At a special debate in Parliament, MPs across the political spectrum expressed universal support for the CAB’s call for accessible public services, acknowledging that the digital-first (or digital-only) approach is shutting some people out.

The focus of the debate, held on Thursday, was on the petition of Citizens Advice Bureau which asks for public services to be easily available in the ways people need – in person and over-the-phone, not just online. The petition was sparked by the concern of CABs around the country who are seeing more people struggle to access public services. Parliament’s Petitions Committee felt the petition to be of such national interest and importance that it recommended a special debate take place.

It is rare to see agreement in the House, but members were unanimous in acknowledging that change is needed to remove the barriers stopping people accessing services.

Hon Dr David Clark, Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications, said he recognises “the need to maintain choice in the way people interact with public services, particularly in offering non-digital options”.

Jan Logie, Green Party Spokesperson for the Public Service, said that the starting point for the public service should be to find out how people actually engage, how they want to engage, and “how can Government meet them where they are at rather than the starting point of what is easy for the organisation, the bureaucracy.”

Hon Jacqui Dean, National Party MP and Chairperson of the Petitions Committee, said that Government needs to develop concrete steps for doing what it should be doing to “support the vulnerable, the visually impaired, the disabled, the minority groups who are struggling to access digital services.”

Nicole McKee, ACT Party MP, echoed the concern at the particular impact a digital-only approach is having on society’s most vulnerable people, stating that “we need to make sure we can take the people with us”.

Kerry Dalton, Chief Executive of the CAB, says “It’s good that the political parties have acknowledged the need for change, but what we – and the people of New Zealand – need to see now, is action.”

“In response to our campaign and the special debate, we’re being regularly contacted by people who are frustrated and stressed with the system because they can’t engage with it, and they are asking for change’, says Ms Dalton. “Government needs to make that change – it needs to stop choosing to exclude people and cause harm with its digital-first approach. It must act now to make our public services genuinely accessible so everyone can get the services they need and are entitled to.”

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