Labor’s tax deal with the Greens is a crucial win – but its NDIS changes could pay the price

The government scored a crucial win on Tuesday, securing support for its tax changes through the Senate . But that victory may have dinged Labor’s chances of easily passing its other major budget measure – significant cost-cutting reforms to the NDIS – through the Senate in August. Labor’s deal with the Greens sees an inquiry into the NDIS extended for two months, with plans for new public hearings and more time for a committee process, after even the health minister, Mark Butler , admitted he had heard “confronting” evidence from the disability community fearful of losing access to key supports. Eight additional weeks of a public inquiry, spearheaded by an activist party hellbent on trying to kill this bill, is not nothing. But more than that, the tax deal has infuriated the Coalition, whose support is now critical to passing the NDIS bill, and whose members are also raising louder concerns about the changes . Despite the Coalition long having held issue with the spiralling price tag of the NDIS, there is now the non-zero chance the reforms end up friendless in the Senate in August. Today, at least, the government is happy the negative gearing and capital gains tax will pass. …