Exclusive: Jeannie-Marie Blake is suing the Australian government over alleged threats, which her department denies making
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A key robodebt whistleblower is suing the Australian government, alleging she was threatened before she appeared at a royal commission and was warned that her testimony “could cost you your job”.
Services Australia whistleblower Jeannie-Marie Blake has filed proceedings in the federal court, alleging her department made repeated threats against her before and after her explosive evidence to the robodebt royal commission.
Blake, a compliance officer at the agency’s Mornington office in Victoria, was on the frontline during the rollout of the robodebt scheme.
She was involved in an initial pilot and was in the compliance team during its disastrous implementation from 2016.
Blake has previously spoken of being haunted by the voices of those who pleaded with her and her team for help, and says the trauma has left her suicidal and battling alcoholism.
In court documents, Blake says she blew the whistle repeatedly about the scheme’s unfairness and harm, including during monthly team meetings, in meetings with her team leaders, and to senior executives. She alleges she was told to resign if she did not want to administer the scheme.
She alleged that in 2023, she informed her department that she intended to give voluntary evidence to the royal commission, telling the head of compliance that: “I...
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