The Australian Taxation Office.

From the depths of the farce of Government initiatives comes a new approach to increasing efficiency. The Australian Taxation Office has a policy of hanging up on a quarter of their phone calls so that the average waiting time is less as the blocked calls don't count. This is "a demand management tool." A more efficient service could be created if all calls went unanswered.

Although this seems silly, from personal experience it has already become common with most government branches, many service providers and a lot of businesses. Never doubt how far Government services can sink into a malaise of inactivity.

Dennis Fitzgerald,

Melbourne, Australia