The government will pay hundred of thousands of robodebt victims more than $500 million. But we may never know if public servants knowingly acted unlawfully.
Articles on robodebt royal commission
Displaying all articles
The ruling has allowed the Department of Social Services to resume pursuing historical welfare debts, which the Ombudsman has previously found to be unlawful.
Anthony Albanese is calling for a kinder Australia. But new research shows a lack of kindness in the public service is causing distress and even harm to clients.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says the government plans to publish the secret section of the Robodebt royal commission report, although it is not clear when it will do so.
The commission’s inspector found NACC Commissioner Paul Brereton had not adequately excused himself from the decision not to investigate the six Robodebt referrals.
The Tax Office has been writing off hard-to-collect debts for years, but it hasn’t had the power to do it. Unless we give it that power, it’ll be forced to push vulnerable Australians into debt.
Automation has wreaked havoc with government processes here and overseas, and freedom of information laws have been key to exposing it. But with the rise of AI, our laws need modernising.
The former prime minister, who was excoriated by the commission, was unrepentant, giving no ground on any of the criticisms Commissioner Catherine Holmes made of him in her report.
Behavioural economics is a discipline that seems blind to empathy. Robodebt showed what it could do.
Senior public servants no longer have secure positions, and that has deeply undermined their ability to give ‘fearless’ advice.
Misfeasance refers to a public officer abusing power and being recklessly indifferent to the harm caused.
Top contributors
-
Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
-
Lecturer in Law, Sydney Law School, University of Sydney
-
Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Technology Sydney
-
Associate Professor of Law, Member of Deakin Cyber and the Centre for Law as Protection, Deakin University, Deakin University
-
Professor and Founding Director of UNSW Tax and Business Advisory Clinic, UNSW
-
Professor, Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra
-
Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
-
Australian Reseach Council Industry Laureate Fellow, University of Sydney
-
Lead, Mental Health Stream, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney
-
Associate Professor, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, Faculty of Medicine and Health., University of Sydney
-
Lived Experience Fellow, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney
-
Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney
-
Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University