Australian Greens: Labor & Liberals Refuse to Centre Lived Experience on NDIS Committee

In the first week of Parliament, Labor and the Liberals have joined forces to deny the disability community the opportunity to have disabled person as Chair of the Joint Standing Committee of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Tonight, Senator Larissa Waters as Greens Leader in the Senate moved a motion to change the rules that govern the composition of the Joint Standing Committee of the NDIS. If that motion had been successful, it would have allowed Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John the opportunity to Chair the Committee. 

Senator Jordon Steele-John is the only physically disabled person in the Australian Parliament.

Lines attributable to Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John, Disability Rights and Services Spokesperson.  

“The Joint Standing Committee of the NDIS is the key Parliamentary oversight body of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. 

“It is an outrage that the Labor and Liberal Parties have worked together to block our Greens motion which would have ensured that a disabled person would have led that committee and the reviews it undertakes. 

“Right now the NDIS is failing so many people in our community. Urgent, transformative change is required. The only pathway we will get this change right is centering lived experience, putting disabled at the helm of reviews, and we must ensure disabled people are taking on leadership roles.=

“Shame on the old, two-party system denying our community this vital opportunity.”