Tens of Thousands of Calls Unanswered as Agency in Charge of Centrelink and Medicare Struggles

Tens of Thousands of Calls Unanswered as Agency in Charge of Centrelink and Medicare Struggles
A Medicare and Centrelink office sign is seen at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, on March 21, 2016. Matt King/Getty Images
Updated:

Tens of thousands of calls to one of Australia’s most important domestic government agencies are allegedly going unanswered, leaving thousands of Australians without access to vital everyday services.

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has revealed that due to significant staffing shortfalls in Services Australia-the agency that oversees government programs like Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support, there were tens of thousands of calls going unanswered.

Victoria Kelly-Clark
Author
Victoria Kelly-Clark is an Australian based reporter who focuses on national politics and the geopolitical environment in the Asia-pacific region, the Middle East and Central Asia.
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