News
People living with disability across NSW and the ACT are at risk of being affected by NDIS job cuts if the Coalition is elected, according to the Australian Services Union (ASU).
More than 32,000 of the affected residents live within the federal electorates of Whitlam, Central Coast, Paterson, the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury regions, as well as Gilmore in the ACT.
Australian Services Union says the NDIS could experience cutbacks to their workforce, should the Liberal party win the election.
It had been reported that Opposition leader Peter Dutton, plans to reduce the public service workforce, putting 41,000 jobs at risk, including more than 6,000 tied to the NDIS.
As early voting opens today, voters in the disability sector and the wider community are being urged by the ASU to think about what a Coalition government could look like for those who receive essential NDIS support.
Angus McFarland, Australian Services Union secretary for NSW and ACT, says workers and people with disabilities are worried about what a win for Peter Dutton would mean for them.
The NDIS is a lifeline…But under a Coalition government, that lifeline is under threat, and uncertainty is growing. Our union has spoken to many NDIS workers, people with disabilities and their families who are all terrified about a Dutton-Coalition government.
Angus McFarland
The Coalition’s shadow public service minister, Jane Hume, told Sky News that the National Disability Insurance Scheme had “run out of control,” and claimed more “can be done” to home in on its exponential growth.
People with Disability Australia says Coalition Senator Jane Hume’s remarks insinuate further reductions to growth targets for the NDIS are on the table, sparking fear and anger among the disability community.
The NDIS is an essential service, not a luxury. Any move to restrict access or cut funding is not just a betrayal of our rights – it’s bad economics.
Megan Spindler-Smith
The Coalition has since walked back on Ms Hume’s comments, with Michael Sukkar, the opposition’s NDIS spokesperson, dismissing claims the opposition would cut NDIS funding.
“The Coalition is not cutting the NDIS, this was just a false accusation from a desperate government,” he says.
What Mr Sukkar neglected to state, is what the Coalition will do to improve the NDIS, as they have not outlined their alternative plans. It’s a situation leaving people with disability uncertain and anxious about what lies ahead.
Spokesperson for the Australian Services Union, Angus McFarland, says voters should exercise caution if voting for the Liberal party.
“You can’t trust a Dutton-Coalition government with the NDIS...Under a Coalition government, NDIS jobs would be cut or left unfilled, undermining the entire system and putting the quality of support for people with disability at risk.”
“Cutting NDIS jobs will ultimately hurt local families — it will see complaints go ignored, fraud undetected, longer wait lists, and essential services face the chopping block,” the ASU spokesperson says.
The Australian Services Union stresses that the NDIS must be the best it can be — a strong, reliable public service underpinned by a well-supported and secure workforce.
Whether on the frontline or behind the scenes, the ASU argues NDIS workers are essential to delivering the care and support that many Australians depend on.