MEDIA RELEASE - BILL SHORTEN HAS HUNDREDS OF PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

PAUL FLETCHER MP

Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts

Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy

Manager of Opposition Business in the House

MEDIA RELEASE

8 August 2023

BILL SHORTEN HAS HUNDREDS OF PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

Government Services Minister Bill Shorten continues to show contempt and disrespect for basic parliamentary processes, with new evidence revealing he has failed to respond to 275 Questions on Notice relating to his portfolio following the most recent round of Senate Estimates.

Responses were due by 14 July. The data was obtained via the online Senate Estimates Questions on Notice database. 

Manager of Opposition Business in the House and Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy Paul Fletcher said the revelation is worrying, especially since Mr Shorten has had the entire winter recess to respond and one of the country’s largest departments to assist him in doing so.

“Services Australia is the front door to government services, but citizens are being locked out when it comes to transparency,” Mr Fletcher said.

“Services Australia is one of the largest Commonwealth agencies and each year delivers billions of dollars’ worth of vital government services and payments, including to vulnerable Australians.

“These questions are in the public interest and serial offender Mr Shorten would rather play politics than be honest with the Australian people.

“We know why Bill Shorten is desperate to avoid scrutiny. Under his watch, call wait times have skyrocketed for Centrelink, from 14 minutes and 14 seconds during the 2021-22 financial year to 20 minutes and 22 seconds last financial year.

“This is in addition to massive job cuts at Services Australia, which has seen the agency axe over 1000 tech jobs; a major audit into MyGov which still hasn’t been responded to six months after it was handed down; not a single new digital service delivery initiative announced in the latest Budget; and Bill Shorten left unable or unwilling to progress vital digital ID reforms.”

Mr Fletcher said this follows revelations last week that Labor has been sitting on more than 3700 unanswered Questions on Notice across a range of portfolios.

“Labor’s contempt for parliament is a concerning trend and reflects their attitude towards openness and honesty,” Mr Fletcher said.

ENDS

Media contact: William Sparling | 0416 628 276 | [email protected]