Passport fees take-off while efficiency nose dives under Labor
Australians are paying more for their passports under the Albanese Labor Government in return for a woefully inefficient service.
A report released by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) today on the Australian Passport Office has revealed that “passport applications are not being processed in a time and resource efficient manner.”
Since being elected, Labor has hiked up the price for Australians with an adult passport of 10 years going up $38 and plans of a second increase this year of $28 from 1 July.
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Simon Birmingham said the Albanese Labor Government had no shame in slogging Australians with higher passport fees while delivering woefully inadequate services to deliver them.
“In a desperate cash grab the Albanese Government has twice hiked the price of passports with a third to come, yet this report reveals Australians are forking out more just to wait longer for their passports,” Senator Birmingham said.
“Australians already pay more for their holiday thanks to Labor blocking airline competition, now they’re paying more just to be allowed to leave the country.
“The Albanese Labor Government should reverse their big passport price hike until they comprehensively respond to these recommendations so that Australians get a fair deal on passports, not a costly, stressful stuff-around.”
In what the Treasurer has called a “relatively modest” change Australians will be paying 21 per cent more under Labor to get their passports during a cost-of-living crunch.