Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Politics
Grace Crivellaro

Repeated info sharing for government services to be cut

Reforms are aimed at cutting red tape and allowing better information sharing across agencies. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

People may not have to fill in the same information over and over again when applying for assistance such Centrelink payments, Medicare rebates and child support.

Labor will introduce laws on Wednesday aimed at streamlining access to government services by reducing the need to repeatedly provide information to different agencies.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the laws aimed to cut red tape as well as allow information to be shared more easily between agencies.

Government services logos (file image)
Applying for assistance such Centrelink, Medicare rebates and child support will be streamlined. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS)

"These are common sense reforms from the Albanese Labor government that will make a real difference in people's lives," Senator Gallagher said in a statement.

"Accessing everyday services shouldn't be difficult or burdensome and we're committed to streamlining services like the age pension and child support to make them simpler and easier to access.

"These proposals are straightforward, and I urge the coalition to support the government's bill to ensure Australians receive better, fairer experiences when accessing government services as soon as possible."

The bill will also increase information sharing between healthcare providers, provide people with more information about the rollout of NBN, and grant fuel companies greater flexibility to respond to supply disruptions.

Anthony Albanese, Jim Chalmers and Katy Gallagher (file image)
The reforms follow the government's economic roundtable in August. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

The laws were fast-tracked after the government's economic reform roundtable held earlier this year recommended it to improve government inefficiencies.

Work on progressing the 'tell us once principle' was one of the 10 changes outlined by Treasurer Jim Chalmers at the gathering of government, business and union leaders in August that could be tackled straight away to bolster productivity.

Labor tasked the Council of Financial Regulators to continue decluttering regulation in the financial sector with a focus on harmonising data collection.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.