MEDIA RELEASE - WEST AUSTRALIANS FED UP WITH LABOR’S CUSTOMER SERVICE BLACK HOLE

PAUL FLETCHER MP 

Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy 

Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts 

Manager of Opposition Business in the House

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday 3 October 2024

More West Australians leave a Services Australia office than anywhere else in Australia, according to new data obtained by the Opposition.

Information provided through Senate Estimates reveals that in the 2023-24 financial year to 31 May 2024, 26,303 people abandoned their visit to the welfare agency’s service centres before having their business dealt with.

West Australians also waited the longest before giving up, waiting on average 16 minutes and 45 seconds.

The following table shows the number of people leaving a Service Centre within a ‘Service Zone’ and the time taken before the visit was abandoned.

Shadow Minister for Government Services Paul Fletcher said the Albanese Labor Government needed a back-to-basics focus on improving customer service.

“Services Australia staff work hard to provide a positive customer service experience, but this new data confirms that West Australians are being let down by a distracted Minister,” Mr Fletcher said.

“We know that 9 in 10 Australians choose to interact with Services Australia through digital channels.

“There must be a stronger focus on streamlining and upgrading the underlying ICT systems used by Services Australia so that Australians aren’t forced into visiting a service centre or calling up to resolve simple matters.

“This is yet another challenge Bill Shorten should be addressing, in addition to his self-made claims backlog and unacceptably high call and claim processing wait times.

“To help get this vital agency back on track, I repeat my call for there to be a root-and-branch review into Services Australia.”