A reminder that #robodebt was not an accident - it was Mr Morrison’s big play in the 2016 election...
#auspol #insiders

#Robodebt was central to the Coalitions 2016 election strategy, allowing them to make 2 key claims:
- that their election promises were fully offset by these ‘savings’, &
- they would deliver a better budget outcome over 4 years.
#auspol #insiders

During the 2016 election Labor, @acoss & others all pointed out the Coalitions claimed #robodent ‘savings’ were dubious.
And now we know that the critics of the scheme were right.
What we don’t yet know is the full budget impact of the #robodebt debacle.
#auspol #insiders

The #robodebt budget fiddle is ongoing. The supposed $2.3b ‘savings’ are still in the latest budget- which seems to mean the Govts claim that it ‘brought the budget back to balance’ is unsustainable.
#auspol #insiders

#robodebt looking like a budget blackhole ...$2.3b of claimed savings that mostly didn’t happen, $721m refunds, $600m Centrelink costs, unknown damages & interest payments from the class action, & other Govt costs.
And this is just the budget impact not the human cost. #auspol

Morrison Govt dodged the #robodebt budget impacts in Dec ‘19 MYEFO. And even today the Govt says it still doesn’t know.
But it will be harder to dodge in the full federal budget due in October 2020. Perhaps by then we will know what this scheme really cost.
#auspol #insiders

There were some big winners out of #robodebt ...the privatised debt collectors, call centre operators and labour hire companies who Govt contracted to do #robodebt work. It’s a reminder that #privatisation does not work.
#auspol #insiders