Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

As I said, recovering overpayments is absolutely fundamental to our welfare system. What we have continued to do, through the process of listening to the responses that we receive through Senate inquiries such as the one to which Senator Siewert refers and listening to the general public, is make sure that we constantly refine what we are doing to ensure that we have a balance between ensuring that we recover debts that are owed—money that is owed to the taxpayers of Australia—and making sure that the system of collection is fair and equitable but, equally, robust. That is something that I believe that the Australian public expect of their government. So the processing of debts has been a feature of our system—

Senator O'Neill interjecting—

I'll take the interjection from Senator O'Neill. I'd just like to quote this to Senator O'Neill: 'We want to make sure that people aren't receiving welfare to which they are not entitled, and no-one gets a leave pass on that.' I wonder who said that? I think it may have been your previous opposition leader, Mr Shorten.