6 months ago
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Minister addresses media reports about serious criminal offenders receiving major disability support after leaving jail. Follow today’s news live
Australian Lawyers Alliance weighs in on NDIS discussion
Yesterday, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) should not be used as a means of ongoing punishment for people who have a criminal record.
The right to health is a human right that applies to all Australians whether they have a criminal record or not. Once someone has served their sentence, they should not be further punished by denying them access to government support services, if they are eligible for them.
I am writing to the states to demand they start reporting and stop keeping the NDIA in the dark when a serious criminal is released from their jails.
Now the vast bulk of people on the scheme - the vast, vast bulk - are completely legitimate and eligible but the states can’t just use the NDIS to provide round-the-clock protection for the community from a few very bad people.
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