Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) robodebt has caused extreme distress, trauma and hardship in the Australian community,

  (ii) the Federal Government's recent changes to the averaging process is an acknowledgement that the process is flawed,

  (iii) the Federal Government failed to implement the key recommendation contained in the report by the Community Affairs References Committee, Design, scope, cost-benefit analysis, contracts awarded and implementation associated with the Better Management of the Social Welfare System initiative, tabled on 21 June 2017, which was to suspend the program and instead ramped up the program, relentlessly pursuing people on low incomes, and

  (iv) there are questions regarding the legality of income averaging, and placing the burden of proof on the income support recipient; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to immediately abandon automated debt recovery, complete the review of all existing and past alleged debts in a timely manner, and to repay and compensate those who have already paid or commenced paying a robodebt which is found to be an error.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government will not apologise for its efforts to protect the integrity of the welfare system. The federal government spends over $170 billion across 130 welfare-related payment types each year to support Australia's social safety net—about a third of total annual government expenditure. As of 31 October, over 950,000 Australians have 1.6 million social welfare debts totalling $5.3 billion. The message this government wants to make clear is that it is imperative social welfare recipients engage with us about their circumstances and keep us up to date so we can correctly calculate their welfare entitlements.

Question agreed to.