I was Victorian premier: balanced AI regulation is vital for regions
It's clear that artificial intelligence will be the defining driver of productivity growth over the next decade. Across multiple sectors AI is reshaping the way we work and deliver services. But without deliberate action, this revolution could deepen the divide between city and country. Strategic intent is needed to ensure AI is a force for national progress, not growing inequality.
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ABC News
39 minutes ago
- ABC News
Automatic systems unlawfully cancelled 964 jobseekers' payments in two years, watchdog finds
Almost a thousand jobseekers had their income support payments unlawfully terminated over two years, the federal watchdog has found, cautioning the breach likely had a "profound if not catastrophic" impact on vulnerable people. The cancellations occurred automatically under the Targeted Compliance Framework, a system set up to monitor "mutual obligations", which are the conditions people have to meet to continue receiving payments, like job hunting and attending interviews. New laws introduced after the Robodebt scandal require agencies to consider the jobseeker's circumstances before cutting off a payment, which did not occur in 964 cancellations between April 2022 and July 2024. "Imagine that if you were already living under the poverty line, so you can't necessarily afford to pay rent, to feed yourself, to clothe yourself, but imagine then that that income is cut off for four weeks or more," Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson said. "What are you supposed to do? That's the type of catastrophe that we are talking about." The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations paused the cancellation of payments in July last year, but the watchdog found it took too long to act after identifying the issue. It then informed the Commonwealth Ombudsman in December that it had not implemented the new legislation, which was passed two years earlier, sparking an investigation into how the lapse occurred. In his findings, the Ombudsman invoked conclusions from the Robodebt royal commission that warned automated processes in the delivery of support payments can have serious impacts on highly vulnerable people. "[The Robodebt royal commissioner] noted that automation requires a lot of care and skill to make sure that things don't go wrong," Mr Anderson said. "And while this is not the same as Robodebt, in that it wasn't a deliberate intention of doing things wrongly, there just wasn't the adequate care and skill being employed to ensure parliament's instructions in terms of the legislation were properly implemented." The department was involved in developing the new laws, according to the Ombudsman, which shifted the requirement from the secretary "must" cancel payments to "may" if they determine the recipient failed to meet their obligations without an acceptable excuse. "That big change required the individual circumstances of each jobseeker to be considered before their payment was cancelled, and that's the step that they didn't do — instead the system went on automatically cancelling payments," he said. The report makes seven recommendations, including that the department not resume cancellations until the errors have been corrected and that systems are put in place to provide ongoing assurance that the framework complies with the law. All the recommendations be accepted by the department and Services Australia. The Ombudsman is also investigating whether the decision-making process that leads to cancellations is fair and reasonable, and the role of employment agencies, with the findings to be released in a second report later this year. Under the framework, recipients accrue demerit points if they fail to meet their obligations without a valid reason, which can lead to their payments being suspended, reduced or cut off. More than 883,000 Australians are currently on the scheme, according to government data. A separate review by Deloitte into the framework's computer system — which was completed in June but is yet to be publicly released — found it had become "increasingly unstable, with volatility directly impacting compliance function operation" and increasing the possibility of unexpected results "including flawed determinations". Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth did not respond to a request for comment.
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Clamps on AI could mire Australia in productivity mud
Australia is urged to hold off imposing guardrails on high-risk artificial intelligence as the technology could offer a solution to the nation's withered productivity. AI has been touted as a tool that could transform the global economy and is expected to add more than $116 billion to Australia's economic activity over the next decade, according to the Productivity Commission's interim report. While the independent advisory body to the federal government acknowledged the risks that accompany AI, it also warns "poorly designed" regulation could stifle its adoption and development as well as limit its benefits, fuelling calls for the government to only introduce technology-specific regulations as a last resort. "Adding economy-wide regulations that specifically target AI could see Australia fall behind the curve, limiting a potentially enormous growth opportunity," Commissioner Stephen King said. "Like any new technology, AI comes with risks, but we can address many of these risks by refining and amending the rules and frameworks we already have in place." The federal government's consultations on AI found Australia's regulatory system was not fit to respond to the risks it posed, prompting the Commonwealth to seek responses on 10 proposed, mandatory guardrails for high-risk AI, which are aimed at reducing the likelihood of harms from its development and deployment. AI can amplify biases, contribute to misinformation and disinformation, spread extremist content and create other new risks, the government's report found. Others have also raised concerns about the significant amount of water and energy needed to run generative AI. But the Productivity Commission believes the suggested guardrails should only be applied when harms cannot be mitigated by existing regulatory frameworks or in cases where "technology-neutral" regulation is not possible. Until the government has completed reviews into the gaps posed by AI to existing regulatory structures, "steps to mandate the guardrails should be paused". AI is expected to be a key concern at Treasurer Jim Chalmers' economic roundtable on productivity, which convenes later in August. "The impact of AI on our economy is uncertain, but there are good reasons to be optimistic," he said. "We can deploy artificial intelligence in a way consistent with our values if we treat it as an enabler not an enemy, by listening to and empowering workers to adapt and augment their work."
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Perth Now
Fury after JobSeeker payments illegally cut
The administers of JobSeeker have been savaged in a report by the Commonwealth watchdog, which found actions taken by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) and Services Australia likely had a 'catastrophic impact' on vulnerable Aussies. Between April 2022 and July 2024, 964 JobSeeker recipients had their payments automatically cancelled under a specific clause in the Target Compliance Framework (TCF) after it was amended in 2022. The framework is an automated system to get JobSeeker recipient to undertake compulsory tasks such as attending job appointments and actively search for work, with those who repeatedly fail to meet the mutual obligations subjected to financial penalties. Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson was scathing of DEWR secretary Natalie James and Services Australia, saying they 'failed to take adequate steps to ensure the TCF was implemented in accordance with the 2022 amendment,' resulting in an 'unlawful decision' to cancel income support payments. The move was done 'without consideration of the job seeker's circumstances' and the 'failure to exercise … discretion … (posed) potentially significant, if not catastrophic, consequences for vulnerable job seekers', he wrote. It also noted a further 45 job recipients had their payments automatically cancelled despite Ms James' decision to pause cancellations on September 2024 – the fifth IT error catalogued by the department. The Commonwealth Ombudsman was scathing of the federal entities responsible for administering JobSeeker payments. NewsWire/ Emma Brasier Credit: News Corp Australia 'We also found that the agencies failed to take all of the steps required under those amendments to safeguard job seekers,' the report set to be released on Wednesday found. Critically the report also states a Digital Protection Framework, despite having the legal requirement to do so. Mr Anderson also noted the automation failures happened after the Robodebt Royal Commission which highlighted the 'serious impact' automated processes can have on 'highly vulnerable people'. Ms James also took nearly 10 months between April 2022 to September 2023 to pause the automated cancellations after it was raised by external legal advisers, with Mr Anderson questioning the 'apparent lack of urgency' over the 'significant issue'. As of March 21 this year, reductions and cancellations in income support payments have been paused pending ongoing legal and IT reviews. 'We do not consider a delay of over three years, coupled with an indefinite commitment to future action, is reasonable,' the report said. 'It does not satisfy the legislative requirement in the SPROM Act that the Secretary establish the DPF. 'In our view, if parliament imposes an obligation on an agency head without specifying a time frame (as was the case here), the agency head should aim for implementation as soon as reasonably practicable.' While the department has accepted all seven recommendations issued by Mr Anderson, the ombudsman issued an urgent warning to all government agencies, calling on them to ensure all 'automated decision-making is aligned with law and policy and is subject to ongoing testing and assurance'. 'Implementation of the recommendations is an important step towards restoring the confidence of the public, parliament and above all the people affected, that automated decisions are being made responsibly and according to law,' he said. The report said the department failed to exercise discretion, which led to potentially 'catastrophic' consequences for vulnerable Aussies. NewsWire/ Nicholas Eagar Credit: NewsWire Antipoverty Centres spokesperson Kristin O'Connell urged more action, including the permanent removal of the TCF. 'It is not enough for the government to implement the Ombudsman's recommendations and move on,' she said. 'The release of this damning report is a significant moment for every person who has been subjected to compulsory activities while on a Centrelink payment and for those who have spoken up about the abuse they experienced. 'For the first time, welfare recipients may feel their experiences are being taken seriously and their lives being treated as valuable by someone in a position of power.' Greens' social services spokeswoman Penny Allman-Payne said the report should be a 'wake up call for change'. 'Despite clear warnings that the TCF is cruel and unlawful, Labor has continued to allow suspensions of payments to be used as a weapon against welfare recipients, to the benefit of so-called employment service providers who profit from poverty,' she said. 'It is clear that the TCF is an expensive hangover from a conservative government which has been heartlessly prolonged by this Labor government for far too long.' During Senate estimates in February, Ms James apologised and took full responsibility for the IT outages which resulted in the cancellations. 'I absolutely and unreservedly apologise on behalf of the department that we cannot have full confidence in this system delivering what it's intended to deliver,' she said. 'It's not acceptable, and it is my responsibility and not the minister's (Murray Watt), in this respect, although he may wish to add his own commentary but I will say that I am responsible, legislatively and administratively, for overseeing this process.' At the time her comments resulted in welfare advocates calling for a half to the TCF framework, with Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Cassandra Goldie lashing the system as 'overly punitive and in need of a complete overhaul'.
