Butler's 'necessary' NDIS cuts: 160,000 off the scheme, submarines on the way

Guardian Australia · Presented by Tom McIlroy. Produced by Daniel Semo. Executive producer Allison Chan · Thursday 23 April 2026

Butler's 'necessary' NDIS cuts: 160,000 off the scheme, submarines on the way

The government announces the biggest NDIS reforms since inception, cutting at least 160,000 participants over four years while lifting defence spending — Butler calls it 'necessary'.

Gillard built the scheme on the promise nobody would be left behind. Butler's now explaining which 160,000 get left behind, while defence gets another hundred billion for submarines that'll arrive when the participants being booted today are drawing the pension. The scheme isn't unsustainable — it's just losing the Canberra arithmetic contest to a frigate.

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