Linda Burney (Barton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Human Services. Yesterday during question time, both the Prime Minister and the minister promised that the minister would investigate the case of Anne Foley, a 67-year-old pensioner who had her pension cut off after receiving a Centrelink debt notice for around $36,000 when in fact she owed nothing. Now that he has had a chance to investigate, will the minister acknowledge any fault—any fault at all—in causing Anne such stress and anxiety?

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I thank the member for that question and also for providing the details of Mrs Foley to my office late this morning. I have had an opportunity to investigate Mrs Foley's case, as I said I would if I were provided those details. Mrs Foley was sent a letter initially because there was a discrepancy between the income information which she had provided to Centrelink and that which was held on the Australian Taxation Office record, and that letter, as is the case with all the initial letters, asks if that person can explain that discrepancy and if they would like to update their record.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs is warned! The minister will resume his seat for a second. As I have said numerous times, when a specific question is asked members on my left want me to listen to the answer but prevent me from doing so with a wall of interjections. The member for Isaacs is warned! The minister has the call.

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mrs Foley was sent a letter and she engaged with Centrelink, and her case was actually referred for manual processing. That is when a Centrelink officer takes full control of her case and manually engages with her. This is the process which has been occurring since 1990 and it is also the process which the member for Barton says they would revert back to if they were going back to government. Unfortunately, this Centrelink official did make an error. The Centrelink official who was on the telephone to Mrs Foley and who was entering the information into the computer system made two errors: the Centrelink official put in the correct income information and she also put in information about her income into the wrong time period. Unfortunately, that error occurs and unfortunately human errors do occur from time to time. I point out that the Labor Party's main critique—

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I again say to members predominantly on my left but not only on my left: I am seeking to listen to the answer. This is an example where the member for Barton has asked a very specific question and the minister is answering it point by point. You cannot simultaneously expect me to seek to listen to the answer to be able to rule on it, as the Manager of Opposition Business would like me to at certain points, while preventing me from hearing it. I am not going to keep stopping the minister. I am going to listen to the minister for the rest of his answer. If there are any interjections, have no doubt you will be out under 94(a)—have absolutely no doubt. We have a minute to go. The minister has the call.

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, the Centrelink official did make an error in how that official entered the income information into Mrs Foley's file and consequently an incorrect assessment was made. It had nothing to do with the computer system. That has been the key critique of the Labor Party over the last month—that the computer system has been in error. This was a human error. Mrs Foley, as was her right, as is everybody's right, sought a review of her assessment and that review corrected the record and consequently her pension was reinstated on 9 November. But, just in the time remaining, can I make a suggestion to the member for Barton: if you are genuinely concerned about your constituents, instead of putting up cases to the parliament or to the media which have nothing to do with the online compliance system, raise them with me and we can properly investigate them. If an error occurs, that can be fixed.