Mastodawn

#RoboDebt - the final "fix is in"?

2000 deaths linked to the illegal program.

But those with responsibilities skate away.

And two who "engaged in serious corrupt conduct"?

" ... the pair will not face Commonwealth charges, with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) saying it was "not appropriate" to refer them to the Director of Public Prosecutions."

They all walk free.

Australia's Vietnam War dead 500
Bondi victims 15
#AusPol https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-11/anti-corruption-investigation-into-robodebt-findings/106440278

Two found corrupt over robodebt but Morrison cleared

Two people investigated over the so-called "Robodebt" scheme have been found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct, while four others, including former prime minister Scott Morrison, have been cleared.

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skua Mar 11

That 2000 deaths are linked to illegal actions by the Australian public service and no referrals for for possible criminal prosecutions result is poison for "social cohesion".

The system that treated thousands of people so badly that they killed themselves - the government had run amok.

This undercuts #RuleOfLaw.
There were no #ChecksAndBalances stopping the illegal actions for years & years.
As deaths mounted.

Anthony Albanese needs to address the nation, say what's been changed.
#AusPol

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skua

Here is some of the questioning of #SerenaWilson at the Royal Commission into RoboDebt.
She'll keep all her superannuation.

She had people's lives in her hands.
But seemed too scared of her boss #KathrynCampbell to speak up?
#AusPol #RoboDebt #APS
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-09/qld-robodebt-scheme-government-royal-commission-duties/101629432

Senior bureaucrat admits to breaching public servant's code of conduct when Robodebt was conceived

The inquiry hears Ms Wilson received advice in 2015 showing the illegal income-averaging proposal that became Robodebt was unlawful but it still reached then-social services minister Scott Morrison.

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skua Mar 11

NACC 2026:
" ... Mr Withnell engaged in corrupt conduct by intentionally misleading officers of the Department of Social Services in 2015 during the preparation of a submission to the Expenditure Review Committee of Cabinet of a proposal that became the Robodebt Scheme."

Below is an account of Withnell's questioning at the Royal Commission in 2023.

He too had people's lives in his hands.
No indication of why he failed them
#RoboDebt #MarkWithnell #SeriousCorruptConduct
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/2023/02/24/february-24-robo-debt-royal-commission

February 24: Robo-debt royal commission

robot-debt

The Saturday Paper

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DragonFlame Mar 11

@skua

"My secretary had changed and I had a different relationship … with Ms [Kathryn] Campbell," Ms Wilson said.

"Were you fearful of her?" Mr Greggery asked.

"It was a less warm and mutually respectful relationship … it was [a] more authoritarian environment, I found it a difficult period," Ms Wilson said."

Q.E.D.

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skua Mar 11

@RHW
What I'm not confident of is that "lack of courage" isn't a sympathy-inducing way of avoiding saying, "I was worried that my career would be harmed".

"Lack of courage" - most of us have been there.

But "I put my career before the well-being of Australia's unemployed." would appear utterly callous. And fits with an ethically bankrupted ethos in the senior ranks of the Australian pubic service.
#APS

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DragonFlame Mar 11

@skua I have some degree of sympathy regarding her fear of fronting up to Kathryn Campbell. Campbell clearly did not want to know anything to cast doubt on her absolute determination to keep on using this damned method.
Campbell is formidable, her Army training very apparent, her ambition sky high. Watched her in estimates, and during enquiry. She was determined to do whatever Morrison wanted.
It does not excuse Serena Wilson and she has genuinely admitted her awful error and is taking blame. But I am deeply disappointed Campbell got off so lightly. Hers was ultimate responsibility and she had been told there were serious questions over this.
Experienced but retired PS knew this kind of system action had to go through human checks and balances, it was widely discussed on social media at the time.
But the debts were raised, taxpayer money being clawed back the people on pensions were the villains, Morrisson was a hero......
Totally cruel disgusting and FUBAR.

Thank #AsherWolf and the time when Twitter actually could achieve good outcomes.

https://theconversation.com/the-rise-of-robodebt-how-twitter-activists-pushed-a-government-scandal-from-hashtags-to-a-royal-commission-209131

The rise of #Robodebt: how Twitter activists pushed a government scandal from hashtags to a royal commission

Twitter activists played a key role in the robodebt scandal, driving social pressure to end the unlawful welfare scheme.

The Conversation