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West Australian
8 hours ago
- West Australian
Secret Deloitte review into automated JobSeeker system warns of 'instability,' 'unintended impacts'
A $439,000 report kept under wraps by the government has issued urgent warnings over the system responsible for managing vulnerable Australians on JobSeeker, with fears the program punishes those struggling and is prone to error. The damning report comes after the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) and Services Australia were found to have illegally cancelled the JobSeeker payments of 964 recipients between April 2022 and July 2024. A review completed by Deloitte, which was received by DEWR on June 18 and remained unpublished until inquiries from NewsWire on Thursday, said repeated modifications and updates of the system had created at 'excessively convoluted' code base which 'lacks architectural integrity' had become 'difficult to manage. Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson said he feared it would have likely resulted in 'profound if not catastrophic' effects on Australians struggling financially. The mistaken terminations, which have been likened to robodebt 2.0, occurred after the controversial automated Targeted Compliance Framework (TCF) responsible for ensuring JobSeeker recipients met their mutual obligations repeatedly malfunctioned. A lack of a 'comprehensive design register' also meant any changes require 'extensive manual intervention across multiple databases and workflows,' resulting in a high 'likelihood of system instability and unintended impacts on participant case outcomes'. Additionally the Statement of Assurance said the TCF has 'not evolved or matured' since it was introduced under the Coalition government in 2018, and 'lacks the risk-based proportionality and participant centred design' found in similar programs used by the ATO, Australian Border Force and the NDIS. In another scathing finding, Deloitte, who were paid $439,142 to undertake the review, said other large government IT systems which weren't used by vulnerable Australians placed 'greater emphasis on human case management to respond to complex participant needs'. Criticisms were also made of the TCF's technical makeup. The report said the volatility of the program had been 'exacerbated by the widespread use of unconventional technical practices', like hard-coded fixes. However, the two out of three of the glitches which resulted in the nearly 1000 JobSeeker payment terminations were 'embedded during the original 2018 system'. Despite amendments passed in 2022, which called for greater discretion to be used before the cancelling of payments, Deloitte said there was 'no evidence' that the 'capacity for discretionary decision-making functionality was embedded in the system' ever. The review called on DEWR to limit or suspend further modifications to the system to 'constrain the risk of further disruptions,' and limit the introduction of new defects. If necessary, changes to comply with legislative updates should be 'thoroughly assessed by policy, legal and technical authorities to ensure legislative and policy compliance and anticipated outcomes are maintained'. DEWR must also urgently strengthen its current internal review processes to ensure negative case determinations are 'supported by appropriate evidence' and lawful under current legislation. Welfare advocates, like the Anti-Poverty Centre, the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), and Economic Justice Australia have repeatedly criticised the use of the TCF, calling for the punitive measure to be removed. Mr Anderson, the Commonwealth Ombudsman also singled out DEWR secretary Natalie James had been so slow to act, taking 10 months April 2022 to September 2023 to pause the automated cancellations after it was raised by external legal advisers. As of March 21 this year, reductions and cancellations in income support payments have been paused pending ongoing legal and IT reviews, however suspensions have remained. The department has also yet to implement the Digital Protections Framework, despite legislative requirements passed in 2022, with Mr Anderson writing: 'We do not consider a delay of over three years, coupled with an indefinite commitment to future action, is reasonable'. Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth and the DEWR were contacted for comment.
Perth Now
8 hours ago
- Perth Now
‘Unstable' Jobseeker system dudding Aussies
A $439,000 report kept under wraps by the government has issued urgent warnings over the system responsible for managing vulnerable Australians on JobSeeker, with fears the program punishes those struggling and is prone to error. The damning report comes after the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) and Services Australia were found to have illegally cancelled the JobSeeker payments of 964 recipients between April 2022 and July 2024. A review completed by Deloitte, which was received by DEWR on June 18 and remained unpublished until inquiries from NewsWire on Thursday, said repeated modifications and updates of the system had created at 'excessively convoluted' code base which 'lacks architectural integrity' had become 'difficult to manage. Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson said he feared it would have likely resulted in 'profound if not catastrophic' effects on Australians struggling financially. The mistaken terminations, which have been likened to robodebt 2.0, occurred after the controversial automated Targeted Compliance Framework (TCF) responsible for ensuring JobSeeker recipients met their mutual obligations repeatedly malfunctioned. The controversial automated system responsible for ensuring JobSeeker recipients complied with their obligations has been found to be unstable and poorly maintained. NewsWire/ Emma Brasier Credit: News Corp Australia A lack of a 'comprehensive design register' also meant any changes require 'extensive manual intervention across multiple databases and workflows,' resulting in a high 'likelihood of system instability and unintended impacts on participant case outcomes'. Additionally the Statement of Assurance said the TCF has 'not evolved or matured' since it was introduced under the Coalition government in 2018, and 'lacks the risk-based proportionality and participant centred design' found in similar programs used by the ATO, Australian Border Force and the NDIS. In another scathing finding, Deloitte, who were paid $439,142 to undertake the review, said other large government IT systems which weren't used by vulnerable Australians placed 'greater emphasis on human case management to respond to complex participant needs'. Criticisms were also made of the TCF's technical makeup. The report said the volatility of the program had been 'exacerbated by the widespread use of unconventional technical practices', like hard-coded fixes. However, the two out of three of the glitches which resulted in the nearly 1000 JobSeeker payment terminations were 'embedded during the original 2018 system'. Despite amendments passed in 2022, which called for greater discretion to be used before the cancelling of payments, Deloitte said there was 'no evidence' that the 'capacity for discretionary decision-making functionality was embedded in the system' ever. The review called on DEWR to limit or suspend further modifications to the system to 'constrain the risk of further disruptions,' and limit the introduction of new defects. If necessary, changes to comply with legislative updates should be 'thoroughly assessed by policy, legal and technical authorities to ensure legislative and policy compliance and anticipated outcomes are maintained'. DEWR must also urgently strengthen its current internal review processes to ensure negative case determinations are 'supported by appropriate evidence' and lawful under current legislation. Welfare bodies including ACOSS have called for the removal of the punitive and malfunctioning TCF, which was responsible for the unlawful automated cancellations of 964 JobSeeker payments. NewsWire/ Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia Welfare advocates, like the Anti-Poverty Centre, the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), and Economic Justice Australia have repeatedly criticised the use of the TCF, calling for the punitive measure to be removed. Mr Anderson, the Commonwealth Ombudsman also singled out DEWR secretary Natalie James had been so slow to act, taking 10 months April 2022 to September 2023 to pause the automated cancellations after it was raised by external legal advisers. As of March 21 this year, reductions and cancellations in income support payments have been paused pending ongoing legal and IT reviews, however suspensions have remained. The department has also yet to implement the Digital Protections Framework, despite legislative requirements passed in 2022, with Mr Anderson writing: 'We do not consider a delay of over three years, coupled with an indefinite commitment to future action, is reasonable'. Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth and the DEWR were contacted for comment.
The Advertiser
9 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Standard practice': summiteers play down Treasury leak
Economists and business groups have joined the prime minister in insisting an upcoming economic roundtable can still produce big ideas. Leaked Treasury advice reportedly showed a list of proposals to be reviewed by cabinet after the meeting of business, union and other leaders at a productivity roundtable on Tuesday. Among them were proposals to speed up approval times for housing and reduce environmental red tape, according to the ABC. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denied the result of the summit had been locked in before it began. "You'd expect Treasury to be giving advice about a forum that's about the economy," he told reporters in Brisbane on Thursday. "Next week, though, is an opportunity for people to advance their ideas, to advance policies, and that's a really constructive thing." The government has ruled out major changes in some areas, including tax policies, before the three-day summit despite calls for widespread reform to bolster Australia's lagging productivity rates. Independent economist Saul Eslake said suggestions the roundtable's outcome had been agreed upon because of the leaked document should be disregarded. "It's standard Treasury practice to brief its minister for any serious discussions or conversations he might be about to have," he told AAP. "It would be astonishing if Treasury wasn't at least thinking about how the treasurer should respond to some of the ideas that have been flagged by participants in the summit that they're going to put." The advice should not be read as particular policies getting a green light, Mr Eslake said. Treasurer Jim Chalmers also dismissed concerns the summit's outcomes had been pre-empted. "Those that have been reported today are just a few of the many ideas which have been put to us and they're all welcome on the table," he said. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the coalition would examine suggestions from the roundtable, but had concerns about how the event was being handled. "I wonder whether people who are attending this roundtable are indeed wasting their time," she said. "What we won't do is accept an agenda that raises taxes on hardworking Australians, particularly because that's exactly what the government promised it would not do." Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said the roundtable would be a "legacy moment" for reform. "It is Treasury's role to provide advice to the government and that is the case here - and we shouldn't assume it automatically becomes government policy. They are doing their job," he told AAP. "Next week's roundtable is an opportunity for the government and, while it may not be getting consensus, it will give clear understandings around the big challenges that we face around productivity and investment." Part of the reason productivity growth has been so poor is because competition has fallen since the mid-2000s, costing Australia up to $3000 per person, the Reserve Bank found in a report released on Thursday. If Australia could get competition back to where it was two decades ago, it could boost productivity by one to three per cent, said report authors Jonathan Hambur and Owen Freestone. The Productivity Commission released its final report before the summit, calling for a national screening system for care workers, greater collaboration between health services and a major shift towards preventive health investment. Commissioner Alison Roberts said care was a rapidly growing sector and proposed reforms would seek to break through the government's siloed approach to decision-making. The interim report urges the government to better align quality and safety regulations across the care economy. That could include a streamlined national clearance process for workers in aged care, the NDIS, veterans' care and the early childhood education sector. Economists and business groups have joined the prime minister in insisting an upcoming economic roundtable can still produce big ideas. Leaked Treasury advice reportedly showed a list of proposals to be reviewed by cabinet after the meeting of business, union and other leaders at a productivity roundtable on Tuesday. Among them were proposals to speed up approval times for housing and reduce environmental red tape, according to the ABC. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denied the result of the summit had been locked in before it began. "You'd expect Treasury to be giving advice about a forum that's about the economy," he told reporters in Brisbane on Thursday. "Next week, though, is an opportunity for people to advance their ideas, to advance policies, and that's a really constructive thing." The government has ruled out major changes in some areas, including tax policies, before the three-day summit despite calls for widespread reform to bolster Australia's lagging productivity rates. Independent economist Saul Eslake said suggestions the roundtable's outcome had been agreed upon because of the leaked document should be disregarded. "It's standard Treasury practice to brief its minister for any serious discussions or conversations he might be about to have," he told AAP. "It would be astonishing if Treasury wasn't at least thinking about how the treasurer should respond to some of the ideas that have been flagged by participants in the summit that they're going to put." The advice should not be read as particular policies getting a green light, Mr Eslake said. Treasurer Jim Chalmers also dismissed concerns the summit's outcomes had been pre-empted. "Those that have been reported today are just a few of the many ideas which have been put to us and they're all welcome on the table," he said. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the coalition would examine suggestions from the roundtable, but had concerns about how the event was being handled. "I wonder whether people who are attending this roundtable are indeed wasting their time," she said. "What we won't do is accept an agenda that raises taxes on hardworking Australians, particularly because that's exactly what the government promised it would not do." Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said the roundtable would be a "legacy moment" for reform. "It is Treasury's role to provide advice to the government and that is the case here - and we shouldn't assume it automatically becomes government policy. They are doing their job," he told AAP. "Next week's roundtable is an opportunity for the government and, while it may not be getting consensus, it will give clear understandings around the big challenges that we face around productivity and investment." Part of the reason productivity growth has been so poor is because competition has fallen since the mid-2000s, costing Australia up to $3000 per person, the Reserve Bank found in a report released on Thursday. If Australia could get competition back to where it was two decades ago, it could boost productivity by one to three per cent, said report authors Jonathan Hambur and Owen Freestone. The Productivity Commission released its final report before the summit, calling for a national screening system for care workers, greater collaboration between health services and a major shift towards preventive health investment. Commissioner Alison Roberts said care was a rapidly growing sector and proposed reforms would seek to break through the government's siloed approach to decision-making. The interim report urges the government to better align quality and safety regulations across the care economy. That could include a streamlined national clearance process for workers in aged care, the NDIS, veterans' care and the early childhood education sector. Economists and business groups have joined the prime minister in insisting an upcoming economic roundtable can still produce big ideas. Leaked Treasury advice reportedly showed a list of proposals to be reviewed by cabinet after the meeting of business, union and other leaders at a productivity roundtable on Tuesday. Among them were proposals to speed up approval times for housing and reduce environmental red tape, according to the ABC. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denied the result of the summit had been locked in before it began. "You'd expect Treasury to be giving advice about a forum that's about the economy," he told reporters in Brisbane on Thursday. "Next week, though, is an opportunity for people to advance their ideas, to advance policies, and that's a really constructive thing." The government has ruled out major changes in some areas, including tax policies, before the three-day summit despite calls for widespread reform to bolster Australia's lagging productivity rates. Independent economist Saul Eslake said suggestions the roundtable's outcome had been agreed upon because of the leaked document should be disregarded. "It's standard Treasury practice to brief its minister for any serious discussions or conversations he might be about to have," he told AAP. "It would be astonishing if Treasury wasn't at least thinking about how the treasurer should respond to some of the ideas that have been flagged by participants in the summit that they're going to put." The advice should not be read as particular policies getting a green light, Mr Eslake said. Treasurer Jim Chalmers also dismissed concerns the summit's outcomes had been pre-empted. "Those that have been reported today are just a few of the many ideas which have been put to us and they're all welcome on the table," he said. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the coalition would examine suggestions from the roundtable, but had concerns about how the event was being handled. "I wonder whether people who are attending this roundtable are indeed wasting their time," she said. "What we won't do is accept an agenda that raises taxes on hardworking Australians, particularly because that's exactly what the government promised it would not do." Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said the roundtable would be a "legacy moment" for reform. "It is Treasury's role to provide advice to the government and that is the case here - and we shouldn't assume it automatically becomes government policy. They are doing their job," he told AAP. "Next week's roundtable is an opportunity for the government and, while it may not be getting consensus, it will give clear understandings around the big challenges that we face around productivity and investment." Part of the reason productivity growth has been so poor is because competition has fallen since the mid-2000s, costing Australia up to $3000 per person, the Reserve Bank found in a report released on Thursday. If Australia could get competition back to where it was two decades ago, it could boost productivity by one to three per cent, said report authors Jonathan Hambur and Owen Freestone. The Productivity Commission released its final report before the summit, calling for a national screening system for care workers, greater collaboration between health services and a major shift towards preventive health investment. Commissioner Alison Roberts said care was a rapidly growing sector and proposed reforms would seek to break through the government's siloed approach to decision-making. The interim report urges the government to better align quality and safety regulations across the care economy. That could include a streamlined national clearance process for workers in aged care, the NDIS, veterans' care and the early childhood education sector. Economists and business groups have joined the prime minister in insisting an upcoming economic roundtable can still produce big ideas. Leaked Treasury advice reportedly showed a list of proposals to be reviewed by cabinet after the meeting of business, union and other leaders at a productivity roundtable on Tuesday. Among them were proposals to speed up approval times for housing and reduce environmental red tape, according to the ABC. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denied the result of the summit had been locked in before it began. "You'd expect Treasury to be giving advice about a forum that's about the economy," he told reporters in Brisbane on Thursday. "Next week, though, is an opportunity for people to advance their ideas, to advance policies, and that's a really constructive thing." The government has ruled out major changes in some areas, including tax policies, before the three-day summit despite calls for widespread reform to bolster Australia's lagging productivity rates. Independent economist Saul Eslake said suggestions the roundtable's outcome had been agreed upon because of the leaked document should be disregarded. "It's standard Treasury practice to brief its minister for any serious discussions or conversations he might be about to have," he told AAP. "It would be astonishing if Treasury wasn't at least thinking about how the treasurer should respond to some of the ideas that have been flagged by participants in the summit that they're going to put." The advice should not be read as particular policies getting a green light, Mr Eslake said. Treasurer Jim Chalmers also dismissed concerns the summit's outcomes had been pre-empted. "Those that have been reported today are just a few of the many ideas which have been put to us and they're all welcome on the table," he said. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the coalition would examine suggestions from the roundtable, but had concerns about how the event was being handled. "I wonder whether people who are attending this roundtable are indeed wasting their time," she said. "What we won't do is accept an agenda that raises taxes on hardworking Australians, particularly because that's exactly what the government promised it would not do." Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said the roundtable would be a "legacy moment" for reform. "It is Treasury's role to provide advice to the government and that is the case here - and we shouldn't assume it automatically becomes government policy. They are doing their job," he told AAP. "Next week's roundtable is an opportunity for the government and, while it may not be getting consensus, it will give clear understandings around the big challenges that we face around productivity and investment." Part of the reason productivity growth has been so poor is because competition has fallen since the mid-2000s, costing Australia up to $3000 per person, the Reserve Bank found in a report released on Thursday. If Australia could get competition back to where it was two decades ago, it could boost productivity by one to three per cent, said report authors Jonathan Hambur and Owen Freestone. The Productivity Commission released its final report before the summit, calling for a national screening system for care workers, greater collaboration between health services and a major shift towards preventive health investment. Commissioner Alison Roberts said care was a rapidly growing sector and proposed reforms would seek to break through the government's siloed approach to decision-making. The interim report urges the government to better align quality and safety regulations across the care economy. That could include a streamlined national clearance process for workers in aged care, the NDIS, veterans' care and the early childhood education sector.
