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

I thank Senator Gallagher for her question. Clearly, there were decisions of many previous governments to make sure that, where Australians had received money from the taxpayer to which they were not entitled, the government would seek to recover it. There is an expectation by the Australian public that the government will seek to recover that debt.

One of the measures which was put in place by the previous government and subsequently undertaken by the government of which I am now a member was to use a form of determination called income averaging. We subsequently know and acknowledge that that method by which we determined debts was deemed not to be valid. We acknowledge that it was determined not to be valid. I believe that the Prime Minister has actually apologised to those people who have been impacted by that form of debt collection.

Senator Keneally interjecting—

Senator O'Neill interjecting—