Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take a moment to talk about one of the people in my electorate, someone whose experience reflects the challenges that many Australians face every day when dealing with large service providers, big multinational companies, big corporations, financial institutions, call centres—businesses that have robotic answering services and automated computer messaging. This is the story of Mr Sacha, and through it, I'm sure, is the story of countless Australians and others who quietly struggle with essential services when they fall short.

Mr Sacha's experience is, unfortunately, familiar to many when every day Australians reach out for support, particularly in moments of stress, to these companies when something has gone wrong with the service that they are supposed to be provided with. They often find themselves confronted with long delays, unclear communication or responses that feel very impersonal, do not address the issue and are very dismissive. It leaves people feeling powerless, especially when the issue affects their work, their family and their sense of security.

Back in November 2020, Mr Sacha, who lives in my electorate, purchased on an Optus plan two new mobile handsets that he needed for his job and to stay in touch with his elderly parents, who depended on regular communication. Not long after he'd purchased this particular service and had signed up to Optus, the local telecommunication tower in Prospect, which was the area that he lived in, went down and there was no communication on these particular phones. He was told repairs could take up to three weeks. For many people, three weeks may seem manageable, but when your livelihood depends on that service, as did Mr Sacha's, three weeks is a long time. When vulnerable family members rely on you for support and you need to communicate with them, three weeks feels like an eternity. For Mr Sacha, it created deep stress and real disruption in his life and, more importantly, in his business.

Understandably, he tried to return one of the handsets—it was unopened, unused, still sealed in the box—hoping for understanding. Instead, he encountered a brick wall. He encountered rigid contractual language and a response that left him feeling unheard. He was told that he would have to pay a $1,000 fee and was discouraged from seeking help through the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

No-one should ever feel pressured or intimidated when simply trying to resolve a legitimate concern. Australia has complaints pathways for a reason. They're there to protect people like Mr Sacha, to ensure fairness and to prevent large organisations from overwhelming the individual they serve. Behind the policies, procedures and call centres are real people, like Mr Sacha, who are trying to stay connected to their families, support their work and navigate everyday pressures.

Mr Sacha came to our office and reached out for help. Within hours we had the issue sorted out for him. But why does it have to come to this? Why could they not deal with their customer in a way that was fair and equitable? Why did it have to come to the point where he had to visit his federal MP? We were very pleased to help him, but we had to intervene, and then, all of a sudden, the problem was fixed.

These people need to be heard. They need to be able to have the confidence that the service providers that we're paying money for are there to assist them when things go wrong. Most of all, Mr Sasha's story highlights a deeper truth, which is that many Australians do not have the time, the confidence or the resources to challenge these large corporations. Some feel intimidated, some feel overwhelmed and others simply give up. I'm sure all of us in this House deal with constituents who come to see us about services that they've paid for but are not getting for whatever reason and they cannot navigate a way through to get recompense or to ensure that the services are provided to them.

Today I want to acknowledge Mr Sacha for his courage in sharing his story and experience. By doing so, he's helped shine a light on the importance of fairness, accountability and compassion in the services that people rely on, whether that be telecommunications, banking or financial services. I'm very pleased that the Assistant Treasurer is here in the chamber. He is one of the ministers responsible, and I know the work that he's putting into this area. We really appreciate it.

House adjourned at 17:00

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Boyce ) took the chair at 09:30.