Barry Wakelin (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Human Services. How has the government responded to community concerns in my electorate about accessibility of government services? What is the government doing around the country to make these more accessible?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Grey for that question. The member for Grey is a terrific guy too—he is a great guy and he has a great electorate. He has been a part of the roll-out of the family assistance offices right across Australia. When we came into human services and we linked Centrelink with Medicare and a range of other agencies, it became immediately apparent that we could get better services to more families by rolling out services in Medicare offices across Australia. The Howard government are very proud of what we do for families in Australia, so we want more families to be able to access more benefits and to get access to more money.

Kelly Hoare (Charlton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Hoare interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Charlton is interjecting out of her seat. It is highly disorderly and she is warned.

Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order, the member for Charlton is not interjecting out of her seat.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I inform the Chief Opposition Whip that, according to my seating plan, the member for Charlton is out of her seat.

Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I seek leave to table the latest seating plan, Mr Speaker? Oh, sorry!

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call the Minister for Human Services.

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Hall interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Shortland!

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Toxic! There are 238 Medicare offices in Australia, and so far this year we have rolled out family assistance services to 150 of those offices, including those three in the electorate of the member for Grey at Port Pirie, Whyalla and Port Lincoln. The good news is that more than 100,000 families have already accessed this service through those Medicare offices.

There are parts of Australia that do not have Medicare offices or even, for that matter, Centrelink offices. I know one town in the member for Grey’s electorate—Mungeranie. I am sure all my colleagues have been to Mungeranie. It is 1,000 kilometres north of Adelaide, 1,000 kilometres west of Broken Hill, sitting on the Birdsville Track with a population of three. They may want to access Medicare services. They might want to access Centrelink services—John and Genevieve Hammond out there. They can do it by telephone or online, even though I think they are unlikely to access the maternity payment. Ten people per day access the maternity payment, and the maternity payment is going up to $4,000 on 1 July. If that is not an encouragement to have more children, then I do not know what is. I am going to give it a shot! We must be close to the summer break—the winter break, I mean!

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The level of interjections is far too high!

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Out of all of this, Australian families can access the family tax benefit through these FAOs; 1.8 million Australian families get family tax benefit part A; 1.3 million Australian families get family tax benefit part B; 574,000 Australian families get the child-care benefit; and 200,000 Australian families have accessed the maternity payment in the first nine months of this year. My colleague the Minister for Health and Ageing has said that the Howard government is the best friend that Medicare has ever had. The Howard government is the best friend Australian families have ever had.