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In the Netherlands, the Dutch government has resigned over a scandal where authorities wrongly accused as many as 26,000 parents of fraudulently claiming child benefits https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/15/dutch-government-resigns-over-child-benefits-scandal
The government has also set aside about $750m aside in compensation, around $45,000 for each family
The period in question ran from 2013 to 2019. There are obvious parallels with our #robodebt scandal in Australia.
One difference appears to be that bureaucrats from the tax office also engaged in ethnic profiling by picking out their foreign-looking names for audit
One difference appears to be that bureaucrats from the tax office also engaged in ethnic profiling by picking out their foreign-looking names for audit
The Australian scandal, however, was on a much bigger scale.
- There were about $1.1bn in unlawful debts issued by the government to about 400,000 people
- The government was forced to pay back $720m it had seized
- There were about $1.1bn in unlawful debts issued by the government to about 400,000 people
- The government was forced to pay back $720m it had seized
It also affected people across almost every social security payment: disability benefits, unemployment benefits, student benefits.
And of course we know that at least two people who received welfare debts during the period the robodebt scandal took place died by suicide.
Important to note that most of the reporting around the resignation of the Dutch government suggests that the move is symbolic. There is an election in March. (Symbolism is still important of course.)
Yes, the obvious thing to say is that no one has taken responsibility for an apparently far larger welfare scandal in Australia. Ministers have been promoted (one was promoted to prime minister), as too have bureaucrats who oversaw the relevant departments.
But find this line in the Al Jazeera version of the story also important:
In Rutte's own words (but yes, Google translate) https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/publicaties/2021/01/15/verklaring-van-minister-president-mark-rutte-over-het-aftreden-van-het-kabinet
The fact is the Australian government has blocked the release of the documents that were used to make vital decisions that led to the #robodebt scandal at every turn.
The government has refused to provide these documents through FOI, in parliament, and in the courts.
This means that while the Australian prime minister claims that the government has now rectified the problem through refunds and compensation (which is up for debate), we also still don't have a completely clear picture of how the #robodebt scandal came to be.
A start would be to release this document: Executive Minute to the Minister for Social Services from February 2015. (The minister was Scott Morrison.)
According to the Commonwealth Ombudsman, it details a new "online approach to compliance". https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/copy_of_executive_minute_to_the?unfold=1
According to the Commonwealth Ombudsman, it details a new "online approach to compliance". https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/copy_of_executive_minute_to_the?unfold=1
If this is a cabinet document, why is it that the ombudsman was allowed to see this document in 2017? Yet now, when circumstances have changed, the parliament and therefore the public is not allowed to view it.
I think we all know the answer to that question.
