More than 5,000 residents living in the federal electorate of Whitlam are at risk of being affected by NDIS job cuts if the Coalition is elected, according to the Australian Services Union.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton, alongside Liberal candidate for Whitlam Nathaniel Smith, plans to reduce the public service workforce, putting 41,000 jobs at risk, including more than 6,000 tied to the NDIS.
As early voting opens today, the union is sounding the alarm to voters in the Illawarra, where 5,098 people in Whitlam receive essential NDIS support.
ASU NSW & ACT secretary Angus McFarland said workers and people with disabilities are worried about what a Peter Dutton government would mean for them.
“For thousands of people living with disabilities in the Illawarra, the NDIS is a lifeline. But under a Coalition government, that lifeline is under threat, and uncertainty is growing,” Mr McFarland said.
“You can’t trust a Dutton-Coalition government with the NDIS. The Coalition wants to slash the public service workforce including more than 6,000 NDIS jobs. Members of the Coalition have said the NDIS has run out of control and that more can be done to cut the scheme’s growth.
“Our union has spoken to many NDIS workers, people with disabilities and their families who are all terrified about a Dutton-Coalition government. Cutting NDIS jobs will ultimately hurt local families — it will see complaints go ignored, fraud undetected, longer wait lists, and essential services face the chopping block.
“The NDIS must be the best it can be — a strong, reliable public service underpinned by a well-supported and secure workforce. Whether on the frontline or behind the scenes, NDIS workers are essential to delivering the care and support that many Australians depend on. Under a Coalition government, NDIS jobs would be cut or left unfilled, undermining the entire system and putting the quality of support for people with disability at risk.”
Media contact: Kathleen Ferguson 0421 522 080