Linda Burney (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

We know that Centrelink's online interface can be difficult to use—

Government members interjecting—

enormous demands on the phone services but also the need for processing times.

Debt recovery: wasn't robo-debt such a success for those opposite! I won't go into detail there, except to say that robo-debt has certainly stood in the forefront of people's minds.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 10:41 to 10:53

Long wait times for calls, long processing times and difficulties in managing Centrelink online are not the only sources of anxiety for Australians who receive income support. There are enormous problems in terms of the government raising debts against people, and these debts either are much more inflated than they actually are or don't even exist. We have countless examples of people being sent debt notices, but, when the matter is raised with Centrelink, they owe no money at all.

The reality is that recovered debts make up less than 0.01 per cent of Centrelink payments, and it is clear that the vast majority of Australians are doing the right thing. It just astounds me that this government is very happy to go out and say that people owe Centrelink money and pursue people like they're criminals, when they're actually people who are in need, and yet it has absolutely no scruples when it comes to admitting that it has raised false debt notice after false debt notice and expected people to pay the money back.

The privatisation of Centrelink by stealth is absolutely the wrong thing. They are outsourcing jobs, and it is Serco that they are outsourcing jobs to. That is why it is so important that Centrelink has permanent full-time staff. My question to the minister is: what impact will the reduction of the ASL have on the quality of the department's service delivery? That is a question, Minister, that I want you to answer.

Honourable members interjecting—

I want you to answer that question and try and be honest about it if you can.

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