Welfare debt reform means citizens are no longer ‘guilty until proven innocent’, says government services minister Bill Shorten
“The royal commission into robodebt has put on full display the unfettered cruelty with which debt collection agencies were unleashed against vulnerable Australians. We cannot let this happen again.”Shorten accepted that debt collection will be required in future due to “opportunistic behaviour” from some people claiming government payments, but said that “Services Australia is already fully capable of recovering debts and has multiple tools at hand”.
“However, the power to raise lawful debts against citizens needs to be exercised judiciously and at every stage afford citizens the right of reply and not reverse the onus of proof from the government to the individual. “Government should never start from the position that the existence of an alleged debt means the citizen is guilty until proven innocent.”
Shorten said that Services Australia will contact those with outstanding debts to transition them to a new process, offering flexible repayment options, short-term counselling, information and referrals to support systems.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Coalition urges Albanese to reject any Victorian bailout requestThe Coalition is urging Labor to reject any request from the Victorian Andrews government for a Commonwealth bailout as the state battles eye-watering public debt.
Read more »
Albanese should be ‘seizing the opportunity’ to accept NATO invitationShadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should 'absolutely' be 'seizing the opportunity' to accept the invitation to the NATO summit and engage with partners and allies. 'The Prime Minister should be seizing the opportunity to engage with NATO partners and allies across the board, seizing the opportunity as well to make sure that Australia's commitment to Ukraine in its war against Russia is wholesome and complete in terms of providing another clear and substantial package of support,' Mr Birmingham told Sky News Australia.
Read more »
‘Under Labor, families are suffering’: Dutton criticises Albanese governmentOpposition Leader Peter Dutton has criticised the Labor government saying “under Labor, families are suffering” after it was announced that “10 million Australians are going to be slugged by $1,500 a year”. “If the government was proud of this announcement of this policy decision, they wouldn’t have pushed it out there on the eve of Easter … already under Labor, families are suffering with higher interest rates, with higher electricity prices, with higher bills wherever they go as a result of the decision the government has made,” Mr Dutton said. “I just don’t think this government has a plan for how to help families.”
Read more »
'Incredibly concerned' Albanese govt moves to address 'explosion in vaping'Treasurer Jim Chalmers has voiced his concerns about the 'explosion in vaping' across Australia as he signalled the upcoming federal budget could contain measures to help stop people taking up the habit.
Read more »