All governments try to ‘manage’ stories – but with robodebt it became a stubborn refusal to admit the truth
Lenore Taylor
The royal commission’s final report lays bare how ministers and officials frustrated honest questioning and used friendly media to spread misleading information
The robodebt scheme was passed like a hot potato up the line of Coalition ministers – but who will be held responsible?
Paul Karp
Unless agencies take up the commissioner’s invitation to prosecute, who is most to blame could remain sealed away in the report’s ‘confidential chapter’
How the Coalition collaborated with ‘friendly media’ to silence robodebt victims
Australia news live
Robodebt royal commission report handed down – as it happened
The robodebt royal commission revealed the worst of ‘welfare cop’ politics. But what happens next is up to us all
March 2023
In Aston, the looming federal byelection takes second place to grocery prices
Robodebt: five years of lies, mistakes and failures that caused a $1.8bn scandal
February 2023
Inequality reporting
‘Platitudes and false words’: mother of robodebt victim who took own life tells inquiry of government stonewalling
Former Liberal MPs back rival candidates Roshena Campbell and Ranjana Srivastava in Aston preselection
Robodebt’s lament: I wasn’t even mentioned in Alan Tudge’s farewell to parliament!
Liberals claim underdog status in Aston byelection as party faces calls for a woman to replace Alan Tudge
Alan Tudge quits politics sparking byelection in former Liberal minister’s Victorian seat
Alan Tudge faces questions over response to suicide of robodebt victims – video
Australia news live
Capsule found after ‘needle in a haystack’ search – as it happened
January 2023
Inequality reporting
Alan Tudge denies he was responsible for department’s failure to check legality of robodebt, royal commission hears
Former human services minister says he was away on leave when an article casting doubt on legality of robodebt was sent to him
Alan Tudge’s adviser placed stories in ‘friendly media’ to ‘shut down’ robodebt scandal, royal commission told
Rachelle Miller tells inquiry the then human services minister was ‘very firm’ a media storm over the Centrelink debt recovery scheme needed to be shut down
Former ministers Alan Tudge and Christian Porter to appear before robodebt inquiry
As human services minister, Tudge was in charge of the scheme when the accuracy of welfare debts was first questioned
September 2022
PM calls on Alan Tudge and Michaelia Cash to explain circumstances leading to Rachelle Miller settlement
Anthony Albanese claims he was ‘not privy’ to details of former Coalition staffer’s case which led to $650,000 payment
