Witness Robert Hurman admits his department made 'false' statements about Robodebt to ombudsman
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Loading... - Adam Kelly
- 25 Jan 2023
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A senior bureaucrat has conceded his department made "false" statements about the unlawful Robodebt scheme, the royal commission has heard.
Key points:
- 1. Robert Hurman helped draft a letter to the Commonwealth ombudsman making false claims about Robodebt
- 2. Mr Hurman told the commission he wasn't sure why he helped mislead the ombudsman
- 3. He agreed he adopted a course that was not full and frank with the ombudsman
Robert Hurman, a former director of Payment Integrity and Debt Strategy at the Department of Social Services (DSS), which helped implement the Robodebt scheme, has given evidence at the commission on Wednesday.
Public hearings in Brisbane are focusing on criticism to the controversial Coalition-era debt recovery scheme from media and tribunals after it was implemented in 2015.
The commission heard Mr Hurman became aware that the Commonwealth ombudsman was investigating the online compliance intervention program, also known as Robodebt, in January 2017.
He was involved in the drafting of different "versions and revisions" of a letter from then-DSS secretary Finn Pratt to the ombudsman at the time.
The letter falsely claimed Robodebt was operating lawfully and that the department had not changed the way it assessed welfare recipients’ income. Read More…
