Angie Bell (Moncrieff, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to speak today about the extraordinary contributions of Services Australia, firstly, in response to the Black Summer bushfires and then throughout the COVID pandemic. I'd like to begin by thanking each and every person at the forefront of the Australian government's response to these crises, providing support to millions of Australians during a period of uncertainty, upheaval and indeed hardship.

At the outset of 2020, Australia was facing a natural disaster on a scale rarely experienced as bushfires raged right across our great country. The Black Summer bushfires tragically took loved ones, destroyed homes, ravaged our wildlife and brought trauma to so many.

If these events taught us anything, it's that Australians expect and deserve national leadership, and effective coordination and timely action, when responding to a crisis or a natural disaster. Recognising this, the Morrison government acted swiftly, establishing the National Bushfire Recovery Agency and allocating $2 billion to ensure that communities devastated by the fires get the support they need as they recover and working closely with states and territory governments. Services Australia played a vital role in the delivery of financial and non-financial assistance to individuals, to families and to communities to get them back on their feet as soon as possible.

Assisted by the Australian Defence Force, Services Australia deployed mobile service teams and mobile service centres to more than 200 communities affected by the Black Summer bushfires. Equipped with portable technology, these teams provided a visible on-the-ground government presence in otherwise inaccessible locations, working side by side with other state and federal agencies to rapidly deliver support to affected communities. Services Australia's staff worked tirelessly, keeping service centres open in affected communities and the Australian government emergency information line operating seven days a week.

On the Australian government emergency information line, Services Australia answered more than 350,000 calls—most within seconds. They processed more than 200,000 claims for disaster assistance and delivered over $288 million in critical financial support.

Just as the rains brought reprieve from the choking smoke and raging fires for so many Australians, the nation's resolve was about to be tested as never before as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Australians reached out in record numbers for support. People queued outside Centrelink and logged into myGov in numbers never before seen. Again, the coalition government responded swiftly and decisively temporarily expanding eligibility to income support, waiving waiting periods, pausing mutual obligations, reducing means testing and evidentiary requirements—all to accelerate access to payments for people in need. The government also delivered an economic lifeline to millions through the economic support payments and coronavirus supplement.

Services Australia, once again, found themselves at the forefront of the government's response, delivering more than $9 billion through the economic support payments to some seven million low-income Australians, including pensioners, other social security and veteran income support recipients and eligible concession card holders.

More than $15.5 billion in the coronavirus supplement has been paid to new and existing eligible income support recipients in addition to their usual payment. In the face of unprecedented demand, Services Australia surged thousands of extra staff, redeploying people from within the agency across the public service and from service delivery partners, answering calls and processing claims for people seeking urgent financial support.

I commend the Prime Minister for his vision of government service delivery for Australians and recognise how critical this has been in successfully navigating the extraordinary circumstances that we've faced as a nation this year. I also want to recognise the minister's hard work to make this ambition-vision a reality and ask that he provide an update on the transformation of government services, including how this prepared Services Australia to respond to the Black Summer bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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