National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1320
To the Committee,
I am an immunocompromised person—increasingly so in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which has exacerbated my asthma and ensured that I am sick more often, for much longer. From the years 2008 to 2016, I have also engaged in periods working in the education sector as an integration aide, supporting the learning needs of students with various impediments to their learning in a mainstream cIassroom. In addition to this, I have many friends, colleagues and loved ones who fall across the spectrum of disability or work in this area.
I am writing to express my opposition to the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026. From both my lived experience and my professional expertise, I do not believe that this Bill will do anything to serve disabled people, and I believe that what the bill proposes is nothing short of eugenics, drastically reducing the quality of life of all disabled persons affected by the Bill. Many of who rely on the NDIS cannot hope to live a quality, ‘normal’ life without it. In particular, by reducing budget allocations for social, civic and community participation supports by 50 per cent, you are actively choosing to isolate disabled people from the communities they live in. You are deciding that they do not deserve to have healthy social lives or the right to participate in civil society. You are removing them out of sight, out of mind. I question how a Bill such as this can be passed with a clear conscience, knowing the statement you are making about who does and does not belong in our society.
The decision to make the submission deadline as short as it is, in soliciting contributions from a community that you are well aware is already vulnerable and may struggle to meet such a tight deadline, further guides my thinking that there is eugenics at play behind this Bill.
Assessing disabled people through a narrow definition of ‘functional capacity’ also overlooks the myriad ways that disability impacts on people’s quality of life. For example, someone suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis may be appear to be ‘functional’ in a ‘normal’ capacity, but only for short bursts before requiring a long recovery period due to over-exertion. This is certainly the case for one of my family friends, who has been in a constant battle with health providers throughout her life to understand how her condition
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1320
manifests. Being physically unable to maintain a job, she simply would not survive without NDIS support, but this new definition will make it even harder for her to live a quality, dignified life.
All of this does not even begin to explore the immense impact on the mental health of people living with disability who have become faced with this Bill, and the continuing stress it will have on them to know that further cuts could be introduced at any time. This is not quality of life. This is eugenics. Every single human being has the right to survive. If we have established a system where disability is not compatible with mainstream society, at the very least, we have a responsibility to ensure that disabled people can still participate with dignity and without shame. This Bill sends a clear message to disabled people that they are a burden, and we are better off without them.
There is much more to be said about this disgraceful Bill, but given that the deadline given to us for submissions was so tight, I will just finish by saying what a disappointment it is that the Bill was introduced by the Labour Party. This is not what I voted for, and I am thinking at this point that I will not make such a mistake again come next election. And I know I am not alone in this.
In its current form, this Bill will do nothing but harm, even if it fills your pockets. It should not have made it this far, and now I can only hope that it will not be passed by Parliament.
Sincerely,