On Thursday 28 July at 3pm, Parliament will hold a one-hour special debate on the petition of Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand (CABNZ), Leave no-one behind – Campaign to address digital exclusion. Parliament’s decision to hold a special debate signifies the depth of concern across the House about this issue, with only seven hours of special debate time allocated each year.

"Our petition challenges the current approach being taken by Government in its digital transformation of the public service - including the retreat of agencies from being physically present in communities. It’s getting harder to access human support from government agencies, but people’s needs for face-to-face services and timely support via the phone are as real as ever," says Dr Hubbard, Deputy Chief Executive of the CAB.

The CAB believes government agencies are failing to put people at the centre of public service design and delivery. “We look forward to hearing MPs from across the political spectrum debate our petition. This is fundamentally about asking what we want from our public services, now and in the future. This impacts on the kind of society we live in”, says Dr Hubbard.

The CAB believes that a real change is needed to ensure that public services are genuinely inclusive and accessible into the future. “There are overseas examples where governments are doing this well such as in New South Wales and Canada, that our Minister for Public Services and Public Services Commissioner should be looking at and learning from” says Dr Hubbard. These models of a one-stop-shop for public services, ensure that people can access anything they need from the government in person, online or over the phone.

The CAB has been unwavering in its campaign for inclusive public services, first highlighting the issues in a report, Face to Face with Digital Exclusion, and then bringing a petition to Parliament in July 2021. The Petitions Committee commended the CAB for its work and agreed that a more human-centred approach is needed, urging the Government to take action. It is a significant step for the Petitions Committee to single out a petition for debate by all political parties.

All are welcome to attend the special debate on Thursday 28 July at 3pm in Parliament, in-person, or you can watch the debate on Parliament TV https://ondemand.parliament.nz/ or listen to the debate on Parliament Live on RNZ, AM frequencies https://www.parliament.nz/en/visit-and-learn/parliament-on-rnz/.

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