Department of Social Services – ABC News 24 with Andrew Greene
E&OE
NEWSREADER:
The Public Sector Union has raised concerns about a proposal to merge the Social and Human Services departments. The Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews has floated the idea of a merged department to develop social policy and be responsible for service delivery. He concedes the move could lead to redundancies but create substantial savings.
Mr Andrews spoke a short time ago to our political reporter Andrew Green.
REPORTER:
When you say this idea of a merger is only an idea, is it inevitable and will redundancies happen if there is a merger?
KEVIN ANDREWS:
Well we’re looking at a whole range of options in terms of the future government of the country and the arrangements in terms of departments. At the moment the Social Services Department and the Human Services Department are both within my portfolio. There are certain things which could be brought together. There would be savings in terms of computers and IT systems and back of office functions, so any prudent government will consider the options.
REPORTER:
And redundancies?
KEVIN ANDREWS:
Look this is not about redundancies, this is about how we have the most efficient and effective form of government. This is the major interface with the Australian public with the Commonwealth Government in terms of Medicare, in terms of Centrelink and a whole range of services, we want them to be effective and efficient. We also know that over time we need to continue to upgrade and improve IT systems. So we have to look at the options.
REPORTER:
You are talking about substantial savings across governments through the Commission of Audit process, will people on welfare feel any of those cuts?
KEVIN ANDREWS:
Well the Commission of Audit is looking at the medium to long term. It’s looking obviously at structural issues in terms of the context of an ageing population in Australia. We know for example that the growth in the workforce, the working age in Australia is diminishing and will continue over the next 20 years. We know that there’s larger numbers of dependents, there’s more people moving to retirement and into old age. So these are the context in which the Government has to look at all government expenditure. Having said that we have no particular plans in terms of making cuts to welfare, but we need to continue to be prudent about looking at the future.
REPORTER:
Warren Truss this morning said that there will be a lot of pain in this year’s budget, that’s inevitable.
KEVIN ANDREWS:
Well the reality is that we have a huge Commonwealth debt. We have had year after year under the previous Labor Government of deficits and that has to be reined in. We can’t go on the way we are at the present time because what we are doing is hocking the present to the future. We are setting up the next generation of young Australians to have huge debts which they’re going to carry for their lives through their relation to the Commonwealth budget. So this is something which we have to look at, we have to be sensible about it. We did it back in 1996 when we inherited a similar sort of situation and once again the Government has to look at the reality of the future.
REPORTER:
So there will be pain?
KEVIN ANDREWS:
Well what’s in the budget is still months away at this stage and there’s a whole Expenditure Review Committee process which we will go through. There will be a report from the Commission of Audit. There’ll be other work which is being done in various departments at the present time and then the Cabinet will sit down and consider the options for the future. But we’re facing two realities. Reality number one is that we have got an ageing population and that over time an increasing cost burden to the taxpayer. And reality number two is that we have got the largest Commonwealth debt ever. We’ve had six years of budget deficits under the Labor Party and we’ve got to try and rectify that situation otherwise we’ll end up slowly going down the track that some European countries have where they’ve got an unsustainable financial system and unsustainable welfare system.
REPORTER:
Minister, your former Chief of Staff Kevin Donnelly is looking into the national curriculum. As a man of faith would you like to see perhaps more knowledge in Australian schools of our Judeo-Christian path?
KEVIN ANDREWS:
There’s a number of foundations of western civilisation. Obviously the Judeo-Christian background is part of it, but equally what we’ve inherited from the British Empire, from the UK in terms of our Westminster system of democracy, equally we’ve inherited the rule of law originally from the Romans. I think all those things are essential pillars of the west liberal democracy which we live in in Australia which as Churchill said is the best form of government or least best form of government except for all the others. Now, that’s something we can be proud of. It’s brought people to prosperity. It’s brought people to a degree of freedom which throughout history has been enjoyed by so many people and we should be underpinning those things and making sure that young Australians know about the foundation upon which this country is being built.
REPORTER:
Are you disappointed on the attacks – by the attacks made on Kevin for pointing out the secular nature of the curriculum?
KEVIN ANDREWS:
Look, there’s going to be a robust debate about these things. We’ve had these debates before – they’ll be ongoing debates. It’s important that we do have these sorts of discussions. But equally I think it’s important that we do understand and that young people coming through the schooling system understand the basis of our civilisation.
REPORTER:
As a man who is a [indistinct] – has been a member of the Liberal Party, pre-selection candidate, a former employee of the tobacco industry – the right person for an unbiased review of the curriculum?
KEVIN ANDREWS:
Look I think when it comes to expertise and education there are few people that are in the same realm as Kevin Donnelly. He has been an independent commentator about matters of education for many years now. My recollection is that he was a former secondary school teacher at a fairly senior level, so he knows the education system intimately, he’s followed it well and I’m sure he’ll give frank, fearless and independent advice.
REPORTER:
As a former immigration minister if I could ask you to put that hat on. Are you concerned about the reports of detainees again sewing their lips on Christmas Island?
KEVIN ANDREWS:
Well, any sort of self harm is to be regretted wherever it happens and we would hope that those sort of actions don’t continue into the future.