Centrelink’s practices point to a persecutory culture that ultimately acts as a disincentive for people to seek income support to which they are entitled.
We’ve been presented with a rare opportunity to disrupt punitive,stigmatising attitudes towards the poor.
“Venality,incompetence and cowardice”:The royal commission has delivered a scathing assessment of a cruel,illegal scheme and those who ran it.
Royal commissioner Catherine Holmes found that welfare recipients were seen during Scott Morrison’s era as costly inconveniences. Now the tables have turned.
The royal commission found former prime minister Scott Morrison allowed cabinet to be misled over the welfare crackdown’s lawfulness and gave untrue evidence to the inquiry.
The royal commission report found Kathryn Campbell kept the true nature of the robo-debt scheme secret when advising cabinet because she knew Scott Morrison wanted budget savings.
The royal commission’s report into the scheme strips away any veneer of credibility that those responsible for the debacle may have attempted to convey in defence of their actions.
Miller’s testimony to the royal commission has resulted in “absolute vindication” for her son Rhys Cauzzo,who took his life after being chased by debt collectors.
Here are some of the main takeaways from the robo-debt report – and questions that remain after its release.
The royal commission examined the unlawful debt assessment and recovery scheme,including what key Coalition ministers knew and when.
This is a thorough condemnation of former prime minister Scott Morrison and former federal ministers who championed a scheme that broke the law.