Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

I am happy to put the government’s position now, and it is not to support the amendment. VRS participants who are social security recipients will have access to exactly the same review mechanisms as those available to other job seekers in other employment assistance programs, moving them into the general social security framework. These include Centrelink review, the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. I am advised that there have been only three Administrative Appeals Tribunal appeals under part III of the Disability Services Act 1986 in the last three years and that these have all been related to the closure of the participants’ VRS program. Voluntary participants can choose not to participate in VRS. Voluntary participants can end their participation at any time. There is also an independent complaints mechanism in place available to participants dissatisfied with the services provided. That is the Complaints Resolution and Referral Service.

I would agree with Senator Siewert that it is important that people be able to appeal and have decisions reviewed. All I think we are really talking about here is the mechanism by which they are able to do that. We say that the threefold review mechanisms of Centrelink, the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal provide appropriate vehicles for the vast majority of beneficiaries and that putting these recipients under the same framework does not prejudice them.