Shorten leaves with robodebt pledge
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Bill Shorten says advocacy for robodebt victims will continue after his retirement.
Shorten has announced that he will retire from politics in February 2025.
Speaking at a press conference with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Shorten reflected on his involvement in seeking justice for robodebt victims and issued a stern reminder to government officials that the lessons from the royal commission must not be forgotten.
Robodebt was an illegal automated debt-collection scheme that wrongfully targeted vulnerable Australians, falsely accusing them of owing money to the government.
The flawed system, which relied on inaccurate data matching, caused widespread distress, financial hardship, and was linked to numerous suicides.
Ultimately, it was condemned as a “wicked” policy by a royal commission.
“If we never forget robodebt, then that’s our best chance never to repeat it,” he stated.
Shorten played a pivotal role in the establishment of the royal commission into robodebt, and supported victims’ federal court class action, leading to significant legal and social changes.
Asked about accountability for those responsible for the illegal debt-collection scheme, Shorten said the individuals who instigated robodebt - Scott Morrison, Stuart Robert, and Christian Porter - would bear a stain on their parliamentary records.
During his time as Minister for Government Services, Shorten worked to overhaul Services Australia’s culture, making significant improvements in payments processing and reducing wait times for phone helplines.
Despite these changes, he acknowledged that further improvements were necessary, stressing the need for ministers and public servants to fully understand the consequences of government policies before they are implemented.
“We will never again, I hope, see a chapter in Australia’s modern history where we assume that people on welfare are cheats or second class [citizens],” he said.
“Access to our social services system is a human right backed by our commitment to United Nations conventions.”
Albanese paid tribute to Shorten’s 17-year political career, which included leadership of the Australian Labor Party and championing causes such as disability support and trade union advocacy.
Albanese highlighted Shorten’s resilience following the 2019 election loss, crediting him for turning disappointment into action on robodebt.