James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The coalition government is investing $52 million to make it easier for Australians to access Centrelink. This introduces 250 new Australian jobs to help reduce call wait times, on top of existing staff numbers. This is part of the unprecedented investment this government is making in the Department of Human Services, such as the $1 billion spent on IT annually. Serco staff will be fully trained and required to comply with all government privacy and security standards. Average staffing level reductions in the budget papers reflect adjustments, including support required in past years for emergencies such as Cyclone Debbie, and support for the National Disability Insurance Agency.