NDIS Fraud Inquiry: Labor's Tougher Stance

0:00It's March 23rd, this is Cindy News today, powered by AI. The Australian labor government is pushing for a parliamentary inquiry into fraud in the National Disability Insurance Scheme, a program worth $50 billion. NDIS minister Jenny McAllister wrote to a joint committee on Monday asking it to probe the scale of fraud and noncompliance plus ways to strengthen the system ahead of the May budget. Recent cases highlight the problem with three people prosecuted in Melbourne last week. One man got three years in jail for sharing details of 90 participants with a shady provider, pocketing $190,000 in. Fake claims. A 60-year-old woman also received three years after targeting non-English speakers and Turkish and Arabic communities owing $296,000 in repayments. These busts came from a fraud task force set up by former minister Bill Shorten. Now, with new ministers in place after a cabinet shuffle, the focus is on curving runaway

1:01costs. The scheme serves 760,000 people and could hit $100 billion a year in a decade without changes. Officials aim to slow annual growth from 10.3% to just five or six percent soon, freeing up budget savings. They worry fraudy roads trust, so the government wants reforms to protect participants and ensure the program's future. The committee, led by labor, MP Libby Coker, or review past policies, hear from experts and suggest new laws by June 19th. This move signals a tougher stance on integrity as the budget talks heat up.