Shorten lauds Services shift
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Bill Shorten says Services Australia has made significant progress in repairing the damage from the Robodebt scheme.
In an update this week, Government Services Minister Bill Shorten said the Services Australia has implemented 25 out of 26 recommendations from the Robodebt Royal Commission.
The agency's response to the royal commission's findings, tabled in November 2023, has seen an overhaul in various sectors of its operations.
“Moving on from the unlawful scheme was about improving transparency, accountability and engagement with customers, staff and advocates,” Shorten said.
He added that the reforms were not just about addressing the debts but also about fixing “broken systems, failed safeguards and a culture that ignored the feedback of staff and customers alike”.
Key changes include a new debt management program with transparent principles and the cessation of external debt collection agencies since April 2023. Individuals can now self-pause repayment during crises via myGov.
Services Australia is also using a refreshed vulnerability strategy, has expanded its social worker numbers by 130, and introduced an Advocates Channel for legal advocates to support vulnerable clients.
He said there is now an enhanced understanding of customer needs in policy and service development, with additional service staff improving claim processing times.
The implementation of the agency’s SES Immersion program has exposed 33 per cent of senior staff to frontline service realities, while the establishment of the Services Australia Learning Academy has allowed for more consistent learning practices.
Additionally, Shorten noted the appointment of a new Chief Data Officer to streamline data governance, with improved practices in collaboration with the Australian Taxation Office for data matching and sharing.
“The frontline staff at Services Australia are a fountain of wisdom, and that wisdom is being tapped,” he said.
The outgoing minister stated that he would be “handing over the Government Services portfolio in far better shape than I received it”, with “humans back at the centre of our human services”.
The only recommendation not fully implemented involves a large-scale effort to improve the governance of data-matching programs, which is still in progress.
