Robodebt was an unlawful debt-collection scheme that issued more than 400,000 false notices to welfare recipients from 2015 to 2019 and was a shocking attack on our democracy. A Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme was established in August 2022 to uncover the establishment, design and implementation of the Robodebt scheme; the use of third party debt collectors, concerns raised while the scheme was running and the intended or actual outcomes of the Robodebt scheme. The Commission’s video livestream of the hearings attracted 686,161 total viewers, and 1099 submissions were received. Who was responsible for the scheme? How did normal checks and balances fail? What has happened since the Royal Commission findings?

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

SUGGESTED READING

• Robodebt Royal Commision - https://robodebt.royalcommission.gov.au
• ABC 7.30 report, Two former ministers front Robodebt Royal Commission (9 minute video)
• ABC News, Robodebt royal commission findings (6 minutes video)
• ABC 7.30 report, Scott Morrison gives evidence at Robodebt royal commission (7 minute video)
• Inside Robodebt, The whistleblower Podcast (30 minutes)
• Government response to Royal Commission into Robodebt Scheme (Nov 2023)

COURSE OUTLINE

• Overview of the Robodebt scheme; Timeline – key moments architects & turning points of 5 years of operation; Why was the Royal Commission established?; Royal Commission findings
• Did anyone speak up?; How did normal checks and balances fail?; Implications for our democracy; What has happened since the Royal Commission findings?; Lessons learned

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Understand the significance of the Robodebt scheme
2. Appreciate how our democracy was undermined
3. Identify the institutions and processes that corrected the unlawful scheme
4. Identify the lessons learned