Damaging criticism and publicity like this normally would have a minister rushing to initiate a review, or at the very least expressing regret for any (unintended) distress caused. But Mr Porter has remained his usual phlegmatic self, saying the letters sent initially to welfare recipients were "polite" and that only a "small" number of people had been asked to refund money they did not owe. He reiterated his belief that the program was working well, and said it would be extended further to recover nearly $4 billion in welfare debts over the next four years.
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A fishing expedition can't be ruled out, since the government is determined to make welfare an inconvenient and difficult option for anyone minded to seek it. However, a careless and hasty approach to design and implementation is the more likely explanation. Mr Porter's reluctance to admit that possibility is troubling, particularly as workers who receive family tax benefits, and age pensioners, are next in line for data matching. This blowback may be a taste of further things to come for Mr Porter.