Scott Morrison, a former prime minister, claims he trusted his department when it told him that no new laws were required to legalize the government’s disastrous robodebt program. He finds it “inconceivable” that advice to the contrary was not provided to him.
At a royal commission hearing today, Morrison, who was social services minister in July 2015 when the debt collection program started, was questioned for many hours about his understanding of the validity of the plan.
Over the course of more than four years, hundreds of thousands of Centrelink debts were issued under the robodebt scheme. The program was eventually ruled illegal by the Federal Court in November 2019, resulting in a $1.8 billion settlement for welfare recipients.
Morrison informed the commission that in August 2019, the solicitor general’s advice was the first piece of information that led him to believe the debt recovery program was illegal.
Until the solicitor-general gave the minister for government services guidance in 2019, there was nothing that “suggested to me” that it was illegal, according to Morrison.
Morrison backed the robodebt, a $1.2 billion cost-cutting initiative, when serving as the minister of social services, and he brought it before the cabinet for approval.
Morrison served as treasurer during the scheme’s expansion to generate hundreds of thousands of illegal debts and as prime minister during the scheme’s legal defense.
The royal inquiry was informed that Morrison was initially briefed on the plan in February 2015 and that it was recognized that it was anticipated that legislative amendments would be required.
The brief, which Morrison signed, stated that the Department of Human Services and the Department of Social Services will collaborate to examine potential policy and legal changes.
A month later, in March 2015, a final policy proposal was submitted to the government’s expenditure review committee, although it omitted any reference to the need for legislation.
Commissioner Catherine Holmes questioned Morrison about why he did not object to the sudden change in opinion regarding the necessity of new legislation.
Holmes questioned, “Within a few weeks, you’re getting a new policy plan, it says legislation is not necessary.”
As the responsible minister, why is there no worry about that?
Morrison reacted by saying he believed his department when they claimed no additional legislation was needed.
Morrison stated, “I do not think the department and the professional offices there arrived at that topic lightly.
“Now that we all know, they received guidance at the time. I find it incomprehensible that ministers would not have brought up the issue.
It’s simply incomprehensible.
