@Tooden
This is information obtained under a FOI request made by someone who goes by “MK” on @oaf’s Right To Know portal — a really valuable resource for anyone who wants to know more about anything any level of govt is getting up to.
If you want to know what Indue are up to, go after them — you’re no less qualified than I am!
I fell into coordinating #NotMyDebt at the end of late 2016, and stuck it out until 2020 because I’m stubourn. That’s really the main thing you need.
'More than 100,000 of these debts had been issued before the first media story, until Asher Wolf, #notmydebt campaigners and others stood for people and said: what is this nightmare? Even then robodebt was designated as a “welfare” or “summer” story by editors. Secretary Campbell could confidently joke that cricketers misbehaving would have taken people’s pain off the front page in 2018. Robodebt was always something our journalists “hadn’t been following”, being covered by “some guy in the Guardian”.'
Let’s be clear. Robodebt was ended by welfare recipients with their suffering
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/09/lets-be-clear-robodebt-was-ended-by-welfare-recipients-with-their-suffering?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
Asher Wolf is the first person I remember, right back in 2016, who began to fight #Robodebt and they deserve far more recognition, respect and thanks.
This was also an example of Twitter at its best- supportive and in accord. So very many were active then, supporting and encouraging those with debts, suggesting ways to track down income proof, explaining clearly why averaging was illegal, many ex PS fr DSS and ATO knew and laid it out time after time.
Asher started working tirelessly w others and using #NotMyDebt to publicise how wrong this was, to gather info, help w advice, lobby politicians and social community welfare orgs to fight this cruel deliberately ignorant injustice. They never stopped for all those years.
#MSM Journalists who use Twitter to their own ends just ignored this storm of information but were on Twitter and still did not pursue it w exception of #GuardianAus.
#Labor MP's pursued individual cases in their electorates but could have made far more impact if they had pursued harder in Plt.
I am glad the RC happened, but it should never have been needed. I am glad the Commissioner was clear in her condemnation of all the senior politicians involved and hope that Campbell, Tudge and Morrison pay for their greedy disregard of law and are never mentioned in future without the term 'Robodebt Enabler' being attached to their name.
Sincere thanks and respect to Commissioner Holmes for a job well done and with meticulous care.
@Asher_Wolf, digital activist who helped expose robo-debt scandal
https://www.smh.com.au/national/who-is-the-person-behind-the-handle-asher-wolf-20230425-p5d31z.html
This makes my blood boil & I want those responsible to pay dearly, for all of us to know who they were & for their guilt to haunt them.
So many competent, experienced frontline staff, victim supporters like Asher Wolf, past PS who knew exactly how the system was meant to work w error messages & human oversight were shouting out from the beginning of #NotMyDebt that #Robodebt was wrong.
But an arrogant, ignorant department head who wanted to please an arrogant, ignorant Morrison ignored all the warnings & people already suffering hardship were punished even harder & some died as a result.
'Closer to home, activists including Lyndsey Jackson and Asher Wolf used #NotMyDebt and #Robodebt to collect and share experiences related to the Australian government’s harmful automated debt program. This vital work developed supportive communities for those suffering harm caused by Robodebt, giving them a voice at a time when the government was all too happy to ignore them. '
One example of much good done through Twitter, let us give the credit it is due.
Just Another Amy
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