House debates

Tuesday, 10 November 2020

Questions without Notice

Dunkley Electorate: Centrelink

2:49 pm

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Mornington service centre has been extended, and the extent of the lease is up to the date the member had. Clearly, as we move forward towards that date, we have conversations with our leaseholders, as we do. It's important to also understand that, in terms of leaseholders, we have 354 individual landlords that the department engages with across our 402 commercial sites, and we continue to engage with them as necessary. But, in terms of service delivery, it's important that the member understand that the service delivery to her constituents will continue. For example, it's important that the member understand that yesterday Services Australia answered 147,000 calls, and on the social services and welfare line those calls had an average speed of answer of 67 seconds. I'd say to the member that in 2013 the average speed of answer across social services and welfare under those opposite was 90 minutes. Australians waited for 90 minutes. Yesterday they waited 67 seconds. That's the difference. I'd say to the House that, unfortunately, this financial year 47 Australians haven't been able to get through to the call centre, compared to when the member for Sydney was there. It was 40 million calls that were not answered in the 12 months the member for Sydney was there. So I'd say to those opposite that, if we're going to have a discussion about service delivery standards, we will stand up every day and compare our 67 seconds to 90 minutes. We'll compare our 47 Australians who couldn't get through on our lines to 40 million. We'll compare 256 closures over there— (Time expired)

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