Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, , 8:51:32 to 8:57:23
A review of the funding history for the Ask Izzy service, including past grants from DSS and the transition to licensing by Services Australia.
Topics: Social services, Government spending
Speakers: Hon Anne Ruston, Michael Lye, Senator Lidia Thorpe, Ellie Whiteaker, Unknown Speaker, Bronwyn Worswick, Kath Paton
Thank you. Um just uh Minister, just wondering what the uh specific concern around a Senate inquiry undertaking a broader inquiry alongside or one following the Commissioner's rapid review.
Well, as I understood it, um, and I'll I'll check this, but we were going uh our preference is to wait for um Professor Hunter's rapid review. And um I think Minister McCarthy may have had some discussions with you about that as the government's approach, but ultimately what the Senate inquires into is a matter for the Senate. Um that's the way Senate committees get established.
I understand that. Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Thanks, Chair.
Thank you, Senator Thorpe. I believe nobody else has questions for cross portfolio.
Well, the only thing is I wanted to ask about Ask Izzy, and I understand that this is a program that previously was in social services,
was then punted to Services Australia, but I want to ask about it in the context of it being a social services program originally.
So I don't know whether that's whole of portfolio or would you prefer me to go to a where's I'll see just some advice from the officials about whether this is an appropriate time to ask about that? Yes, okay, great.
Okay, perfect. No. It's not correct. Okay, so is a decision of Services Australia. No, no, no, no, no, no, I'm talking about the original with the regional decision, yes. Yes.
Senator, I think that the previous funding under the national action plan? I think under the previous funding, it would have been time-limited funding and that funding ran out. I think we've been in a world where also with machinery government changes programs have changed.
No, no, no, no. I I just don't think that's correct. I mean, my understanding is it was previously funded. Well, I know it was previously funded in social services because I funded it. Um it was funded in social services as a program that sat under the um the national action plan to win violence against women and children. My understanding is that the program the programs that that program sat under, that program was abolished in social services and accordingly Ask Izzy's funding that was previously provided through that program and social services no longer existed, is that correct?
Um Kath Paton, group manager for Community Grants Hub?
We have funded info exchange in relation to Ask Easy twice. Once and it was under the Master program in 2020, yep, until 2021.
It was time-limited funding.
Yep.
And it was to support the uplift of the mobile website and this supporting service directory.
Yep. So it provided funding for additional staff, software development and service mapping to improve the efficiency. Yep. The other grant we gave them was a volunteer grant from 2025 to 2026, and that was to purchase two computers and software packages to be used by six of their 20 volunteers. Uh 18 months. It was from the 30th of the sorry, the 15th of June 2020 to the 30th of January 2021. Okay, so it then according to your records there was no funding paid to Ask Iszy for anything between the expiry of the 2021-22 um grant and the volunteer funding that was provided for the 12 months, 25-26, not in DSS. Not in DSS. Oh, so in D in DSS provided a grant, they were the one that provided the grant from 25 to 26.
So are you aware that the Services Australia provided not a grant, but provided funding to Ask is E. It expired on 30 June 2026.
8 months agreement. 18 months.
From around about January 25 to 30 June 26.
So is that the volunteer grant that you're referring to or is that separate to that? So there was a volunteer grant from DSS and there was a licensing agreement from Services Australia, is that correct?
That's right.
Okay. Not in your area because it's Service Australia been mobbed out from DSS.