NDIS falls victim to familiar scare tactics – while untouchables roll on

We rarely speak about how the NDIS became a catch-all because we don’t have enough social services and supports to help people who need it, according to Amy Remeikis.

A couple of years ago I overheard a conversation between two well-known conservatives, who were speaking about a mutual acquaintance.

I’m not going to name them – I was eavesdropping, so ethical lines are blurred, and who they were isn’t the point of the story. It’s what they were talking about.

This mutual acquaintance had just held a dinner party they had attended and the pair were admiring how wealthy that person had become.

“Of course, they were one of the ones who jumped on the NDIS from the ground floor, made an absolute fortune from it,” one said in admiration.

“Yes, makes me feel a little sorry for myself I didn’t get in on it – I could have retired years ago!” the other answered, as they both continued speaking about the size of the Sydney harbour apartment they had visited, and just how many holidays their friend was taking.

The pair went on to discuss just how many of their social circle had made a “killing” from the NDIS, just as other friends had made a “killing” from mutual obligations as owners of job service providers.

In almost the same breath, the pair then started speaking about how the NDIS was growing “too unwieldy” and the government “needed to do something to cut it back”.

Their solution was not that the people in their social circles, with whom they dined and enjoyed vintage wines – presumably paid for, in large part by taxpayers – stop rorting the system with overpriced services. No, as always in this situation, their “common sense” solution was for fewer people to be able to access the system that had been set up to help people like them in the first place.

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