I immediately saw robodebt for what the royal commission eventually concluded it to be: unlawful and deeply unethical
This is an extract of evidence given to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee on 13 August 2025
I blew the whistle on robodebt. I experienced firsthand the absence of support for whistleblowers. That is why I am firm in my belief that we need whistleblower reform, now, including the establishment of a Whistleblower Protection Authority.
For most of my career, I have worked for Services Australia. I was on the frontline of the implementation of what became known as robodebt. As I explained in my testimony to the robodebt royal commission, involvement in robodebt was a deeply traumatic experience.
I tried, from the very beginning, when I was part of an initial robodebt pilot, to blow the whistle on the scheme. I immediately saw robodebt for what the royal commission eventually concluded it to be: unlawful and deeply unethical. I thought it should be stopped, to never proceed beyond the pilot.
But when I, and others, raised concerns, we were met with a clear, stark message: resign, transfer or comply. The message was as blunt as that: shut up or leave.
Our concerns were ignored. Instead, we received threatening communications. Performance targets, threats of underperformance notices and code of conduct breaches were used to suppress dissent. Daily emails reminded us that if we spoke to anyone outside our team about our work, we could face...
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