The Australian Public Service Commissioner, Kathryn Campbell, has expressed regret for her involvement in the "Robodebt" scheme that improperly required payback of welfare benefits from thousands of Australians. Campbell testified before a parliamentary inquiry investigating the plan and said that, despite being aware of the program's flaws, she did not act to block its execution.
The government utilized a computer system called "Robodebt" to find and recoup welfare overpayments. The plan received harsh criticism for unfairly burdening hapless welfare clients and using erroneous debt calculations. In 2020, the government finally gave up on the plan and agreed to compensate those who were harmed with $1.2 billion.
Campbell acknowledged during her testimony that she had over-relied on staff assistance and had not fully grasped the intricacies of the software. She also admitted that her office had failed to inform welfare applicants sufficiently about their rights and the appeals procedure.
In the upcoming months, the parliamentary probe is anticipated to announce its conclusions and may suggest additional measures, including potential criminal charges against individuals accountable for the scam. The government mishandled the "Robodebt" scheme, and Campbell's apology is considered as a step toward responsibility and an acknowledgment of the harm it did to many Australians who were already vulnerable.