TRANSCRIPT
INTERVIEW WITH JAYNIE SEAL, SKY NEWS
19 April 2026
Topics: Commonwealth Ombudsman investigation into Labor’s aged care assessment algorithm, NDIS
E&OE…………………………………
Jaynie Seal: The Commonwealth Ombudsman has given the green light to investigate the Albanese Government's aged care assessment algorithm, following increasing concerns it has been affecting some of our most vulnerable older Australians. For more, joining us live is Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston. Senator, thank you so much for joining us. Can you talk us through this investigation and the algorithm?
Anne Ruston: Well, we were absolutely delighted that the Ombudsman has actually, of their own volition, decided to actually investigate this situation, because it has been of huge concern to me and many of my cross-bench colleagues over the last few months after we became aware that the Government had secretly brought in an algorithm to determine the care packages of older Australians, vulnerable Australians, with no human override, and we're seeing so many cases of people who have got deteriorating conditions having their plans cut and their funding cut. So, we're absolutely delighted that the Ombudsman is taking on this particular investigation because it is affecting so many older Australians.
Jaynie Seal: Because on your report you've got at least 834 requests from older Australians have been brought forward for review.
Anne Ruston: Yeah, look, absolutely, but I think what's happened here – I mean, all of last year, so the whole 12 months for 2024-25, there were 170 requests for reviews. In the first four months of this particular algorithm being in place, we saw over 800 people seek a review. But I think there probably are a lot more people out there that have been negatively impacted but just don't realise that they have the opportunity to actually seek a review. But once again, once they seek a review, the Government's got 90 days to respond to it. That's 90 days that some of our most vulnerable older Australians with deteriorating conditions are left without the support that they need to care for them. So, I think the Government has got a lot of questions to answer and hopefully the Ombudsman will get to the bottom of it quite quickly.
Jaynie Seal: I wanted to ask you as well about the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It's in the spotlight. In the lead up to the May Budget, there has been talk of cutting funds and dropping the amount of people eligible on the scheme. Health Minister Mark Butler is saying that it's off track. He's going to be addressing the National Press Club on Wednesday. What is your reaction on the NDIS?
Anne Ruston: Well, look, we've known for a really long time that the NDIS was financially becoming more and more unsustainable, and we have been offering bipartisan support – I certainly know that I have been for the last four years – to the Government saying come and talk to us about sensible reforms which will be able to keep the NDIS spending under control and make sure that the supports for the vulnerable Australians that the NDIS was designed to support continue to get the support that they need. And the first place the Minister should be looking to get savings in the NDIS is they've already admitted themselves between 6 and 10 per cent of funds spent by the NDIS are spent inappropriately, whether that be fraud or because people are abusing loopholes in the legislation. There's so much in terms of right picking where the Government could actually deal with expenditure, and at the same time they need to be honest with Australians about what they're doing. Being secretive just creates anxiety. Just come out and be honest with Australians about what you're doing, and as I said, the Opposition is quite happy to support sensible reforms to make sure the NDIS is sustainable, at the same time making sure that those people the NDIS was originally designed for continue to get the support that they need.
Jaynie Seal: What are the States and Territories doing?
Anne Ruston: One of the great challenges is that the Minister, Mark Butler, went out over a year ago and flew a kite around a new program called Thriving Kids without actually speaking to the States and Territories. I think there is a very serious conversation that needs to be had with the States and Territories about them taking greater responsibility for the lower-level supports, the old supports that used to be in place before the NDIS, which was community support. I think there needs to be a very serious conversation with the States and Territories. But once again, the Federal Government has front run this, caused great anxiety and actually hadn't done their homework before they made these comments. So I think it's time for everybody to get back to the table, federal government and all of the state governments and actually design a system that's fit for purpose to support all Australians who need support, where they need it, in the most appropriate way.
Jaynie Seal: Because as we know with the May Budget, no doubt there'll be a lot of cuts. And this, would you say, is one of the ones that really is for our most vulnerable. We've got Bill Shorten coming out saying, you know, really, watch out, don't cut. It's not the people that are on its fault. Yeah, but it is a big cost, but also there are a lot of jobs that are involved with the NDIS.
Anne Ruston: The NDIS has become something that was never originally designed to be. It was originally designed to support people with a long-term and stabilised disability, and it's become so much more than that. We also had legislation that was designed without a lot of thought and there's a whole heap of loopholes that still exist in the legislation that allow things to be claimed and provides for us to claim for things that I think most Australians would think were inappropriate. There is a lot of places the Government could go to, and given that they've been offered the support of the Opposition to do it, that would be able to bring down the cost of the NDIS without impacting on the vulnerable people that the Scheme was designed to support in the first place. But the Government just needs to be honest with Australians, tell them what they're doing, and stop being so secretive.
Jaynie Seal: Senator Anne Ruston, thank you so much.
Anne Ruston: Thanks, Jaynie.
ENDS
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