The Coalition is demanding the Albanese Labor Government be transparent and reveal how long Australians are having to wait to receive government payments, including Centrelink and Medicare claims, with recent attempts to do so stonewalled.
In June, Coalition MPs asked Government Services Minister Bill Shorten how long Australians were having to wait to receive these government payments.
Mr Shorten responded to the questions by saying, “Services Australia does not collate or record data by electorate.”
However, Questions in Writing obtained by the Opposition for the previous Parliament, reveal that Services Australia does in fact use electorate-level data and that this data was provided to Labor MPs when the Coalition was in government.
Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy Paul Fletcher said the move to block the release of the data didn’t pass the pub test, especially amid a cost of living crisis.
“The Opposition is calling on Mr Shorten to urgently release the requested data to better inform policymaking and empower citizens,” Mr Fletcher said.
“Every community is different and Labor must come clean on how claims processing is going on an electorate level so we can work together to implement targeted solutions to areas most in need.”
Mr Fletcher said Mr Shorten is a serial offender when it comes to trying to avoid accountability.
“Under Mr Shorten, every question ever asked of him during Senate Estimates has been answered past the due date,” Mr Fletcher said.
“In May this year, the Speaker had to formally write to the Minister because formal Questions in Writing were left unanswered for more than 60 days.
“It has also been revealed that Centrelink call wait times have skyrocketed under his watch.”