21/12/2025
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17hRR9jVAw/?mibextid=wwXIfr
If family carers arenât workers, why does the system collapse without them
On 9 December 2025, the Supreme Court of New Zealand ruled that parents who provide full-time care to their disabled adult children are GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.
Let that sink in.
Not âinformal supportsâ.
Not âfamily dutyâ.
Workers with rights.
The Court said the quiet part out loud:
đ If the state depends on your labour to deliver disability support, you are an employee â even if you are a parent.
That means:
âď¸ Minimum wage
âď¸ Holiday pay
âď¸ Protection from exploitation
âď¸ Union rights
New Zealandâs highest court admitted what governments have avoided for years:
Love does not cancel labour.
Now look at Australia.
Under the NDIS, families provide 24/7 care, replacing paid workers, saving governments billions â and are rewarded with:
â No wages
â No leave
â No workplace protections
â No recognition
Just guilt. Pressure. Burnout.
Australia didnât âforgetâ family carers.
It built a system that depends on unpaid labour and then pretends it doesnât exist.
New Zealand just proved this isnât radical.
It isnât impossible.
It isnât unaffordable.
Itâs a choice.
And Australia is choosing to exploit families while calling it âsupportâ.
If NZ can do this, what excuse does the NDIS have left?
Share this if youâre sick of carers being gaslit, ignored, and used.