Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Government Services. Why does the Morrison government continue to merge and close Centrelink shopfronts right around Australia when data shows that this slashing and cutting has led to a 30 per cent increase in wait times for Australians visiting Centrelink seeking assistance?

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He's the gift that just keeps on giving, isn't he? What part of those opposite closing 256 service centres from 2009—

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

The minister can pause for a second. I was endeavouring to pull him up in the last answer. This was a very specific question. He can compare and contrast, but, to be blunt, he can't just start with a contrast. He's actually got to address the question. The minister has the call.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the benefit of the House, prior to COVID-19 an average of 69,000 Australians would visit a Centrelink service centre, over 325 every day. That number now varies between 29,000 and 35,000. It varies like that, because, if you actually call a call centre now, you are answered in 67 seconds. Prior to COVID-19 last year, 560,000 Australians logged into our digital channels every day. Today it is an average of 2.6 million and all major payments are online. The number of channels that Australians can go to is now wide, varied and efficient. The 35,000 Australians that are now going into the 325 Centrelinks each day have the opportunity to receive—

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

The minister will resume his seat. The member for Maribyrnong, on a point of order?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on relevance: my question was very specific. Perhaps the minister may never need to visit a Centrelink office, but what about the waiting times for people who have visited? The minister is answering about digital, but what about the people who actually have to visit Centrelink? Why has the waiting time increased?

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

The minister has the call and, as I said, it was a specific question.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Because half of Australians are now going to our service centres—because they can access digital and telephony channels, there is now the opportunity for our service delivery personnel to spend more time with more complex service centre service delivery cases. Because the vast majority of Australians who are updating income, updating assets, updating the work they've done can do it online, it means more needy Australians and Australians with complex cases are now able to have more time spent with them in service delivery. The numbers show that we are now providing Australians with more complex cases a higher level of service delivery at our shopfronts.

What is interesting is the number of staff in our service delivery is still 300 over ASL. There are still 325 service centres. There's still the same number of staff there. They're providing a greater level of care for complex cases to Australians and, when you compare that to the 4,800 staff cuts from those opposite and the 256 service centres closed, the contrast between service delivery and the dignity with which Australians have been served during this pandemic compared to those opposite in the GFC could not be starker.