Latest news with #NDIS
Sky News AU
14 hours ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
'Bunch of drunken sailors': Sky News host Steve Price scorns Labor's 'crazy' spending as NDIS budget exceeds defence by a billion
Sky News host Steve Price has hit out at Labor's 'crazy' spending as the NDIS budget overshadows defence while more than half the nation relies on some form of government subsidy. Price said the Albanese government was rightly happy to have won the federal election, but now needed to get the country 'back on track'. A report by the Centre for Independent Studies which found more than half of Australian voters rely on government for most of their income - through wages, benefits or subsidies - was proof of the major challenges ahead, he claimed. 'We have become a nation of leaners, not leaders, and I hate to say that,' Price said. 'We have continued to swamp the country with unprecedented numbers of migrants. We have workers relying on governments for their pay packets. That grows alarmingly.' CIS economist Robert Carling warned such widespread dependence has fuelled unsustainable government spending and eroded economic resilience. In a new paper published on Wednesday, Leviathan on the Rampage, Mr Carling warned federal spending alone has reached 27.6 per cent of GDP. This was up from between 24 and 25 per cent of GDP in 2012-13 and has been fuelled by a 'program expansion in social services, defence and debt interest'. 'How can that be sustainable?' Price said. 'According to that report, spending is driven largely by a small group of programmes including - surprise surprise - the NDIS, Aged Care, Medicare and Defence. The NDIS is actually costing taxpayers more than what we spend on defence. How crazy is that? This year alone, $52 billion on the NDIS. 'Simply not sustainable.' Australia's current defence budget is $51 billion. Price said the Labor government was 'spending like a bunch of drunken sailors'. According to the federal budget 2025-26, the NDIS recorded the second highest annual growth in major payments, behind only interest. It has been projected to cost more than $64 billion by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, the federal budget has been projected to endure a decade of deficits and surge past $1 trillion of debt. The findings come just days after leaked Treasury advice revealed the Albanese government has been told to pursue 'spending reductions'. Treasury said Treasurer Jim Chalmers would need to find 'additional revenue and spending reductions' to ensure a 'sustainable budget'.
West Australian
21 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Disability support provider Activ Foundation to become genU after merger with Victorian provider
Disability support service Activ Foundation will be known as genU from September 1 after the WA organisation's merger with the Victorian provider. Activ and genU announced in 2024 that they were joining forces to broaden both organisations' service offerings across disability employment, accommodation, allied health, community programs, training and social enterprise. The merger will make genU one of the country's biggest NDIS providers. Chief corporate officer Kelly Marshall said the move would strengthen the calibre of services provided. 'Our current Activ clients won't see any change — they will continue to receive the same high-quality services, from the same friendly faces, in the same familiar places,' she said. Ms Marshall said that scaling up would allow the organisation to give stability for existing clients and ensure the organisation was 'prepared for the future and can continue to empower people to lead their best lives'. 'Our national presence gives us a strong foundation to advocate on behalf of our clients and the sector, and we are also expanding our national opportunities for partnerships and fundraising to reduce the reliance on government funding for core services,' she said. Proceeds from genU's WA-based fundraising initiatives will stay in the State to be invested back into local programs and services, including the Chevron City to Surf for Activ, which will become the Chevron City to Surf for genU from 2026.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
‘Debt-funded largesse': Majority of voters depend on government income, new research finds, as public spending hits post-war high
More than half of Australian voters rely on government for most of their income—through wages, benefits or subsidies—according to new research by the Centre for Independent Studies. CIS economist Robert Carling has warned that such widespread dependence has fuelled unsustainable government spending and eroded economic resilience. In a new paper published on Wednesday, Leviathan on the Rampage, Mr Carling warned that federal spending alone has reached 27.6 per cent of GDP. This was up from 24-25 per cent of GDP in 2012-13 and has been fuelled by a 'program expansion in social services, defence and debt interest'. More than half of Australian voters rely on government for most of their income—through wages, benefits or subsidies—according to new research by the Centre for Independent Studies. Federal government programs spiral Mr Carling's report highlighted that a small group of rapidly expanding programs drive more than 60 per cent of the growth in federal spending since 2012–13. These programs include the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), aged care, Medicare, and defence. The NDIS has exceeded the entire federal government's expenditure on defence and will cost taxpayers $52 billion in 2025, compared to $51 billion for the defence budget. According to the federal budget 2025-26, the NDIS recorded the second highest annual growth in major payments, behind only interest. It has been projected to cost more than $64 billion by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, the federal budget has been projected to endure a decade of deficits and surge past $1 trillion of debt. Robert Carling is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies and a former World Bank, IMF and federal and state Treasury economist. Drawing on influential economist Frederic Bastiat's warning that 'the state is that great fiction by which everyone tries to live at the expense of everyone else', Mr Carling argues Australia has crossed a tipping point. 'Without a determined reset of expectations, Australia risks sliding into a European-style welfare state — slower growth, higher taxes and a culture where 'voting for a living' replaces 'working for a living'," he said. 'The honeymoon of debt-funded largesse is over.' The CIS report warns that even if current growth in some areas slows, debt interest costs are projected to rise by 9.5 per cent annually over the next decade. Meanwhile, over $100 billion in off-budget 'investments', including energy transition funds and student loan schemes, remain hidden from headline spending figures. Leaked treasury advice calls for tax hikes The findings come just days after leaked Treasury advice revealed the Albanese government has been advised to pursue 'spending reductions'. The independent Treasury said that Treasurer Jim Chalmers would need to find 'additional revenue and spending reductions' to ensure 'sustainable budget'. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley warned on Tuesday that 'clearly there is work going on to increase taxes'. 'We know this because of leaked Treasury advice that demonstrates that there will be a plan coming forward to tax Australians more,' she said. 'Now that's a broken promise if that happens, and we will hold them to account.' Treasurer defends long-term reform plan Treasurer Jim Chalmers has defended the government's fiscal plan and said the leaked briefing was not inconsistent with the government's stated priorities. 'The (upcoming economic reform) roundtable is all about building consensus on long-term economic reform, with a focus on … budget sustainability,' he said on Friday. 'It's an outstanding group of people who we believe will make a big contribution to the future direction of economic reform. 'While we can't invite representatives from every industry or organisation, everyone has the chance to have their say in this process with online submissions still open.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Talented 10-year-old runner is BANNED from competing because he has autism
A 10-year-old boy with autism, Charlie Cox, has been excluded from the NSW Primary School Cross Country Championships. Despite qualifying for the state finals as a special needs athlete, the NSW Education Department ruled him ineligible to compete. The decision has sparked scrutiny of the state's athletics guidelines for students with disabilities. 'We were very disappointed that Charlie was excluded,' his father Owen Cox told Channel Seven. 'We are hoping that there's some type of intervention from the government. Fingers crossed things can change.' The number of autistic Australians rose by 41.8 per cent from 2018 to 2022, reaching 290,900 people or 1.1 per cent of the population, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that affects how a person communicates, interacts, and experiences the world. It is recognised as a disability in Australia under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS); however, funding is restricted to only the more severe cases on the spectrum. Because autism is a spectrum, not every case is the same. While some children may be impacted by developmental delays or issues with motor skills, sensory processing, social interactions, and cognitive functions, others thrive in sport with appropriate support and accommodations. NBA player Tony Snell, NFL defender Joe Barksdale and Major League Baseball star Jim Eisenreich are some high-profile autistic athletes who have competed at the highest level. The spectrum is what has made it challenging to create an autism category. 'As such, the inclusion of an autism category for the sports of athletics and cross country are not feasible in the Representative School Sport Pathway,' the NSW Department of Education told Charlie's family. 'There are no nationally recognised benchmarks to support fair and consistent result calculation. 'Other states and territories that have made local provisions for participation do so outside the formal School Sport Australia pathway and there is no fair or consistent result calculation, nor is there a pathway to the next level of representation. 'Your concern is acknowledged and please be reassured that the NSW Department of Education remains committed to advocating for broader inclusion through national sporting bodies such as Athletics Australia.' 'He is so keen [to run],' his mother Sasha told Radio 2GB host Ben Fordham. 'He keeps asking, 'Do I get to run? Do I get to run?" 'It's heartbreaking when you have to tell him we don't know, we have to wait and see. 'But I try and digress him [to] possibly take up tennis next year, so I am already prepping him for that.' Fordham said he was surprised there is no category for ASD children given the rapid rise in Australians with the condition. 'That would make common sense, wouldn't it?' Sasha responded. 'But unfortunately it hasn't gone that way and it's not really inclusive for autistic athletes in athletics.' Fordham asked Sasha what competing meant to her son. 'He is so proud of himself. Just the pride and the self awareness and being able to encourage him to go further,' she said. 'It's really helped him as a person to grow and adapt. 'Intellectual abilities are allowed to compete. 'The fellas he was running up against will be participating there on Wednesday, so yes, they're included. 'But not Charlie, not autism, unfortunately.' Fordham said that it appeared that Athletics Australia had put Charlie's case in the 'too hard' basket. 'Is it too much to organise?' Sasha asked. 'Maybe they need to speak to other bodies and see how they administer their policies in including autism and categorising them. 'I'm not too sure, but there has to be something that can be done, surely.' Charlie has received plenty of support, with a large number of Aussies claiming his exclusion was discrimination. 'He won the race and qualified to go further, but because he has autism he is disqualified from competing? What a joke, he has autism, he is not from another planet,' one commented. 'He has earned the right to run, just let him run,' another said. Others pointed out that because of the autism spectrum it was not as simple as creating an ASD classification. 'I'm autistic, I get what they are saying. It's too much of a spectrum they haven't nailed down yet,' one Aussie posted on social media. Many commenters were united in the belief that Charlie should be allowed to run, not just excluded because there is no classification for him. 'Just because there arent any classifications for different disabilities doesn't mean they should exclude,' one follower posted. 'It is terrible that he can't compete because their [sic] is no classification for autistic athletes in the but why can he not just compete in the 'able body class' with everyone else?' asked another.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Disability advocates say NDIS changes disregard alternative therapy benefits
On the red dirt in the outskirts of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, a large, dark bay horse gently nuzzles Cooper in the chest. The 16-year-old in a wide-brim cowboy hat smiles. It is a sweet moment between the two friends. Cooper remembers being sceptical when his parents first suggested equine therapy as a way to build confidence and better manage his emotions during a difficult period. But he gave it a go. And the results, he says, have been life-changing. "It helps regulate my emotions. "When you're in control of such a big animal, it makes the other big things in life seem less scary." In his first equine therapy session, Cooper bonded with a horse named Rio. "Rio's the biggest and scariest," he said. "He weighs over half a ton. "They say he has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), which is OK because I do too." Now, as Cooper gently brushes Rio under the dappled shade of a gum tree, both seem very serene. Cooper, who also has autism, accessed equine therapy through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). However, that stopped in October when the federal government introduced significant changes to the NDIS to reduce costs, including no longer funding equine therapy. Peak disability advocacy bodies have told the government some of the new rules are too "medicalised" and don't consider the benefits of some alternative therapies. The feedback was part of a consultation period on the new NDIS Support rules, open for public submissions until July 27. The NDIS Support rules list what is and is not funded. You can read it here. One of the major changes is that the NDIS will no longer fund supports that are not "evidence-based" or directly linked to someone's disability. Equine therapy falls under the umbrella of animal therapies, which are activities designed for people to have a positive experience with animals. It can include things like rabbit petting, playing with puppies or horse riding. Often, the goal is to help people cope with or recover from mental and physical health conditions, but it can vary. Under the changes, animal therapy has been deemed an "alternative" or "complementary therapy" and now falls in the same excluded category as tarot card reading, aromatherapy and crystal therapy. Assistance animals, like guide dogs, that are specially trained to help someone manage a disability, remain funded. As does animal-assisted therapy, which is where an accredited therapist uses an animal to help clients engage in therapy and get the most out of their sessions. Music and art therapy also remain funded by the NDIS, as long as the therapists are registered with the relevant peak bodies, which require them to have undergone recognised training and accreditation. In May, the government held online consultation sessions with disability peak bodies around the NDIS Support rules. A summary document of the feedback says there is evidence some supports no longer funded by the NDIS, like (alternative) therapies, work well for people with disability, where it meets their needs. "Participants particularly spoke about therapies. They said the lists are 'medicalised' and do not consider the benefit of some alternative therapies to participants." Other feedback included that remote communities need to be considered separately from metropolitan areas. "There are gaps in services in rural and remote communities that means more flexibility is needed." The Department of Social Services (DSS), which is running the consultations, says the feedback will help make decisions about what supports will and won't be funded in the future. People with Disability Australia was one of the peak advocacy organisations to contribute to the May round of consultation. Acting chief executive Megan Spindler-Smith said there were concerns the lists were too medicalised and too focused on being evidence-based. "This drive to be evidence-based is important, but what it means is that a lot of things like alternative therapies we know work in specific cases, or for some groups of people with disability, are not able to be considered," they said. Mx Spindler-Smith said the term "evidence-based" was also problematic because people with disability had historically not been allowed to take part in research, particularly clinical research. "So then that evidence doesn't necessarily link exactly to our direct lived experience." Another concern, Mx Spindler-Smith said, was the lack of consideration and flexibility for those living in non-metropolitan areas to access funded support services. "Registered therapists don't necessarily have a home base in many regional and remote areas," they said. "Which means that there are cohorts that are never going to be able to access it in the same way and therefore have been using non-registered therapists or people who can provide a similar level under supervision but cannot be seen as part of the list." Mx Spindler-Smith said it was important those in the disability community shared their views and experiences. "Right now, there is an opportunity until July 27 for you to have your say," they said. Lynette Keleher is the owner and operator of Breakthrough Equine Therapy, where Cooper does his lessons. Ms Keleher said Cooper was just one of hundreds of young people on the NDIS she had seen benefit from equine therapy over the years. She likened it to learning a new language or musical instrument in terms of how it engaged the body, brain and emotions. "We have a retainment rate of 90 per cent. Week after week, our clients return eager to see their favourite horse and reconnect. "You can see their troubles, negative thoughts and self-doubts disappear." Ms Keleher said previously, the business had about 50 per cent NDIS clients but had to pivot to offering other services when the changes came into effect. She said the financial impact meant a reduction in the number of staff — many of whom were NDIS participants employed through Breakthrough. Kalgoorlie-Boulder resident Jo Russell said her 21-year-old daughter Megan, regularly attended the equine therapy sessions at Breakthrough. "The gains she had made — it matched up with her NDIS goals. It aligned with what we were trying to develop and create for her and with that little stroke of the pen … it's all gone." Megan Russell requires full-time care. She is non-verbal, has autism, an intellectual disability and hip dysplasia. Her mother, Jo Russell, said the equine therapy sessions had both psychosocial and physical benefits. The physical benefits came from sitting up straight in the saddle and riding, which improved her daughter's mobility, posture and flexibility. And the psychosocial benefits, Ms Russell said, came from feeding and grooming horses, and interacting with staff, which helped break down the interpersonal gaps that came from her autism and avoiding contact. Ms Russell said continuing with the sessions, without the support of the NDIS, was not financially feasible. "[My daughter] is on a disability support pension. I'm on a disability support pension. I couldn't afford it for her, she couldn't afford it for herself," Ms Russell said. Ms Russell said she had heard similar stories from other members of the Goldfield region's disability community. "They're all very distressed because some of them can see their children regressing," she said. "The gains that have been made [through equine therapy], have now been lost." Ms Russell said the changes disproportionately affected regional and remote communities, like Kalgoorlie-Boulder, which struggled to attract and retain experienced specialists and health professionals. Psychologist and animal-assisted therapy expert, Professor Pauleen Bennett, said while there could be benefits to activities like equine therapy — the term "therapy" was misleading and the lack of regulation and oversight had the potential to cause harm. Professor Bennett said the alternative could be damaging and meant people might be missing out on real therapy with a qualified therapist. "For me, the critical difference is whether it's therapy or whether it's something else," she said. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't be doing it, and maybe the NDIS needs to be looking as some sort of way of accrediting people or organisations who do animal-assisted activities, but without calling it therapy," she said. Without the proper checks and balances that existed for other allied health services, Professor Bennett said anyone could claim to provide animal therapy — and there was no way for people to know whether it was fantastic or terrible. "We need some way of ensuring that the activities that they're doing are having a positive benefit," she said. "For some people, they definitely are. But without some sort of quality control … it's difficult to know." Meanwhile, Cooper and his family will be watching the outcome of the NDIS Support rules review closely. The Kalgoorlie teenager has not stopped equine therapy sessions entirely, but without the support of NDIS funding, they say visits will be fewer and far between.
