The next federal NDIS minister should be a person with a disability, according to the Greens, who could make an audacious bid to have one of their own put in the role if they hold the balance of power after the federal election.
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Greens disability spokesman Jordon Steele-John says putting a person with lived experience in charge of the scheme is needed to ensure the voices of disabled Australians are properly heard.
Senator Steele-John, who is wheelchair-bound due to cerebal palsy, is effectively pitching himself to be a federal minister as he is the only serving member of parliament with a physical disability.
Labor could have a disabled person in caucus if amputee Ali France knocks off Defence Minister Peter Dutton in the seat of Dickson.
The chances of Labor or the Coalition inviting Senator Steele-John into cabinet are next to zero, even if the Greens hold the balance of power in a hung parliament.
But the Western Australia senator still wants to put the option on the table, arguing people with a disability are being failed without an advocate in the top decision-making role.
"We believe that to end the struggles that disabled people have been having to push back against over the last 10 years, we need to put disabled people in decision-making positions to ensure the community's voice is heard," Senator Steele-John told The Canberra Times.
"Whether it is the struggle that disabled people have had getting what they need from the NDIS, or the way that we have been left behind during the pandemic or how we have been utterly failed during the floods ... the common thread is that people who are not disabled people are making decisions which are affecting our lives."
Senator Steele-John said he would be more than happy to be overlooked if Labor or the Coalition handed the portfolio to one of their own candidates with a disability, such as Ms France.
He pointed to his ACT colleague Emma Davidson, who is disabilities minister in the Barr government, as evidence that Greens can play a role in cabinet.
Senator Steele-John's push adds another element to the election fight over the future of the NDIS, which escalated this week with the release of Labor's plans for the scheme.
Labor has vowed to return the NDIS to its "original objective" if it wins next month's election, proposing changes including lifting the staffing cap on the agency which runs the scheme.
An Albanese government would also review what Labor NDIS spokesman Bill Shorten described as the "excessive" use of external lawyers for fighting appeals brought by participants.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
