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| Class action launched into Centrelink robodebt recovery – question time live | Class action launched into Centrelink robodebt recovery – question time live |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Stuart Robert’s office has just released this list of previous comments from Labor MPs on recovering of debts. | |
| ‘If people fail to come to an arrangement to settle their debts, the Government has a responsibility to taxpayers to recover that money.’ | |
| Tanya Plibersek, Media Release, 29 June 2011 | |
| ‘The automation of this process will free up resources and result in more people being referred to the tax garnishee process, retrieving more outstanding debt on behalf of taxpayers.’ | |
| Bill Shorten, Media Release, 29 June 2011 | |
| ‘It is important that the Government explores different means of debt recovery to ensure that those who have received more money than they are entitled to repay their debt.’ | |
| Chris Bowen, Media Release, 15 June 2010 | |
| ‘I think most people would expect that we have a rigorous checking system, and covert surveillance is one of our, as I say, one of the weapons in our armoury. We have data matching, where we check our records against the Tax Office’s records to make sure that is all adds up and there’s not people who are paying tax on a job who are also claiming welfare.’ | |
| Chris Bowen, Interview with Stuart Bocking, 7 April 2010 | |
| ‘We want to make sure that people aren’t receiving welfare to which they’re not entitled to. And no one gets a leave pass on that.’ | |
| Bill Shorten, doorstop interview, Redcliffe Hospital, 9 May 2019 | |
| No one has said that over paid monies should not be paid back, but there have been massive issues with the process. And while the automation process may have been hatched under Labor, it was implemented and carried out by the Coalition. | |
| So, yes, these comments stand - but it is the process of robo-debt, how it has been carried out, and the inadequacies of that process which is under question here | |
| The Women’s Legal Service Queensland is in Canberra, and has responded to yet another review into the family court system: | |
| Women’s Legal Services Queensland (WLSQ) is visiting federal politicians today with family violence survivor Michelle Dörendahl to outline problems with the family law system that put people in danger. | |
| Michelle’s daughter Eeva was murdered by her father during a court-approved access period. The system had failed to acknowledge and respond to the evidence of family violence. | |
| WLSQ is calling for a federal Family and Domestic Violence Court in order to acknowledge and response appropriately to the 50% and up to 85% of matters in the family courts that involve family violence in order to keep children safe. | |
| Women’s Legal Services Queensland CEO Angela Lynch said: “Families are being traumatised and dangerous decisions are being made by a system that does not properly acknowledge domestic violence. | |
| “Australia needs a federal family violence court in order to protect children from the dangerous decisions that are made when the system does not have the necessary specialisation. | |
| “In the criminal system, we have specialist courts for drug issues because we know that with a specialist approach we can get better justice outcomes. In family law, we need a family violence court in order to keep children safe from violence. | |
| “A family violence court is necessary because of a lack of domestic violence specialist expertise and resources throughout the whole system including a lack of access to legal assistance services by victims. | |
| “We must also start implementing thorough reviews of all family violence deaths to determine the full extent to which institutional failings have contributed. | |
| “Over 50% and up to 85% of the matters that reach a hearing in the family law court involve some form of family violence, therefore it is essential that the system is capable of identifying and dealing with complex family violence issues. | |
| “The family law system needs to have a specialist Family and Domestic Violence Court so that cases have the necessary expertise and the safety of children and others at risk are always put first. | |
| “The most important thing in any family law decision should be the safety of children. Until we have a system that is able to acknowledge and deal with family violence the safety of children will be put at risk.” | |
| After no mention all Senate question time, Kimberley Kitching finishes with one on Gladys Liu. | |
| Mathias Cormann replies: | |
| Gladys Liu was elected for Chisholm because the majority of Australians in Chisholm elected her. The prime minister has full confidence in the member for Chisholm. If Labor has anything other than smear and innuendo – put it up, put it up. | |
| Asked if Scott Morrison will “allow” Liu to make a statement to parliament, Cormann replies that Liu fulfils her responsibilities “as she sees fit” and it is “an offensive question”. | |
| Kitching then asks if Liu is a “fit and proper person”, Cormann repeats aspects of his previous answers, leading Penny Wong to shout “say it now, say it now, say it now”. He does not say it now. | |
| And that’s the end of Senate question time. | |
| Stuart Robert will respond to Bill Shorten’s robo-debt announcement at 3.40. | |
| It’s worth making note of this: | |
| Minister @stuartrobertmp says the robo-debt system started under Labor. In fact, the current system - where letters are automatically generated and sent out with DHS oversight - came into play in July 2016: https://t.co/edwO9TFxm4 | |
| Scott Morrison has put out the official release on the family court inquiry: | |
| The Prime Minister has announced the Government will undertake a Joint Parliamentary Committee of both the House and the Senate to conduct a wide-ranging inquiry into the family law system. | |
| Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the review would look at whether the current system, which is intended to support parents and children during the end of a relationship, is fit for purpose. | |
| “We want to ensure families can resolve issues as quickly and fairly as possible, so everyone can move on with their lives,” the Prime Minister said. | |
| “This inquiry will allow the Parliament to hear directly from families and listen to them as they give their accounts of how the family law system has been impacting them and how it interacts with the child support system. | |
| “This is a serious issue that has been raised by Members and Senators across the Parliament and I look forward to the Parliament working together through this Committee to bring forward recommendations that look at how the system can be improved.” | |
| The inquiry will have broad terms of reference and be led by the Hon Kevin Andrews MP, who has considerable experience as both an MP and Minister in dealing with these issues. | |
| The Government has already proposed substantial reform in some relevant family law structures, such as the merger of the two courts that primarily deal with family law matters – the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court. This reform, which will be re-introduced before the end of 2019, is focused on helping parents resolve issues at the end of their relationship as simply, quickly and cheaply as possible. | |
| The Government is also considering the recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission report into family law which was released in April this year and will respond in full to all of those recommendations relating to the design of multiple important provisions in the Family Law Act 1974. | |
| Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations the Hon Christian Porter MP said the Select Committee’s focus would be on specific areas where there may be scope for improvement in the family law system, the courts or other policy areas such as child support. | |
| It will also look at how the family law system, state and territory child protection systems and family and domestic violence jurisdictions can communicate better. | |
| “Amongst other issues, it will address important operational issues of enforcement of court orders and legal costs to families of family law proceedings, with a particular focus on instances where legal fees are disproportionate to the total asset pool or issues in dispute,” said the Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations. | |
| “Importantly for older Australians who find themselves taking on the parental role for grandchildren, the Committee will have a particular focus on issues affecting grandparent carers in family law matters and family court proceedings.” | |
| A motion to establish the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee will today be considered by the Senate. | |
| The proposed Terms of Reference, to be considered by the Senate this afternoon, are attached. | |
| Question time ends with this: | |
| David Littleproud: | |
| ... Today I had the honour, this morning, to visit Stanthorpe, in my own electorate, to see a community that has galvanised and put its arm around those who have lost. | |
| And I have been able to partner with the Queensland government in increasing our category B payments for freight relief and also concessional loans for repairs of construction and also further freight. | |
| This builds on what we have already announced in partnership with the state government, in terms of income of $900 per family instantly, as soon as these fires took base. | |
| The Queensland government and the federal government worked hand-in-hand. We made sure that those people who were impacted were not out-of-pocket. We have also got grants available for household goods and for the rebuilding of their properties, and we stand ready, with the Queensland government, when they make further application for assistance. | |
| But what was sobering, Mr Speaker, this morning was when I met the assistant commissioner, Megan Stiffler, who ran operations, and a stark reminder of her assessment the night those fires started. | |
| They made an assessment that there would be fatalities. The catastrophic nature of the fire that took place around Stanthorpe and Applethorpe meant that there was very little that they thought that they could do, that there would be fatalities. | |
| Proudly, because of the meticulous planning of those men and women, both professional and volunteers, had put in place, meant that not one life has been lost. | |
| Homes have been lost, and I met a family today. And to the day that they lost their house, it marked 50 years since they emigrated from France to Australia. Yet despite the pain and anguish that they and their family felt, all they were concerned about, all that they were proud about, was that they had a small town community that put their arms around them, and they had firemen and women that stood there with them and tried to protect their homes and their properties. | |
| Like Pedro. Pedro is a captain of the rural fire brigade at Stanthorpe, just a knockabout bloke. He and his battalion worked for over 24 hours trying to save their community. Ordinary Australians doing extraordinary things. | |
| We should be proud of the fact that, in these darkest days, in these darkest days, average Australians become great Australians. | |
| Anthony Albanese: | |
| I do want to associate Labor with the remarks of the minister, congratulate him on the nature of those remarks, but more importantly, on behalf of our side, join with your side of the house in congratulating all those men and women, whether they be paid, but particularly those volunteers, who are going out there and helping their fellow Australians at this difficult time. | |
| Bob Katter is next and I don’t know what to tell you. He talks about chain gangs and Queensland’s “worst ever leaders” (which is hilarious, given he was part of the Joh Bjelke-Petersen government) and something about infrastructure. | |
| Josh Frydenberg says things are being built. | |
| Let’s all just be pleased that Katter made it to the correct chair today. | |
| Someone misses the time to jump for the question and Anthony Albanese gets in there first. | |
| Tony Smith says he has repeatedly warned the chamber that this is the practice – miss the jump and who gets there first gets it. | |
| Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: | |
| Does the prime minister accept that a combination of deep cuts and the government’s deregulation obsession have left older Australians in care vulnerable to abuse and neglect? Why is the prime minister denying basic facts, failing to be upfront and failing to take responsibility in the seventh year of the third term of this government, even for the most vulnerable Australians? | |
| Morrison: | |
| I don’t accept the leader of the opposition’s characterisation of this matter at all. Mr Speaker, as I responded earlier in answer to a question, the reason we initiated, I initiated, the royal commission into aged care, Mr Speaker, is because I wanted to know, and I wanted to... I wanted to ensure that those making the most difficult decision, of putting others into care, whether it is a husband or wife... (there are interjections). | |
| ... Mr Speaker, I am endeavouring to answer the question, and those opposite seeking to just frankly not show the courtesy to which this issue deserves respect, Mr Speaker. I have been asked the question. | |
| ... And I am answering the question earnestly on a very serious issue, and I would ask them to calm themselves... | |
| ... Thank you, Mr Speaker, so no, I don’t accept the leader of the opposition’s characterisation of this matter. | |
| It is why the government increases funding for aged care every single year. It is why, Mr Speaker, the government wants to ensure that the results of this royal commission are fully implemented, Mr Speaker, as we work through the issues that are raised, and will ensure that we get to the bottom of the care issues that are so central. | |
| Now, Mr Speaker, I am going to respect and trust the work of the royal commission that I initiated, and I would ask those opposite to adopt a similar position. | |
| Julie Collins to Scott Morrison: | |
| What is the prime minister’s response to the royal commission into aged care that says the accreditation system does not adequately ensure good quality of care and quality of life for residents of aged care facilities and government regulatory approach leaves those people the system is intended to protect. | |
| Greg Hunt takes this one: | |
| These are very important questions. They go to the reason why we did call the royal commission, as the prime minister indicated, the commission would have stories that would shock Australians. I would give the context that the commission followed the Oakden tragedy and crisis in South Australia. The South Australia state-run facility, which led to some of the most shocking scenes in aged care and institutional care in Australian history, that is why the prime minister called this. | |
| In addition to the commission itself, and we urge them to continue their work and go fearlessly with their work, and I have to say the commission has done that so far. As the prime minister said at the time, we continue to get on with the job of regulating and safeguarding Australians while the commission carries out its work. | |
| That is why we appointed the aged care quality commissioner. She has been inspecting around the country, her and her team, the aged care quality and safety commissioner have at the same time as the royal commission been going on, inspecting, and where breaches have been found, calling out and highlighting inadequacies. | |
| We do this for the reason we believe every Australian in aged care deserves to be protected, supported and deserves to have their safety guarded each and every day. In addition to that, in relation to Earle Haven, the minister, Senator Colby, appointed Kate Carnell to conduct an inquiry, the Carnell inquiry is going on as we speak. | |
| I would also note, one of the proprietors, Mr Miller, has failed to appear before an inquiry. | |
| I would encourage Mr Miller to appear before all inquiries as soon as he is fit to do so. I have to say, there can be no excuse for any of the proprietors not to appear before the relevant inquiries, whether it is the Queensland state parliament, the royal commission or the aged care quality and safety commissioner. | |
| My message to Mr Miller is, appear before the inquiry, fulfil your duty, explain your failures, apologise for your failures and stand up and be counted for the failures on your watch, in your time. | |
| Labor has been asking the aged care minister, Richard Colbeck, how many senior Australians are waiting for home care packages, then constantly objecting on the grounds of relevance when he talks around the issue rather than supplying a number. | |
| The Australian Conservatives senator Cory Bernardi then stood up to complain that Labor senators were objecting “just to get on TV” *waves*. | |
| Cory Bernardi gets a cheeky *wave* in while complaining senators are objecting just so they can get on TV #auspol #SenateQT pic.twitter.com/E1I8lEmQdu | |
| This is vintage Bernardi, half defence of Coalition senators, half trolling to get on TV himself. Most in the chamber laugh warmly, the wave has a naughty schoolboy charm about it. | |
| Colbeck eventually answers that 119,000 people are still waiting for home care packages (slightly lower than the 129,000 suggested by Labor’s Helen Polley), but most Labor senators were heckling too loudly to hear he’d finally answered. | |
| Jim Chalmers to Scott Morrison: | |
| The royal commission into aged care has heard in the weeks before Bellhaven suddenly closed the government knew that 50% of residents were regularly physically restrained and 71% were chemically restrained. Does he agree with the commission, this knowledge should have raised alarm bells, that there should have been a clinical team down there the next day? Does he agree this was a profound failure of the government regulatory system? | |
| Morrison: | |
| When I initiated the royal commission into aged care, the reason I did so was because I wanted to know, and I wanted to make sure all Australians had the light shone on our aged care system, and to identify whatever failings that were there, and whatever horror stories that were there. I told Australians at the time they needed to be prepared for difficult information to come back from the commission. | |
| What I propose to do is to let the royal commission do its job, compile its evidence, prepare its recommendations. There will be an interim report handed down shortly, we will deal with any response required at that time. | |
| We will deal... we... initiated [the commission] to be able to look into these matters and report to the government, so the government can take the action as we should, and as we will. | |
| From the 2014 Weekend Australian feature on Kevin Andrews – who will be leading the inquiry into the family court reform: | |
| He even penned a book, Maybe ‘I Do’ – Modern Marriage and the Pursuit of Happiness, a 480-page ode to marriage, in which he says that the greatest threat facing the western world is not climate change or radical Islam, but the “continuing breakdown of the essential structures of civil society – marriage, family and community”. | |
| Ged Kearney to Scott Morrison: | Ged Kearney to Scott Morrison: |
| How many registered aged care facilities do not have a registered nurse on site, 24 hours a day? | |
| The prime minister takes it on notice. | |
| Julie Collins to Scott Morrison: | Julie Collins to Scott Morrison: |
| Why are they now 129,000 older Australians waiting for their home care package, even though the packages have been approved? | |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| I refer the member to the previous answer from both myself and the minister for health, and I will state again that this is one of the biggest priorities of increasing the numbers of in-home aged care places for my government. | |
| And we will continue to make gains in this area, and I look forward to the future statements of the government, to build on those statements that we have already made, which have increased the number of places, particularly for those on level four packages. | And we will continue to make gains in this area, and I look forward to the future statements of the government, to build on those statements that we have already made, which have increased the number of places, particularly for those on level four packages. |
| And the reason you can do that, Mr Speaker, is because you manage a strong budget and you can keep adding places. | And the reason you can do that, Mr Speaker, is because you manage a strong budget and you can keep adding places. |
| But I do pick up the point that the minister for health made, that at the last election, despite $387bn of higher taxes, they could not find $1 extra to create one extra in-home aged care place, Mr Speaker. $387bn of higher taxes, and even then they couldn’t fund these essential services. | |
| Yet on our side of the house, we’ve been increasing those places for in-home aged care by getting the budget in order, by ensuring that we control what we spend, so we can spend it on the priorities. And one of my government’s priorities, and big priorities, Mr Speaker, is to ensure that we deliver even more in-home aged care places to deal with this issue. And if the health minister would like to add, he should feel free to do so. | Yet on our side of the house, we’ve been increasing those places for in-home aged care by getting the budget in order, by ensuring that we control what we spend, so we can spend it on the priorities. And one of my government’s priorities, and big priorities, Mr Speaker, is to ensure that we deliver even more in-home aged care places to deal with this issue. And if the health minister would like to add, he should feel free to do so. |
| He does feel so. | He does feel so. |
| Greg Hunt: | Greg Hunt: |
| I am also delighted to inform the house that in fact there has been a 7% reduction in waiting lists in the last three months alone. In the last three months, a 7% reduction, and that follows from a [inaudible] increase in the last year. So those two things are directly related. | |
| An increase in home care places because the budget can afford it, a decrease in those waiting times of 7%, and waiting lists of 7%, which we are informing the house of just today. | |
| Tanya Plibersek tries a point of order which includes pointing out a Labor policy (just to get it into the record). | |
| She is warned. | She is warned. |
| Dan Tehan becomes the latest government MP to point out the Coalition won the election. | Dan Tehan becomes the latest government MP to point out the Coalition won the election. |
| Someone is very happy: | |
| To everyone who's followed my journey and attempts to receive the support of the Government to hold a Family Law Inquiry - I'm pleased to announce it is finally happening.This announcement is a win for every Australian and I thank everyone for their support. -PH pic.twitter.com/HT2DsZKj8l | To everyone who's followed my journey and attempts to receive the support of the Government to hold a Family Law Inquiry - I'm pleased to announce it is finally happening.This announcement is a win for every Australian and I thank everyone for their support. -PH pic.twitter.com/HT2DsZKj8l |
| And the chair is known for this: | And the chair is known for this: |
| The Liberal MP once dubbed the minister for love, who believes de facto couples are more “unstable”, children of divorce worse off has been hand-picked by Scott Morrison to run a new inquiry into the nation’s family law court system https://t.co/Yx3MOpeT1Y | The Liberal MP once dubbed the minister for love, who believes de facto couples are more “unstable”, children of divorce worse off has been hand-picked by Scott Morrison to run a new inquiry into the nation’s family law court system https://t.co/Yx3MOpeT1Y |
| Richard Marles to Scott Morrison: | Richard Marles to Scott Morrison: |
| Can the prime minister confirm that last financial year, 16,000 older Australians died while waiting for their approved home care package? | Can the prime minister confirm that last financial year, 16,000 older Australians died while waiting for their approved home care package? |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| One of the biggest challenges facing this country and its budget in the future is funding the provision of in-home aged care services. | One of the biggest challenges facing this country and its budget in the future is funding the provision of in-home aged care services. |
| In recent budgets we have increased the number of places by over 20,000 and I will ask the health minister to come and add further to this answer. But the reason that more Australians are choosing to receive that care at home is because they want the choice to do that. And this is an important choice, to be able to stay at home and receive the care that they want to do amongst their loved ones, to be able to spend birthdays and family gatherings together at their home. And that’s why our top priority when it comes to aged care is increasing the number of in-home aged care places, which we are doing, Mr Speaker. | In recent budgets we have increased the number of places by over 20,000 and I will ask the health minister to come and add further to this answer. But the reason that more Australians are choosing to receive that care at home is because they want the choice to do that. And this is an important choice, to be able to stay at home and receive the care that they want to do amongst their loved ones, to be able to spend birthdays and family gatherings together at their home. And that’s why our top priority when it comes to aged care is increasing the number of in-home aged care places, which we are doing, Mr Speaker. |
| Now the only way you can do that, Mr Speaker, the only way to do that, Mr Speaker, is by ensuring you maintain a strong budget. And that’s what you must do, and that’s what our government is doing, Mr Speaker. | Now the only way you can do that, Mr Speaker, the only way to do that, Mr Speaker, is by ensuring you maintain a strong budget. And that’s what you must do, and that’s what our government is doing, Mr Speaker. |
| When you can manage money, you can look those in the eye who are looking for those in-home aged care places, you can tell them that the number of in-home aged care places is increasing, as it is under this government, and you can promise to deliver on that because you know how to manage money. | When you can manage money, you can look those in the eye who are looking for those in-home aged care places, you can tell them that the number of in-home aged care places is increasing, as it is under this government, and you can promise to deliver on that because you know how to manage money. |
| I will ask the minister for health to add to the answer. | I will ask the minister for health to add to the answer. |
| Greg Hunt: | Greg Hunt: |
| I can confirm that the latest figures, available only today, are an advance on what I provided in considerable detail last week. | I can confirm that the latest figures, available only today, are an advance on what I provided in considerable detail last week. |
| Last week I informed the house that we had increased from 60,000 home care passages when we came to government to a projected 124,000 packages for the last financial year. In fact, the figures available just today are 125,000, for an increase of over 25,000 places and 25% in one year. | Last week I informed the house that we had increased from 60,000 home care passages when we came to government to a projected 124,000 packages for the last financial year. In fact, the figures available just today are 125,000, for an increase of over 25,000 places and 25% in one year. |
| That is potentially one of the largest increases in home care places, both in terms of raw numbers and in percentage in Australian history. | That is potentially one of the largest increases in home care places, both in terms of raw numbers and in percentage in Australian history. |
| In addition to that, what I can also say is that we are now projected to increase to 157,000 places by 2022-23. | In addition to that, what I can also say is that we are now projected to increase to 157,000 places by 2022-23. |
| So that is a 161% increase in home care places on our watch, in our time. I can also inform the house that when one views the ALP’s alternative budget, as they seek to be an alternative government, there was zero funding. | So that is a 161% increase in home care places on our watch, in our time. I can also inform the house that when one views the ALP’s alternative budget, as they seek to be an alternative government, there was zero funding. |
| The Greens senator Larissa Waters has asked a flurry of questions about the Great Barrier Reef, including specifically why two LNP senators (McDonald and McGrath) have proposed setting up an inquiry into whether water quality harms the reef – seemingly inspired by Peter Ridd. | The Greens senator Larissa Waters has asked a flurry of questions about the Great Barrier Reef, including specifically why two LNP senators (McDonald and McGrath) have proposed setting up an inquiry into whether water quality harms the reef – seemingly inspired by Peter Ridd. |
| She pointed to the fact the former chief scientist Ian Chubb had described the tactics of casting doubt on reef science employed by Ridd as akin to the tobacco industry’s lobbying against smoking bans. | She pointed to the fact the former chief scientist Ian Chubb had described the tactics of casting doubt on reef science employed by Ridd as akin to the tobacco industry’s lobbying against smoking bans. |
| The Liberal leader in the Senate, Mathias Cormann, replies that the Coalition “are absolutely committed to the health of the Great Barrier Reef”, and said that Queensland farmers also “deeply care” about it. | The Liberal leader in the Senate, Mathias Cormann, replies that the Coalition “are absolutely committed to the health of the Great Barrier Reef”, and said that Queensland farmers also “deeply care” about it. |
| He thanked McGrath for the initiative of the proposed reef inquiry, suggesting it was “an opportunity to do even better protecting the Great Barrier Reef into the future” so the Greens should support it too. | He thanked McGrath for the initiative of the proposed reef inquiry, suggesting it was “an opportunity to do even better protecting the Great Barrier Reef into the future” so the Greens should support it too. |