Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Troeth for the question. In terms of the portfolio, I think it is worthwhile going back to some of the figures that have been bandied about, quite erroneously and quite wrongly. The burden, of course, should not be lifted from where it lies. It lies with the scaremongering from the opposition. Senator Coonan has gone on the record a number of times claiming that there will be 2,000 job cuts from Centrelink as a result of Tuesday’s budget. This is a figure that was provided by Centrelink CEO Jeff Whalan in supplementary budget estimates.

The figure Mr Whalan provided as the best estimate of Centrelink’s position for 2008-09 was based on the 2007-08 portfolio additional estimates statement, and Mr Whalan made it clear that the figure came with a number of caveats. He made that clear at that time. Even though, at that time at estimates, I took Senator Coonan through Centrelink’s funding model—a model that she approved as a member of the former government—the shadow spokesperson chose effectively to play fast and loose with the truth on this. Senator Coonan clutched at straws like a drowning shadow minister who, without the resources of a department, is all too clearly out of her depth, quite frankly, on this matter. Senator Coonan and Senator Troeth were wrong about that—a reduction of 200 does not equal a loss of 2,000, except possibly in the increasingly wacky world that the Liberals seem to have now put themselves in, given that they have neglected this area since they set up the department in 2004. This is wanton disregard of the truth. If they had looked at the portfolio budget statement, it would have provided an accurate picture. But of course they remain a lazy opposition in this respect.

When they make those statements which are incorrect, it unnecessarily worries and puts stress on Centrelink staff and their families. It is a worry that need not be put there, because service delivery is an important role that Centrelink provides. It provides for working families, pensioners, students and those looking for work—something the opposition seem to have failed to appreciate in the last 11 years.

The reduction in Centrelink staff of 200 ASL, reflecting the lower levels in customer numbers—people who are looking for work, in particular—is the number that is impacting the individual agency, not the wacky number that Senator Coonan has nailed her tail to the mast on. In managing the portfolio, it is important that so many of the tasks that are done by Centrelink be maintained. What the opposition fail to appreciate was a model, which they put in place themselves when they were in government, that ensured that Centrelink staff numbers would reduce as a consequence of unemployment reducing, which is good news— (Time expired)