Following the ‘Robodebt’ scandal, the government is taking steps to change the law to ensure that senior officials can be held accountable if they attempt to cover up failures.
This move comes as part of the government’s response to the findings of the Robodebt Royal Commission, which uncovered the illegal recovery of over $750 million from welfare recipients. The scheme was described as “crude and cruel” and a significant failure of public administration.
Senior public servants and ministers were aware of the unfair and likely illegal nature of Robodebt as early as 2017. However, dishonesty and collusion within the public service prevented this lack of legality from being exposed.
The Coalition government ultimately ceased the Robodebt scheme in 2019 after it had impacted 381,000 individuals over five years, tragically leading some to suicide.
Robodebt operated on a flawed algorithm that incorrectly identified individuals as owing money to the government, resulting in demands for exorbitant amounts.
In response to the Commission’s findings, the government is implementing two key recommendations to enhance accountability within the Australian public service. This includes ensuring that Commonwealth agencies face more rigorous scrutiny and creating an offence for withholding assistance from the Commonwealth Ombudsman.
The changes aim to rebuild trust in government and prevent similar failures from occurring in the future. The Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman will also receive enhanced powers to access agency records remotely.
Both the government and the Opposition have acknowledged the need to learn from the Robodebt scandal and have committed to implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission. Labor, in particular, has pledged to adopt all recommendations except one related to cabinet confidentiality.
Overall, the government is taking steps to address the failures exposed by the Robodebt scandal and ensure greater accountability and transparency within the public service.
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