c/australia · by ijustdoeyes@kbin.social · 3y

Robo-debt royal commission live updates: Commissioner Holmes recommends criminal, civil prosecution for individuals involved in unlawful scheme

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/robo-debt-royal-commission-report-live-updates-20230705-p5dlww.html?post=p55028%23p55028

The royal commission examined the unlawful debt assessment and recovery scheme, including what key Coalition ministers knew and when.

37 points · 9 comments · view on lemmy.world

9 Comments

RustyRaven@aussie.zone · 19 pts · 3y (2 replies)

Hopefully it actually happens. This whole thing was a disgusting misuse of government power against vulnerable individuals. It's the type of thing you would expect from the Mafia, the fact that it was our govenment is shameful.

vipaal@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 3y

The true magic is as always, hiding in plain sight. Those in power going after the most vulnerable is a textbook definition of corruption. Yet it is called anything but corruption. Tangentially , a government letting the mafia go after the vulnerable is just as corrupt too. Looking at you gam(bl)ing, alcohol, fast food, snacks, soft drinks advertisements.

Marsupial@quokk.au · 3 pts · 3y

It’s their system, it’s so unbelievably rigged in their favour that they will find no gaol time.

DolphinLundgrin@aussie.zone · 8 pts · 3y

Imprison ScoMo and the rest of these scumbags.

Ucinorn@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 3y (1 reply)

It will be interesting if the NCAC will be able to investigate this: there is no evidence that they knew it was illegal when they implemented it, only that they found out and failed to take action.

Possibly gross negligence? Definition a violation of the spirit of office, but that's not a criminal offence.

The worst part is that there's a significant portion of the country that will vote right MORE due to this coming to light. Ive heard so many people in this country say that the poor, disabled and homeless should just be left to die rather than give them handouts. Often from people of privelidge and power.

RustyRaven@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 3y

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. I don't know who individually ends up with responsibility for what happened, but it was some variation of theft, fraud and/or obtaining financial advantage by deception. They made up debts that did not exist, then made people pay them (or in some cases I believe took the money directly from their accounts). If some loan shark rocked up at your door falsely claiming you owed them thousands of dollars and threatening to kneecap you if you didn't pay up I don't think anyone would have trouble seeing it as a criminal act, and what the government did was pretty much the same thing.

Zagorath@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 3y

Some choice quotes from the ABC article about it:

A sealed chapter recommends referrals of individuals for civil and criminal prosecution.

Those individuals, whose identities remain a secret, have been referred to four authorities for further investigation.

"I do not propose to name the entities to which I have made referrals, because it would only lead to speculation about who had been referred where, which would almost certainly be wrong," she said.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison, who was responsible for the scheme as social services minister from December 2014 to September 2015, said adverse findings against him "are based upon a fundamental misunderstanding of how government operates".

"I reject completely each of the findings which are critical of my involvement in authorising the scheme and are adverse to me," Mr Morrison said.

"They are wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear documentary evidence presented to the commission."

It has also been revealed today that taxpayers forked out about $2.5 million in legal expenses for former Coalition government ministers and prime ministers to be represented at the royal commission.

Seagoon_@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 3y (1 reply)

Will never happen.

cuppaconcrete@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 3y

Worse, it'll take 5 years to not happen.