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. 

Greens Support Queenslanders with Disability Network Calls For Better Disaster Response For The Disability Community 

Today Greens Spokesperson for Disability Jordon Steele-John and Greens Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters have given their support for a range of policy commitments set out by the Queensland Disability Network.

Disabled person and spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services Senator Jordon Steele-John has announced the Australian Greens have released a plan to improve the lives of disabled people across the country.

Australian Greens Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services Senator Steele-John said:
“I am so excited to release the first stage of our monumental Greens plan for disabled people ahead of International Day of People with Disabilities. 

Wednesday 30 June, 2021

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said projections in the 2021 Intergenerational Report (IGR) did not support the Morrison government's claims the NDIS was growing unsustainability nor justify cuts to the scheme.

Senator Steele-John said the Morrison government were not being transparent with the community about claimed 'cost blowouts' in the NDIS.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has backed calls for the NDIS to scrap its age cap and allow disabled people over the age of 65 to access the supports they need to live a good life.

Senator Steele-John said it was both arbitrary and discriminatory to block disabled people over the age of 65 from accessing the NDIS.

"Older Australians with a disability deserve to be able to access the supports and services that they need to live a good life, just like everyone else," Steele-John said.

A report titled Plan Flexibility and Budget Planning, released today and intended to dispel concerns, confirms many of the community's worst fears about the Morrison government's proposed changes to the NDIS.

Australian Greens Disability Rights and Services spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said that, contrary to the stated aims of the proposed changes, disabled people would have significantly less choice and control under the new funding model.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said today the Government's plans to stall the introduction of compulsory independent assessments was an acknowledgement of the broad opposition to the controversial changes from disabled people and peak advocacy organisations.

"It's pretty clear that the new NDIS Minister has seen the writing on the wall about compulsory independent assessments," Steele-John said, "Which is a direct result of pressure from our community, who have been campaigning against them from the very beginning!"

As revealed in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Morrison Government's proposed independent assessments changes to the NDIS were never originally recommended as part of the Tune Review, instead they were inserted by a public servant on behalf of the government.

Australian Greens disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said this shocking revelation was conclusive proof that independent assessments were about saving money, not about making the scheme work for disabled people.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has labelled comments made this morning by Minister Robert about the NDIS as cynical, misleading and offensive.

"Minister Robert's comments about our NDIS are deeply concerning and a smokescreen for a much broader power grab from the Morrison government," Steele-John said.

"If a disabled person who is a participant of the NDIS can show that a support or a service they wish to include in their plan is reasonable or necessary, then the scheme is working as it should.

Australian Greens Disability Rights & Services spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said the vast majority of the government's reduced budget surplus of $5.1 billion - announced today in the Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook - was coming from a structural underspend in the NDIS.

"This is a government who is boasting about balancing their books on the backs of disabled people and our families," Steele-John said today.