Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Kim Carr. Given the growing demand for Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support Agency services, can the minister advise the Senate what the government is doing to ensure that all Australians get the help and support that they need?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Pratt for her question. The service delivery reform program that we often speak about has to be more than just a PR slogan; it has to have real meaning for the improvement of lives of people who depend upon the work of departments like the Department of Human Services. Today I am very pleased to be able to announce a new deal that will help remake the telecommunications programs of the Department of Human Services for the 21st century. Over the next five years, Telstra will provide some $474 million in telecommunications to the Department of Human Services. This will allow for the merger of 20 current contracts into one, which will provide a much better deal for taxpayers. This is precisely the sort of benefit that the government envisaged when it brought together Centrelink, Medicare and the Child Support Agency. This is a major win for Australian battlers.

First, it will be a faster service. For the first time, voice, image and data services will be managed across a single data network. The new centralised scheduling system will help staff manage day-to-day demands more effectively. It will also allow callers to set the time that is available for call back services, which will mean less time waiting on hold.

Second, it will be cheaper. There will be secure and free access for Telstra mobile phones for callers in critical, Indigenous, income management, rural agent and Abstudy lines. This will be extended to all callers by 2015 as a result of the reforms that Senator Conroy has initiated. Third, it will be smarter, because the new arrangements will take advantage of next generation technology, including speech analysis and video conferencing. It will be a more modern network for the needs of a modern life. Fourth, it will be more reliable.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister please explain how this new contract will change the experience for people who need to deal with the government?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Every day, one million Australians make contact with the Department of Human Services: one million. Every one of them is entitled to a response that is timely, accurate and genuinely helpful. This agreement will help government meet those obligations in the years ahead. For some, we have ensured free access to services that they need. We have targeted that support to families that are doing it tough, including people in regions and Indigenous Australians. But they are not the only beneficiaries of this deal. We will have a better system to manage the demand. We have made home delivery and self-service options more attractive. We will empower more people to speak to the department at a time of their choosing. All callers will see the benefit of these reforms, which will give real weight to the principle of service delivery reform.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate what action the government has taken to ensure that Australian industry will have a fair go in competing for work through this contract?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is one of the biggest telecommunication deals our country has seen in terms of government programs. It is a major investment in public service. The government is determined to make it an investment in the future of Australian workers. Telstra has committed to use Australian based industry for the implementation of and the transition to new platforms over the upcoming period. It will deliver to government an Australian industry participation plan outlining the steps that it will take to ensure that it extends the benefits of this contract to local suppliers. I am confident that local firms will have the skills and the creativity to support this vital work. That in turn will boost their profile on the global stage. This is the Labor approach to public enterprise. This is a win for workers, taxpayers and the citizens of this country, who will get better services from Telstra and from the Department of Human Services.