Who Started Robodebt; An illegal method of automated debt assessment and recovery was used by Services Australia as part of its Centrelink payment compliance program. This method was known as the Robodebt scheme, which was formerly known as the Online Compliance Intervention (OCI). A previously manual method of calculating overpayments and sending debt notices to welfare recipients was going to be replaced with an automated data-matching system that would compare Centrelink records with averaged income data from the Australian Taxation Office. The new system was going to be put into place in July 2016, and it was going to be announced to the public in December of the same year.
Robodebt was started by Minister for Social Services Christian Porter in December 2016. Under the prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Christian Porter made a public announcement regarding the implementation of this new automated debt recovery system, which the media dubbed “Robodebt.” It was estimated that the system was capable of sending out debt notices at a rate of 20,000 per week. This debt law was given the colloquial name “Robodebt.”
Critics of the Robodebt programme claim that errors in the system have resulted in welfare recipients making payments on debts that do not exist or on debts that are greater than what they actually owe. Additionally, some welfare recipients have been required to make payments while contesting their debts. In some instances, the debts that were being pursued dated back further than the period of time for which the ATO requests that Australians keep their documentation. Particular criticism has focused on the shifting of the burden of proof from Centrelink, which previously needed to verify the information, to the individual, who is now responsible for proving that they do not owe the funds, with very little room for human interaction in the distribution of the debt letters.
Politicians affiliated with the Australian Labor Party, the Australian Greens, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, and Andrew Willkie, an independent, have all voiced their opposition to the scheme and the automated debt calculation methods it employs. The scheme has also been criticized by advocacy groups for people affected by poverty, disadvantage, and inequality, such as the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) and the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. These groups include people who live in low-income areas and are at a disadvantage.
Malcolm Turnbull Wiki
Born on the 24th of October in 1954, Malcolm Bligh Turnbull AC is a well-known figure in Australian politics. He was the 29th Prime Minister of Australia, holding that position from 2015 until 2018. He was the leader of the Liberal Party in Australia when he held that office.
After receiving his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of Sydney, Turnbull went on to earn his Bachelor of Civil Law degree from Brasenose College, Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. Turnbull is currently the Prime Minister of Australia. Over the course of more than twenty years, he was employed in the fields of journalism, law, merchant banking, and venture capital. He was one of the leaders of the unsuccessful “Yes” campaign in the 1999 republic referendum and served as Chair of the Australian Republican Movement from 1993 until 2000. The referendum on whether or not Australia should become a republic was held in 1999. After serving as the Minister for the Environment and Water in the Howard government from January 2007 until December 2007, he won his first election to the Australian House of Representatives in 2004 as a member of parliament (MP) for the division of Wentworth in New South Wales. He served in this capacity from January 2007 until December 2007.
After coming in second place during the election for the leadership of the Liberal Party in 2007, Malcolm Turnbull eventually won the leadership of the Liberal Party during a leadership spill the following year and assumed the role of Leader of the Opposition. However, his support of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme proposed by the Rudd government in December 2009 led in turn to a leadership challenge by Tony Abbott, who defeated Malcolm Turnbull by a single vote to become the new leader of the opposition party. Turnbull had originally intended to leave politics following this event; however, he changed his mind and is now serving as the Minister for Communications in the Abbott government, which was formed after the Liberal-National Coalition was victorious in the 2013 election.
To Twitter Tweets about Robodebt
One user tweeted the following: “If I sent people fake debt notices then hounded them to suicide in order to extort payment, I would be arrested.” It should be the same for members of parliament.
Bill shorten wrote in his post:
We are pleased to announce the establishment of a Royal Commission to investigate Robodebt. In spite of the fact that liberals continue to deny it, I’ve been saying that Robodebt is illegal for years. This investigation will answer any questions that have been left unanswered and will bring Robojustice to the victims. #robojustice
Mark continued on twitter by saying:
I would prefer it if the liar known as @ScottMorrisonMP did not “reflect on his position.” I want him to react in the same way as the unfortunate people in Robodebt did when the doorbell or phone rang. He should jerk in his seat. I want him to be put on trial and found guilty for being the empty, corrupt charlatan that he is.
Ged added:
Robodebt was a scandal that marred the reputation of the previous administration, which was responsible for harassing vulnerable individuals, creating fictitious debts, and pressuring individuals to pay money that they were unable to pay.
What took place must be explained to us. Furthermore, we have an obligation to ensure that this will never occur again.
karen posted:
Bill Shorten: “Robodebt was a gift from the previous government. The previous administration provided us with robo-victims. Robo-denial was a gift from the previous administration. Today, the victims will be provided with some robo-justice by Labor.” #auspol
Another user chimed in with:
It’s heartbreaking to think that hundreds of people took their own lives as a direct result of the illegal debt collection practises of Scott Morrison’s #robodebt programme. It was the final straw for them, and they had already reached their lowest point.
auspol
On Twitter, Karen shared the following:
The Prime Minister inquired as to whether or not ministers such as Stuart Robert, Christian Porter, and even Scott Morrison will be required to testify before the Robodebt Royal Commission. Albanese: “The matter is going to be decided by the royal commissioner. We don’t pre-empt or control a royal commission process.” #auspol
