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Senate Inquiry Finds Tudge's robo-debt system "so flawed it was set up to fail"

22 June 2017
The Hon Linda Burney MP
The Hon Linda Burney MP, Shadow Minister for Human Services, ALP Member for Barton

The Senate inquiry into Alan Tudge’s bungled robo-debt disaster has handed down a scathing report of the system, finding that it was doomed from its inception despite claims from the government that the system was “working well”. 

The inquiry found that because Alan Tudge ordered no risk assessment or proper planning before rolling out his robo-debt system, it was “so flawed it was set up to fail”. 

According the report “it is questionable whether the government will achieve its savings target” because only 10 per cent of Alan Tudge’s claimed $300 million has been actually been recovered. 

The damning report follows a scathing Ombudsman’s investigation which found that the system was ‘not reasonable or fair’ and calls from welfare and community groups for the system to be halted. 

The senate inquiry has recommended a series of improvements to the system - including halting it until its fixed and properly resourcing the Department of Human Services to respond to customer concerns. 

176 days after Labor first asked for the system to be suspended Alan Tudge has done nothing. He hasn’t even bothered to respond. 

In their dissenting report Turnbull Government senators disgracefully claim that input from some community groups and witnesses to the inquiry was aimed “solely at scoring political point scoring” - an outrageous slur on those who have been affected by the Turnbull Government’s utter failure of administration of this program. 

Alan Tudge must act on these recommendations - if he doesn’t he can no longer blame ignorance, it must be malice.