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Tudge backflips on Centrelink robo-debt debacle

16 May 2017
The Hon Linda Burney MP, Shadow Minister for Human Services, ALP Member for Barton

Shadow Minister for Human Services, Linda Burney, has called on Alan Tudge to apologise to those caught in his robo-debt mess following his concession in media reports this morning that changes need to be made.
The stunning admission comes just a week after the Minister returned from holidays and insisted that no changes would be made and that “the system [was] working well”.

Centrelink debt furore: police won't investigate release of welfare recipient's data

8 May 2017
Guardian

The Australian federal police has said it will not investigate allegations the minister responsible for Centrelink unlawfully shared the private details of a welfare recipient with the media without their consent.
The human services minister, Alan Tudge, was told by federal police on Monday they would not be investigating the claims any further.

AFP decides Labor’s claims not worth investigating

8 May 2017
The Hon Alan Tudge MP, Minister for Human Services, Liberal Member for Aston

The Australian Federal Police will not be pursuing Labor's allegations that I broke privacy law.
The AFP evaluated the referral from the Labor Party. The Labor Party alleged that I had disclosed protected information without authorisation. The AFP has today advised that it will not be investigating further.

Tasmanians to get their say on Tudge's bungled robo-debt system

26 April 2017
The Hon Linda Burney MP, Shadow Minister for Human Services, ALP Member for Barton

The senate inquiry into Alan Tudge’s bungled robo-debt system will hear first hand from Tasmanians over the next week as hearings are held in Hobart today and Launceston on Thursday.
The inquiry is expected to hear that despite Mr Tudge’s claims that the system is working well, it has actually been a disaster for the most vulnerable Tasmanians.

Centrelink robo-debt 'abject failure' and arguably unlawful, Victoria Legal Aid says

11 April 2017
Guardian

Scathing assessment comes as system again put under the microscope, this time by external auditors PwC Australia.
Victoria Legal Aid has described Centrelink’s robo-debt system as an “abject failure” which is an arguably unlawful response to the government’s self-inflicted budget problems.

‘An abject failure’ – we give evidence on Centrelink’s robo-debt scheme to Senate inquiry

11 April 2017
Victoria Legal Aid

In Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate inquiry into Centrelink’s automated data-matching initiative, we called for the flawed scheme to be immediately abandoned.
Our Managing Director Bevan Warner said the scheme is "an abject failure. It is hurting people. It will continue to undermine the integrity of the social welfare system it is meant to be improving. It is arguably unlawful, and even if it is lawful, it shouldn’t be."

Senate inquiry shows Centrelink recipients feel bullied and threatened by the Government

11 April 2017
Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia

The last two days of evidence to the senate inquiry into Centrelink’s automated debt recovery system has raised a myriad of issues and suggests recipients feel bullied by the Government who are pursuing a debt that people may not owe.

Centrelink debt scandal: report reveals multiple failures in welfare system

10 April 2017
Guardian

An ombudsman’s report on the roll out of Centrelink’s automated debt recovery service has identified multiple failures that placed unreasonable burdens on welfare recipients and staff.
The self-initiated investigation was announced in January after months of complaints that the problem-riddled system was sending incorrect debt notices to people.

Robo-debt is not "working well" according to Ombudsman

10 April 2017
The Hon Linda Burney MP, Shadow Minister for Human Services, ALP Member for Barton

The robo-debt system has been plagued by poor administration and a failure of Centrelink to communicate adequately with customers, according to the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s report into the system released this morning.
The damning report comes despite the Minister’s insistence earlier this year that “the system is working well”.

Porter negligent on Centrelink robo-debt debacle

6 April 2017
The Hon Linda Burney MP, Shadow Minister for Human Services, ALP Member for Barton; The Hon Jenny Macklin MP, Shadow Member for Families and Social Services, ALP Member for Jagajaga

According to a Freedom of Information Request by the ABC, the Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter and his Department claim to not have been informed about the Centrelink robo-debt debacle.
The FOI request reveals that Mr Porter did not receive any written briefings, documents or analysis about the program from Centrelink or his department before publicly proclaiming it was working "incredibly well", earlier this year.

Centrelink inquiry told 'income averaging' creating incorrect welfare debts

6 April 2017
Guardian

Forcing welfare recipients to disprove their own debts has made the error-prone, previously rare practice of “income averaging” commonplace, welfare advocates say.
The National Social Security Rights Network has used its submission to the “robo-debt” Senate inquiry to provide a forensic and detailed account of the problems with the new system.

'Reasonably clear' Alan Tudge's office broke law in Centrelink case, says Labor legal advice

3 April 2017
Guardian

Labor-commissioned legal advice says it is “reasonably clear” that the government committed a criminal offence when it released the personal details of welfare recipient Andie Fox.
The opposition recently engaged one of Australia’s leading criminal barristers, Robert Richter, QC, to consider the release of Fox’s protected information by the office of human services minister, Alan Tudge, in February.

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