More than $720 million raised through the Morrison government’s controversial robo-debt program will be refunded.

About 470,000 debts were raised through the defunct welfare scheme, which is now the subject of a class action challenge.

“Services Australia will now put in place the mechanisms needed to start making refunds, including how affected customers are advised of next steps,” Government Services Minister Stuart Robert said on Friday.

Consultation will occur with stakeholders, including the commonwealth ombudsman, and clear communication is a priority, so people understand what it means for them.”

Interest payments and recovery fees will also be refunded. Payments to 373,000 people will be made from July 1.

Mr Robert said Friday’s announcement was a “refinement” of Centrelink’s debt recovery programs.

“The government started this program over half a decade ago based on the best information at the time,” he said.

The information presented to me saw a change in November. I acted swiftly on behalf of the government to pause debt recovery and to refine the system. So again, we’re moving forward of the best information we have.”

The controversial system was ruled unlawful in 2019, with the Federal Court saying Centrelink could not have been satisfied the debt was correct.

The government wound back the scheme prior to the court decision.

The scheme matched Australian Tax Office and Centrelink data to claw back overpaid welfare payments.

thenewdaily.com.au/finance/welfare/2020/05/29/robodebt-centrelink-refund/

Thoughts on this news?

My eyes glazed over, and I read Mr. Robot instead of Mr. Robert, and not I'm so confused and lost I want to ask for a TL;DR.

Maybe time for a Friday night gummy...

From my understanding, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong fellow Aussies.

The government used an automatic system to determine whether people owed money for under declaring their income while receiving welfare and things of that nature.

Many didn’t actually owe this money and paid it anyway, the process has been determined unlawful and anyone that paid it will be refunded or people owing money the debt will be cleared.

Between this and the jobkeeper error from last week, if I ever hear anyone say that the Libs are the only fiscally responsible party again...

May 30, 2020 7:56:54 GMT @admin said:

Between this and the jobkeeper error from last week, if I ever hear anyone say that the Libs are the only fiscally responsible party again...

Where was big poppa pump when they needed him?

Can we turn this into the general Australian politics thread so I can continue to complain about how crap our government is? Because this new homebuilder shit is shameless welfare for the rich even for the Libs standards.

Edit - misread nevermind.

At least you guys get infrastructure from using public debt to create private wealth.  The US did not even get this.  

Jun 4, 2020 6:04:49 GMT c said:

Edit - misread nevermind.

At least you guys get infrastructure from using public debt to create private wealth.  The US did not even get this.  

I was going to put it as “Aus politics general” for the lols but wanted to avoid confusion :lol:

Well by the end of year may not matter so much. The rise of the God Emperor Trump cannot be contained. Soon he will find his way to Australia.

Quit perpetuating the myth that Australia isn't just a fictional movie country...like Wakanda.

Like real people would ever talk like that.

Jun 4, 2020 4:00:05 GMT @admin said:

Can we turn this into the general Australian politics thread so I can continue to complain about how crap our government is? Because this new homebuilder shit is shameless welfare for the rich even for the Libs standards.

Free money for those earning up to nearly a quarter million per house hold on renovations to properties worth up to over a million bucks.. makes heaps of sense.

It should be free money to install solar and rainwater tanks.

Well I don't like it @admin, and NATH45, but it is life now.
The housing market is a huge bubble, if it pops down go the banks and our entire economy.
So instead the government is plowing money into propping up the trades, because without the over-inflated housing economy we would be amid a decade long recession.

I have no side in this as I don’t own a house but this was posted on a finance page I follow on FB in response

(Redacted) you and many others seem to be missing the point.

The purpose of this grant is to support the building industry get over a short term hump.

Ideally, it was supposed to help fund new builds but also supports people that want to do major renovations that require the work of a licensed builder.

That last point is to avoid the “pink batts disaster” of the Rudd era.

Have you ever lifted a house to create another level?

That’s a minimum $250k investment and requires the employment of many trade qualified professionals.

This allows people who want to build but don’t qualify for first home owners grants to access some assistance where they didn’t before.

Limiting builds to $750k and household income of $200k means, it’s not just a handout for the wealthy.

I’ve got friends and clients, who have already been doing the hard yards of getting their finances in order by securing their income, and reducing debts to save for a home.

This assistance brings that dream a little bit closer for many, many people.

To scoff at it, is unfair.


Rachel, yes but of the 8.4 million households in Australia, 2.8 million are renters.

That’s 34%. Our home ownership levels are dropping considerably.

There are a significant amount of people out there, whose lives will be changed by this in a meaningful way.

This benefit is not available for investors.

Redacted, my phone and DM’s have been blowing up all day with people asking if they qualify.

Funnily enough, the ones that can’t take advantage of it, fail because their household income is too high.

But yes, I can see where that $150k minimum would affect you guys.

Jun 4, 2020 6:54:56 GMT RagnarokMike said:

Quit perpetuating the myth that Australia isn't just a fictional movie country...like Wakanda.

Like real people would ever talk like that.

I know can you believe they think we are that dumb?  They just make up strange animals like the Platypus and think we are so stupid we will believe it is real.  Also it is susposed to be this huge island but we only see footage from the same three or four hollywood stages.  Totally fake news.

I really should have drafted a drop bear for Animal Warfare

Hey now mister you would not allow me to use a jackalope so no evil Koala for you.

Jun 4, 2020 7:21:41 GMT iNCY said:

Well I don't like it @admin , and NATH45 , but it is life now.
The housing market is a huge bubble, if it pops down go the banks and our entire economy.
So instead the government is plowing money into propping up the trades, because without the over-inflated housing economy we would be amid a decade long recession.

So build social housing to provide for the hundreds of thousands who are on waiting lists across the country? Or give 25k to the disabled so they can make their properties more accessible?

No fuck them, it's much more important for self funded retirees to get a new quartz benchtop in their kitchen. 

Jun 4, 2020 22:57:38 GMT @admin said:

Jun 4, 2020 7:21:41 GMT iNCY said:

Well I don't like it @admin , and NATH45 , but it is life now.
The housing market is a huge bubble, if it pops down go the banks and our entire economy.
So instead the government is plowing money into propping up the trades, because without the over-inflated housing economy we would be amid a decade long recession.

So build social housing to provide for the hundreds of thousands who are on waiting lists across the country? Or give 25k to the disabled so they can make their properties more accessible?

No fuck them, it's much more important for self funded retirees to get a new quartz benchtop in their kitchen. 

I vote no to the current stimulus plan.
I vote no to your plan for social housing.
I vote yes for the disabled access grants.

Do you realise how fundamentally screwed the economics of our country are?
Spending is accelerating, revenue is declining and nobody has a plan to make our Country better.
You would have to go back to Hawke/Keating to find decent reform and there is nobody on the horizon with any sort of vision.

One thing is for sure, I don't want to the socialist wonderland the left is promoting.
We have to get people to create, to build new businesses, have new ideas, start companies, employ people...
Instead we have the politics of envy.

🤦🏻‍♀️

As far as the poker machines go at my work, even with the 50 people limit:

Second wave here we come

Jun 6, 2020 5:12:48 GMT System said:

Second wave here we come

I guess there’s a argument, social distancing laws may and very well could exist for a very long time, if you’re looking to break up or punish those publicly gathering in protest, arresting and fining them under these laws is an easy option.

I personally don’t see them going away, as the hypothetical “ threat “ could be enough to establish a new set of laws to dispel what authorities could view as anti-social behaviour ie: protests

Except you know these people are all idiots.
Aboriginal people die less in custody than white people and the numbers are falling... We just have rent-a-mob in Australia.

Jun 6, 2020 11:29:17 GMT NATH45 said:

Jun 6, 2020 5:12:48 GMT System said:

Second wave here we come

I guess there’s a argument, social distancing laws may and very well could exist for a very long time, if you’re looking to break up or punish those publicly gathering in protest, arresting and fining them under these laws is an easy option.

I personally don’t see them going away, as the hypothetical “ threat “ could be enough to establish a new set of laws to dispel what authorities could view as anti-social behaviour ie: protests

We’ve had the police come through every night so far to do checks that people are social distancing.






I’ve had to ask groups of 4 patrons sitting at a round table to move apart this week meanwhile this stuff is happening. 🤦🏻‍♀️



Newcastle ^

Jun 6, 2020 14:25:02 GMT System said:

Jun 6, 2020 11:29:17 GMT NATH45 said:

I guess there’s a argument, social distancing laws may and very well could exist for a very long time, if you’re looking to break up or punish those publicly gathering in protest, arresting and fining them under these laws is an easy option.

I personally don’t see them going away, as the hypothetical “ threat “ could be enough to establish a new set of laws to dispel what authorities could view as anti-social behaviour ie: protests

We’ve had the police come through every night so far to do checks that people are social distancing.






I’ve had to ask groups of 4 patrons sitting at a round table to move apart this week meanwhile this stuff is happening. 🤦🏻‍♀️



Newcastle ^

Businesses are easy prey when revenue raising. Trust me, a conversation has been had some where by some people that make big decisions, deciding handing out fines is an easy buck for the state.

My local council is notorious for blitzing the streets for parking fines and digging out laws written in Ye Olde English to pick up some coin. Social distancing is easy money.

Australians are just now getting into the planking fad!? Isn't that like sooo 2015 or something?

For real what the fuck is going on over there? What is next, owling?

Please don’t judge us, the second biggest thing to happen in Australian politics this week was the PM being kicked off a home owner’s front lawn.

I can't believe all those people are protesting Hillary losing the 2016 election. Why do your people not care about your own leader and need to protest our elections? Stop stealing our anger you damn planking hippies!!!

Nobody at our rallies could tell you what they are upset about except to repeat the catch cries of Twitter. We could be the most politically ignorant country on Earth.

Remember, in the US about 10 percent of the people believe the Earth is flat these days. In a CDC survey 30 percent of people reported drinking bleach or using it on their skin. I wish I was making that second statistic up. Americans can tell you the first 5 amendments of the constitution because they all been in the news this year but few will be able to tell you any from 6-10.