Pensions and Benefits

The majority voted against a motion introduced by WA Senator Rachel Siewert (Greens), which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) robodebt and the income compliance program has caused enormous harm and trauma to hundreds of thousands of Australians, and

(ii) the Government has not genuinely apologised to robodebt victims;

(b) acknowledges that:

(i) the Government is only refunding illegal debts from 2015, which will leave many victims behind, and

(ii) the social and economic costs of this program have not been fully identified and examined; and

(c) calls on the Government to establish a Royal Commission into robodebt to examine all elements of this program.