Amanda Rishworth Becomes New NDIS Minister

Amanda Rishworth Appointed New NDIS Minister as Anika Wells Joins Cabinet in Pre-Election Shake-Up

Bill Shorten, the former leader of the Labor Party, is set to step down from parliament on Monday, ahead of the federal election. His departure will see him relinquish his role overseeing the National Disability Insurance Scheme, presenting the prime minister with a chance to reorganise the cabinet prior to the election.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged Mr Shorten’s contributions to the NDIS, commending his efforts and reaffirming his government’s commitment to sustaining the program. “When Labor established the NDIS, we made a promise to people with disability, to families and to carers not to leave you behind. We will keep that promise,” Mr Albanese said.

Amanda Rishworth is set to take on the role of the new NDIS minister, with Katy Gallagher adding another portfolio to her responsibilities. Anne Aly will support Amanda Rishworth in her new role, as part of a cabinet reshuffle triggered by Bill Shorten’s retirement.

Katy Gallagher, who currently serves as Finance Minister and Minister for the Public Service, will now oversee the Government Services portfolio, which encompasses programs like Centrelink, following Mr Shorten’s departure.

The ABC reported yesterday that a cabinet reshuffle was on the horizon, with Mr Shorten noting that his successor in the portfolio would face a substantial responsibility.

On Monday, Mr Shorten will bring his 17-year political career to a close, having served in multiple ministerial roles and twice leading Labor in federal elections. His departure sees Ms Rishworth take on the NDIS portfolio, aligning oversight of the scheme with the newly established “foundational support” system for people with disabilities, which is already part of her social services responsibilities.

The foundational support system was introduced to address the rising costs of the NDIS by providing assistance outside the scheme for individuals with disabilities who fall outside its intended scope. The specifics of this new system are currently being developed in collaboration with state and territory governments.

Mr Albanese expressed confidence in Ms Wells, stating that she would be a valuable addition to the cabinet.

“Anika Wells has delivered on the commitments that were made. There is now a nurse in a nursing home, as they used to be called, 99 per cent of the time. There are literally millions of hours of additional care being given to our older Australians who deserve to live their later years with dignity and with respect,” Mr Albanese said.

‍