Sky News NewsDay with Kieran Gilbert - 16 June 2026

Melissa McIntosh MP
Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services
Shadow Minister for the NDIS
Shadow Minister for Women
Federal Member for Lindsay

16 June 2026

Transcript

Sky News NewsDay

Topics: NDIS report delay

E&EO

Kieran Gilbert 

Let's bring in the Shadow Minister for NDIS, Melissa McIntosh. Melissa, thanks for your time. What is the reason for this delay, as far as you're aware? What is the Government saying in relation to this, and from the inquiry, have you got any further concerns on the savings and the cuts planned by the Government?

Melissa McIntosh 

Thanks, Kieran. I think the Government is hiding from the reality we heard throughout the inquiry, and I pushed really hard to even have this on the agenda, that people are very concerned that the cuts to the NDIS that the Albanese Labor Government wants to make will result in deaths, people dying. So, it hasn't been good news from the public outrage, particularly when it comes to not having any scrutiny, not having any consultation with the disability community, and those who this scheme was set up for in the first place, those with the most profound disabilities now really outraged and not being listened to, so I can only imagine that the Government is currently running away from transparency and trying to stitch up some sort of deal somewhere, and that's why we have a delay, but every delay is another infliction of pain on the Australian disability community. I said from the outset, from the Coalition's point of view, $50 billion, it's a runaway scheme. We have to reduce the expenditure, but instead of going after the crooks and the criminals, rorters, within the scheme, and the overcharging that we all hear about, it looks like the Government is going after the participants. The Government wants to push a couple of hundred thousand people off the NDIS, yet where are they going to go? The Minister has said "no one will die, and no one will fall through the cracks," but the states themselves have said, "yeah, but we don't have anything in place. We haven't even been consulted." So, where are all these people meant to go, and what services will they receive?

Kieran Gilbert 

The Government wants it through by the end of June. Are you still inclined to support the passage through Parliament?

Melissa McIntosh 

I've never said this will be a tick and flick exercise for the Coalition. I've been very vocal in my concerns around the legislation. It's not up to the Coalition to get this legislation right. It is up to the Government. It is a terrible piece of legislation. There are holes throughout the whole thing, and ultimately we want to make sure that the people that it was set up to protect, still get protected. And right now, there's huge question marks. It seems like the only people that have their head in the sand about this are the people that want to save their terrible budget, and that's the Albanese Government.

Kieran Gilbert 

But you still are supportive of the idea, and you touched on it earlier, that it's a runaway scheme that it needs to be reined in.

Melissa McIntosh 

Yeah.

Kieran Gilbert 

Is that your starting point, that you do want to see some structural saves, so that this whole thing doesn't fall over?

Melissa McIntosh 

Well, that's right. And I went into this whole thing with the intent to work with the Government to reduce the savings, but they've got these astronomical sort of growth targets to reduce from 10% to 8%, 5%, 2%, and now currently the scheme sitting at over 11%. So, how are they going to get there? Of course, we want the scheme to be sustainable, absolutely, but we don't want the outcome of that where people actually do die. The Government needs to get this right, and the only reason they're rushing this through so quickly without any transparencies, because they've already spent their savings.

Kieran Gilbert 

So, are you willing to try and block the saves with, along with the Greens? Because I'm sure the Greens would work with you on that. Are you going to seek to block this now, given your concerns?

Melissa McIntosh 

Kieran, it's not around blocking the saves, it's around saving people's lives. I don't - what is the value of a person's life? I want this to be done right for the benefit of the Australian taxpayer. Absolutely, we need to be focused on that, but when the legislation does not even target those crooks and criminals that are rorting the system, and there's huge cost blow outs, and the pricing, and all these sorts of things that the Government isn't focused on, yet they're focused on the participants. Then, morally, absolutely morally, we have an obligation to look after our citizens first. So, I think it's right to question the legislation, and to try and improve it, and to, as I said, work with the Government on a better way forward.

Kieran Gilbert 

Okay. Well, yeah, I mean, that sounds like you're willing to, in the interests of that higher cause of protecting lives, that you will, if need be, vote against the Government's cuts.

Melissa McIntosh 

I hope we can speak to the Government, and they're open to some amendments. I think that would be a really good way forward, and not to be so rushed with this thing. We all want to have the same outcome. We all know there's not one Australian that says, "please don't touch the NDIS, let it keep going on, and spend a gazillion dollars a year." We know that we need to rein in spending, but it has to be done in the right way, and the focus has to be on the right part of the NDIS, and you know we do need to put people's lives first.

Kieran Gilbert 

Shadow Minister for the NDIS and Families, Melissa McIntosh. Thank you. We will stay in touch on that, as the report is handed down later this week.