushed back the start date of NDIS changes and would use the two-month delay to campaign to scrap the overhaul altogether.
“The Greens will not support the NDIS bill. We will vote against it, and we will do everything we can to delay it and stop it entirely,” Ms Waters said.
FULL STORY
Greens claw back Butler’s NDIS powers as price for passing negative gearing, CGT overhaul (By Natassia Chrysanthos and Shane Wright, The Age)
