Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Many people might not know where the greatest show on earth is. It is in Swan, and it is called the Canning Show. I'm very proud to have the Canning Agricultural and Horticultural Society in the heart of Swan, and a few weeks ago I got to celebrate the Canning Show. It was a fabulous place, and I got to go with my children.

But the thing I was surprised by was some of the stories from community members. I spoke to a young man, and we were talking about politics and the former coalition government. He explained to me: 'Look, I could never vote for the other side, and the reason for that is because I was a robodebt victim. I was a robodebt victim, and it felt like everyone around me was against me—family members and the government systems. It felt like they were gaslighting me'. I was really surprised to hear about how he felt and the mental toll that it took on him, and how long it took for him to recover.

Robodebt should never have happened, and who knows what would happen under the coalition government—robodebt, robocop, robo who knows what. It shouldn't have happened, and we will make sure it never happens again. To all the victims-survivors: please know that we know it should never have happened, and it will never happen again.