On 1 August 2019, the Senate referred an inquiry into the impact of changes to service delivery models on the administration and running of Government programs to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 16 October 2019. On 16 September 2019, the Senate extended the reporting date to the last sitting day in February 2020.

The committee was asked to inquire into:

The impact of changes to service delivery models on the administration and running of Government programs, with particular reference to:

• the privatisation of Australia’s visa and citizenship program
• Centrelink’s Robodebt compliance and outsourced debt collection program
• the broader outsourcing of functions in the Human Services portfolio and at the National Disability Insurance Agency
• the outsourcing of security vetting services in the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency

This report has three chapters. The first chapter provides an introduction.

Chapter 2 looks at the issue of outsourcing and privatisation of government services generally, and addresses all of the terms of reference except (a). It includes the committee’s view and recommendations relating to privatisation and outsourcing generally.

Chapter 3 considers term of reference (a), the privatisation of Australia’s visa and citizenship program. It concludes with the committee’s view and recommendation.