BILL SHORTEN
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE NDIS 
SHADOW MINISTER FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICES 
MEMBER FOR MARIBYRNONG
 
MARIELLE SMITH
SENATOR FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA
 
ZERO ACTION ON CRIMINALS DEFRAUDING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY

National Disability Insurance Agency bosses have revealed in Senate Estimates that: 
 
The Agency has had to top up the accounts of people with disability 1700 times due to criminals siphoning out funds - amounting to a bill of $8.3m to the Australian taxpayer.
 
But in seven years of Liberal management there has been - only ONE successful conviction.
 
There is a huge level of fraud besieging the scheme, evidenced by more than 1,186 tip offs including to the Fraud Reporting Hotline being investigated in the last six months of last year.
 
But in seven years of Liberal management there has been - only ONE successful conviction.
 
A veteran AFP officer and former NDIS fraud investigator last month blew the whistle on the Agency failing to actively chase fraudsters to recoup money stolen from people with disability.
 
This was met with faint denials with the Minister pushing the Agency out to say: “Criminal behaviour will always be investigated to the full extent of the law and perpetrators have and will continue to be prosecuted.” 
 
NDIS Minister Stuart Robert likes to talk tough on disability fraud, but with this ‘top up don’t recoup’ approach he is waving the white flag to predatory fraudsters.
 
It is increasingly clear Mr Robert is asleep at the wheel on criminals who target the vulnerable.
 
It is not a ‘zero tolerance’ approach being taken it is ‘zero action’.
 
One successful conviction in seven years is a failure to take fraud seriously, a failure of leadership, of management and of culture.
 
In a $22b national scheme of more than 300,000 participants, a single successful fraud prosecution is patently inadequate.
 
It is a disgrace to the people with disability who are being preyed on.
 
And it is a disgrace to the taxpayers of Australia who are being slugged with the bill because no one can be bothered chasing the crooks.
 
THURSDAY, 5 MARCH 2020