Multiple Sclerosis NZ recently made a submission strongly opposing the Disability Support Services Bill as presented urging the Social Services and Community Select Committee recommend that it does not proceed to Second Reading.
You can read our full submission here: Submission on the Disability Support Services Bill – Multiple Sclerosis NZ – 11 June 2026
We support the stated aim of the bill, being a “legislative framework to strengthen and stabilise the provision of disability support services (DSS) by improving the consistency, fairness, transparency and sustainability of the system.”
However, this Bill does not do this.
The Bill presented is a mechanism to protect the Crown, limiting its liability as a response to the Supreme Court Ruling on the cases of Fleming v Attorney-General and Humphreys v Attorney-General ([2025] NZSC 188). The irony is that this case arose due to poor legislation introduced and passed under urgency in 2016. We urged the Select Committee in our submission not to repeat the errors of the past.
The timeframe, under urgency, is devoid of effective consultation, and the lack of detail exposes the Disability community to significant risk. There is an unnecessary heavy reliance of future ministerial powers and denying disabled people and their whānau from the protection of the legal or parliamentary process.
Our submission called on the Select Committee to:
- Reject the Bill as presented.
- Mandate genuine co-design with disabled people, family carers, and representative organisations.
- Request the return of a Bill consistent with the Enabling Good Lives (EGL) principles and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
Your voice matters
Our sincere thanks to everyone who provided comments for inclusion in our submission. At Multiple Sclerosis NZ we see it as essential that our work reflects the sentiments and needs of the community which we are here to support, best achieved by your direct input. Thank you.
The pressure doesn’t stop here
On Tuesday 30th June (5.35pm) representatives from Multiple Sclerosis NZ will be making an oral submission to the Social Services and Community Committee. Hearings are open to the public and media may be present in the room. Public hearings are livestreamed and the recording made available on the Parliament website. The livestream and recording can be accessed here: Watch public meetings of the Social Services and Community Committee – New Zealand Parliament
We will be highlighting issues such as the:
- risks of unfettered legislation
- unfairness of means testing
- opaque and overly broad definitions of family
- inconsistency with other disability supports through ACC,
- and the lack of consultation due to urgency.
We need your help to keep pushing this issue. While you may not receive disability supports now, you might in the future. Now is the time to act.
You can help by sending an email to send your local MPs calling on them to stand up and reject this Bill as presented. We’ve prepared a sample email/letter for you to send, but we also encourage you to personalise your message. Your lived experience adds the heart to the message. Click here to download the example email/letter.
You can find the contact details for your local MP on the Parliament website here: Contact an MP – New Zealand Parliament. We would value hearing from you about any feedback you receive from your local MPs on this issue.
Our community has a saying “nothing about us without us”. We must demand to be included in the conversation. Legislation must be genuinely co-designed with disabled people, family carers, and representative organisations.
Last Updated June 24, 2026