Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question. It is an important issue. Certainly I do want to inform the Senate that this transition in terms of the Indigenous Employment Program and Job Services Australia is going to be a major, major task for the government. It is a large-scale transition. As Senator Fifield has rightly pointed out in terms of Job Services Australia, 47 per cent of job seekers will be changing over to a new provider—compare that to 2003 when over 80 per cent of job seekers actually changed over, and in the previous job system 100 per cent.

In relation to Indigenous employment and the changeover, electronic lodgement has taken place through AusTender. It was the method stipulated in the request for tender. Electronic lodgement allowed tenderers additional time to prepare their tender processes. Over 450 tenders have been lodged for the Indigenous Employment Program tender and they were received from a large variety of organisations. I am satisfied that the work that has been done by DEEWR and by the officials concerned is appropriate. While of course the changeover will be bumpy because any changeover is, the reform will provide better service, and better personalised service, for Indigenous people, and the programs will be on place on time—1 July.