2SM with Chris Smith - 7 April 2026

Melissa McIntosh MP

Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services

Shadow Minister for NDIS

Shadow Minister for Women

Federal Member for Lindsay

 

7 April 2026

 

Transcript

 

2SM with Chris Smith

 

Topics: NDIS; Penrith Panthers 2026 season

 

E&EO …

 

 

Chris Smith

Melissa, a very good morning to you.

 

Melissa McIntosh

Good morning.

 

Chris Smith

How was Easter at your place? No doubt a bit of attending a church service or two and then an egg a thon with your kids.

 

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah, we went to church on Sunday in Penrith. That was beautiful. I had my whole family over on Saturday, including my parents, cousins and very crazy times. So, it was very family.

 

Chris Smith

Good.

 

Melissa McIntosh

I feel very grateful for that. I hope you had and your listeners all had a wonderful Easter.

 

Chris Smith

I'm sure they did. I'm sure they did. Except, of course, for getting over the Great Western Highway but that's a story for another day. I saw some of the traffic lines last night, you just wouldn't want to have to get back to work on Tuesday and return from the Central West somewhere, because it's just a nightmare and it's likely to be a nightmare for far too long.

 

Melissa McIntosh

Get that tunnel going, I think.

 

Chris Smith

Get the tunnel going. Well, they've been suggesting a tunnel since the mid-80s.

 

Melissa McIntosh

I know, I know, but just shows how much we rely on old infrastructure. The government should have paid more attention to this, as did the local member for Macquarie before it got to this stage, but as you said, that's a discussion for another day.

 

Chris Smith

Okay, I want to talk about the NDIS. There are a couple of things happening. There are some senior Labor frontbenchers who are wanting the party to redesign the NDIS, which sounds more like what it needs, and there's another promise of major changes, more accountability that will be presented before the Parliament in the budget. Now, I'll be convinced when I actually see this actually happen, because we've had too many ministers like Bill Shorten promising lots of crackdowns and never delivering. But the NDIS is a runaway train, and it's got to be dragged back, doesn't it?

 

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah, it's certainly a disaster barrelling down the tracks, you are right. And I have a lot of respect, particularly for Mike Freelander, I know him pretty well, he's from Western Sydney. So, it's really curious that you've got these two backbenchers, both doctors, come out on this issue. It's very rare to see Labor MPs going against anything that the government's doing or speaking out on anything, they usually get into a lot of strife. So, it does show that the government is in a bit of disarray on this particular issue. They went hard when Bill Shorten was leader and when he had the role himself. I agree we need to cut the spending. My concern is the NDIS has gone from something that had vulnerable people at its heart, which is a good thing, to something that seems to be getting really rotten at its core. And there is so much rorting going on within the system and the people that are suffering besides the Australian taxpayer are these really vulnerable people. They're getting plans that are being taken away from them because the government is trying to save money. We have 94% of providers in the NDIS, I reckon your listeners will be aghast to know, that are not registered. This means there is no base standard of care, anyone can do it, 94% and we have $5 billion estimated of rorting going on in the system each year, every single year, $5 billion.

 

Chris Smith

They almost created a system that had superb carrots for those who were unqualified to do the work.

 

Melissa McIntosh

You're right. People that are completely unqualified and you can be someone looking after someone with a disability and you have no qualifications. So, I came into this probably a month or two ago now and I was shocked, even though I've got lots of cases coming through my office on the NDIS, shocked to know that you don't need to be registered and you’re caring for people. Shocked to know that people that are, and I don't want to say this is everyone because there is a human element to this, it's meant to be about humans. There are people that are managing people's plans and ripping them off, therefore ripping the government off. People, what do they call it, the wedding tax where people are charging when they hear it's a NDIS plan for a cleaning service they put it up four times and this is taxpayers’ money. So, it's so complex and intertwined, I think the system just needs a huge overhaul and the Coalition would be willing to work with the Government on sensible measures.

 

Chris Smith

And the most ludicrous thing is every time I raise the NDIS on this program and it happened last week, I get calls from people who one, talk about how the next door neighbour is rorting and how someone they know is rorting it, have been rorting it for a long time, and then the next person you take on the open line is someone who's been trying to get on the NDIS and are legitimate recipients in their mind who can't.

 

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah, and that's where it's nonsensical. I have a lot of locals that are on the NDIS and one of the things I do is go up and down the High Street and speak to people, I love doing that, and on one hand, you're right, they're really upset that they're being caught up in a system where they feel like it's become a bad system. They don't like being associated with rorts and criminal activity, all these sorts of things because they're in need. And then they tell me about people with severe disability that either can't get the plans, and they can't get on the system or have had their plans just arbitrarily cut for no reason, no consultation, this is where there's such an unevenness within the system. Let's go back to why this was set up in the first place. It's meant to be about the most vulnerable, so they can have independence and have some form of quality of life and then you've got these people, 94% of people not being registered, just having a free for all on taxpayers’ money. So, yes, something needs to happen. We do need to reduce it, but we need to make sure that we do have compassion when it comes to reduction in expenditure.

 

Chris Smith

The energy regulator, the AER, has released a set of numbers showing how crippled we are by energy debt in this country. It really has blown out. Electricity hardship debt up nearly 23%. Gas debt, the same story and now we've got missed payments rising right across the board. Which tells you this isn't just about the most vulnerable anymore.

 

Melissa McIntosh

That's right and I think this is one of the reasons why Australians are getting so disconnected and so angry about politics and Government in this country and that level of distrust, because people are suffering, it's one blow after another. We've had petrol prices, energy, fuel. I have a story of the provider of food banks in my electorate needed help to pay their own energy bills and they were trying to help people pay their energy bills and this was a year or two ago and nothing's changed, it's gotten worse for people. So, there is no give left in the household budget. People are right at the very end of their capacity to deal with their personal finances and they're not getting the help they need from the Government. This is a time when Governments meant to help and step in, but they're not getting that.

 

Chris Smith

Now, can I raise an even more important issue? The Penrith Panthers.

 

Melissa McIntosh

Oh, yeah.

 

Chris Smith

I think that it was actually a fabricated game against the Storm. You didn't win 50 points to 10 because no one could beat the Storm 50 points to 10. Should we give you the trophy now?

 

Melissa McIntosh

Just give it to us now, right. We said it was going to be our comeback year. We were ripped off by the Broncos last year.

 

Chris Smith

Ripped off by the Broncos. This is avid. Well, I don't know, I don't want to go through the ignominy of what the Storm went through, because if they can put 50 points on the Storm, they'll definitely put 50 points on my Rabbitohs.

 

Melissa McIntosh

Gosh, is that even a game?

 

Chris Smith

Oh, stop. It's been terrific having you on this program for 2026, thank you very much. No, I don't mean that. But listen, it's just extraordinary what an incredible game it was, and I was just shaking my head as all my friends were saying, just give them the trophy now to avoid us the embarrassment through the season.

 

Melissa McIntosh

Well, we don't want to get too big for our boots do we, literally. But they are playing amazingly, and I think the fire is there again to reclaim what's rightfully ours.

 

Chris Smith

They'll pump, they will pump, congratulations. All right. It should be an incredible year for the Panthers, I'm sure. Thank you, Melissa.

 

Melissa McIntosh

Thank you very much.