Post by Banjo on Jul 7, 2012 6:24:33 GMT 7
Liberals shed crocodile tears for Centrelink - while attacking staff
5 July 2012
Senator the Hon Kim Carr
Minister for Human Services
The Liberal Party policy of sacking 12,000 public servants makes a mockery of their crocodile tears on Centrelink waiting times, Minister for Human Services Senator Kim Carr said.
"Shadow Minister Kevin Andrews has attacked Centrelink staff on the basis of an erroneous headline," Senator Kim Carr said.
"Moreover, the leaked Liberal documents revealed by Crikey today show that the Liberal party does not have a genuine solution to any of these concerns, or any policy ideas to contribute. There is nothing more than a perfunctory mention of vital public services.
"The fact is, Centrelink receives 37 million phone calls a year. Demand on our services is growing, as people respond to changing economic conditions. This Government is keenly aware of the pressures on call lines, and appreciates the frustrations of delay. Centrelink officers are working hard to meet people's expectations.
"In the latest Budget, the Government provided an additional $206 million to reduce waiting times. I announced last month a $474 million contract with Telstra to build a smarter, faster call-handling system, including free calls for people using Telstra mobile phones to the Indigenous, BasicsCard, Rural Agent and ABSTUDY lines.
"This complements the work already underway to provide more call-back facilities and home-delivered services on line.
"Today, for 37 million calls, the average wait time remains less than 12 minutes. More than two-thirds of calls are answered within 15 minutes.
"We are in the business of providing the modern, accessible service that Australians expect – and no-one, including me, wants to make life harder for people seeking assistance."
Minister for Human Services
www.mhs.gov.au/media/media_releases/2012/07/05_july_2012_-_liberals_shed_crocodile_tears_for_centrelink_while_attacking_staff.php
5 July 2012
Senator the Hon Kim Carr
Minister for Human Services
The Liberal Party policy of sacking 12,000 public servants makes a mockery of their crocodile tears on Centrelink waiting times, Minister for Human Services Senator Kim Carr said.
"Shadow Minister Kevin Andrews has attacked Centrelink staff on the basis of an erroneous headline," Senator Kim Carr said.
"Moreover, the leaked Liberal documents revealed by Crikey today show that the Liberal party does not have a genuine solution to any of these concerns, or any policy ideas to contribute. There is nothing more than a perfunctory mention of vital public services.
"The fact is, Centrelink receives 37 million phone calls a year. Demand on our services is growing, as people respond to changing economic conditions. This Government is keenly aware of the pressures on call lines, and appreciates the frustrations of delay. Centrelink officers are working hard to meet people's expectations.
"In the latest Budget, the Government provided an additional $206 million to reduce waiting times. I announced last month a $474 million contract with Telstra to build a smarter, faster call-handling system, including free calls for people using Telstra mobile phones to the Indigenous, BasicsCard, Rural Agent and ABSTUDY lines.
"This complements the work already underway to provide more call-back facilities and home-delivered services on line.
"Today, for 37 million calls, the average wait time remains less than 12 minutes. More than two-thirds of calls are answered within 15 minutes.
"We are in the business of providing the modern, accessible service that Australians expect – and no-one, including me, wants to make life harder for people seeking assistance."
Minister for Human Services
www.mhs.gov.au/media/media_releases/2012/07/05_july_2012_-_liberals_shed_crocodile_tears_for_centrelink_while_attacking_staff.php