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A Royal Commission will ensure we know the full truth of what happened with robodebt including before 2015 

Media Release
Rachel Siewert 17 Jun 2020

“I am very disappointed that the Government and Labor combined to vote down my motion in the Senate today calling for a Royal Commission into robodebt”, Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 
“We need a judicial review so we can find out exactly who knew what and when and for how long. There needs to be a forensic audit of every debt including those before 2015.
 
“We need to know how many debts were raised, exactly how people have been impacted and what those debts were worth as well as the interest the Government has charged people. 
 
“The Government has clearly demonstrated they are not going to hand over this information willingly and will continue to hide behind “public interest immunity claims” or claims that they have no “duty of care”. 
 
“They will continue to obfuscate and deny what has happened with robodebt as they have for years now. 
 
“People have been traumatised by robodebt and they deserve justice, if the Government is not going to give it to them willingly then we will fight for it and I hope the opposition will join us. 
 
“It took many years for Labor to join the Greens calls for a Royal Commission into the abuse of disabled people as well the Royal Commission into the banking sector. 
 
“I’m sure eventually they will join in this pathway to justice too.”
 
 The motion reads:

 

Media Contact:
Lucy Cowcher-Guthrie; 0418 401 180

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