Who is popular today?

Shadow Education Minister Sarah Henderson says “parents deserve transparency” from the NDIS after a report found that Australia has one of the world’s highest rates of autism.

ANU doctoral research found that the growth in autism in Australia is higher than other countries, including the US, UK and Canada, and the researcher argues it is “plausible” it is because of the financial incentives created by the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

People with autism and developmental delays account for 45 per cent of NDIS participants, with the average autism participant receiving $33,800 a year according to NDIS data.

“Parents deserve transparency about the NDIS and so far under this government Bill Shorten has not done this,” Ms Henderson told Sky News Australia host Peta Credlin.

“He promised that the NDIS would be sustainable; he promised that he would manage the growth of the NDIS.

“Now he is keeping secret a report into the NDIS and, frankly, parents deserve much better from this government, including assurances that the now Minister gave before the last election.

“The government has been playing politics with the NDIS for far too long and it is about time that the Minister came clean, particularly with NDIS participants.”