Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth urged to release ‘secret report' following unlawful JobSeeker cancellations
The Commonwealth watchdog found the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) and Services Australia unlawfully cancelled 946 Jobseeker payments between April 2022 and July 2024 through automated systems, leading to potentially 'catastrophic' consequences for vulnerable Australians.
Additionally, it took DEWR secretary Natalie James 10 months between April 2022 to September 2023 to pause the automated cancellations after it was raised by external legal advisers.
Following initial revelations in December, Deloitte was paid $439,142 to undertake an assurance review into the Targeted Compliance Framework, the system which cancels, suspends or reduces social security payments if jobseekers are found to not have undertaken their mutual obligations.
While it was completed in June this year, the report has yet to be made public, despite attempts made by Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne to have the review released to the Senate.
However Senator Allman-Payne's order to secure the documents by August 5 (Tuesday), were also delayed with the DEWR citing the need for 'additional time to consider the request'.
Despite this details of the Deloitte Review shared by Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson on Wednesday gave a scathing assessment of the system, criticising the TCF as 'increasingly unstable,' and volatile.
Mr Anderson said the review determined 'assurance could not be provided regarding the integrity, effectiveness, or appropriateness of decisions produced by the TCF IT system in its current form' and the 'current practices risk generating unlawful outcomes'.
As a result, the 'latent design flaws' had resulted in 'confirmed adverse impacts on job seekers arising'.
While it was completed in June this year, the report has yet to be made public, despite attempts made by Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne to have the review released to the Senate.
In a letter to Senator Allman-Payne request, Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth said DEWR needed 'additional time' to 'consider the request'.
Senator Allman-Payne criticised Ms Rishworth for withholding the report.
'This secret report has been sitting on Labor's desk for over a month, and with each day that passes, more welfare recipients lose access to payments that keep food on the table,' she told NewsWire.
'Labor are dragging their feet on this problem just as the Coalition did on robodebt. Apparently they've learned nothing.'
The Greens spokeswoman for social services joined in calls made by welfare advocates to pause suspensions, in addition to cancellations and payment reductions amid investigations into the unlawful processes.
'We're calling on Minister Rishworth to release this report now, to stop the suspension of welfare payments today, and work towards the end of mutual obligations,' Senator Allman-Payne said.
'If Labor won't stop payment suspensions today, then people already living below the poverty line will go hungry tomorrow.'
Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Cassandra Goldie has made repeated requests for the government to publicly publish the report, and reiterated her demands.
'Release the Deloitte Report. Release the legal advice that confirmed (the unlawful cancellations),' she said.
'Hundreds of thousands of people were brutally affected by the automation of the system, data matching, (and) the use of big technology by smart guys in suits
'I want to be very clear. What we're talking about is hell on earth that has been unleashed on people.'
Asked whether the Deloitte Review should be publicly released, Mr Anderson said it was a 'matter for the Senate, the Minister and the department,' however he said he believed the details shared in his report were 'in the public interest'.
'While noting that the Deloitte review has not been publicly released, I formed the opinion that it was in the public interest to disclose in my report the matters I did about the Deloitte review,' he said.
While Ms Rishworth did not directly respond to questions on when and if the Deloitte report would be published, she welcomed Mr Anderson's report and said she expected the recommendations to be 'implemented in a timely manner'.
'The report reinforces that when legislative changes are made, it is essential the processes and systems that agencies employ to deliver services reflect the legislation,' she said.
'The government understands the importance of ensuring government systems operate effectively, particularly when interacting with vulnerable people.'
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