It seems unlikely the government is going to take the Coalition up on their offer to help pass the NDIS bill this fortnight.
The government has already promised to extend the inquiry into the laws in exchange for getting the Greens on board to pass their tax changes.
A government source says they’ll be sticking with their original plan to extend the inquiry, rather than working with the opposition before parliament rises next week for a five week break.
They could technically back track on the Greens deal after the tax changes are passed, which we expect to happen tomorrow.
But that would not bode well for trust between the two parties, and trust is a valuable commodity in the Senate where the government needs support from outside its own ranks to pass legislation.
On the other hand, Labor has repeatedly warned delaying these changes would come at a big cost to the economy.
Yesterday, NDIS Minister Mark Butler said the delay the government has already committed to, until August, would cost “a few hundred million” dollars.