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

Senator Fifield has asked a number of questions regarding the Job Services Australia changeover and I take him back to my answers last week: this was a competitive process based on protocols and guidelines developed under the previous government, but the core of this is improving the service and improving the system for job seekers.

Under the old system there were seven programs—seven doors that a job seeker would have to go through. With Job Services Australia there is one door, a personalised service for job seekers. Not only have the government put an extra billion dollars into the system; at the same time we have put in place the redundancy compact. Under the Howard government, if you were made redundant you would have to wait to go into stream 2 of the Job Network; you would have to wait for personalised service, wait to get the support you needed. Under Job Services Australia, if you are made redundant there is immediate access to the system. It provides personalised support, tailoring it to make sure people get the retraining they need to get back into the job market. That is what Job Services Australia is about.

With regard to tenders, of course there are some organisations that have missed out; there is no doubt about that. I have great sympathy for them because they have put their hearts and souls into this. But in any competitive process there are winners and losers. Unlike the previous government, we have done our best and have worked to try to assist those organisations. The Agency Adjustment Fund, $3.5 million— (Time expired)