Senator Simon Birmingham said members of the public with a Centrelink, Child Support or Medicare enquiry needn’t bother turning up to Steve Georganas’s office any more after the Minister for Human Services scrapped a vital program.
“Anyone who goes into Steve Georganas’s office with a Centrelink, Child Support or Medicare enquiry will now have to wait weeks if not months for a response from the Rudd Labor Government,” Senator Birmingham said today.
“Under the former Liberal Government, all local MPs could call up their Local Liaison Officer who would work with Members of Parliament and their constituents to resolve their Centrelink, Child Support and Medicare issues.
“This was an invaluable service which meant urgent enquiries could be dealt with quickly.
“Now that the new Labor Minister has scrapped the program, Steve Georganas will no longer be able to help members of the public who have had their payments suspended.
“There is absolutely no justification for this cut to government services. You could hardly call something that makes it easier for the public to deal with government agencies ‘wasteful spending’.
“I call on Mr Georganas to write to the Minister and demand that this important program be re-instated.”