In the wake of the damning Robodebt Royal Commission, Federal Parliament has formally apologised to the scheme's victims and committed to ensuring "this cruel, unlawful chapter in the history of Australian public administration" is never repeated.
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The apology came in a motion moved by Government Services Minister Bill Shorten in the House of Representatives, however it was opposed by the Coalition as it referred to former ministers being "involved in the design and implementation of the scheme".
The motion passed 88 votes to 50, with Liberal MP Bridget Archer voting with Labor on the motion.
The opposition failed in an attempt to amend the motion's words to take out former ministers and add that the motion was "diverting parliamentary time from the pressing challenges which Australians are facing".
The motion states the House accepts the findings from the Royal Commission and expresses its "deep regret" and apologises to both robodebt victims and front-line Centrelink staff.
Mr Shorten has urged the opposition to make a formal apology.
"We believe the nation and the Parliament cannot move on without accepting a genuine account on what went on," Mr Shorten said.
"I say sorry to the victims and we want the Parliament to say sorry to the victims and I say sorry to the frontline staff and we want the Parliament to say sorry to them."
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Last month, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton personally apologised for the automated, data-matching debt policy which was unlawfully ramped up, maintained, and ended during the Coalition's term.
He also warned the Prime Minister and Mr Shorten to dial down what he called the "glee" he saw in the government's response.
"When the problems were brought to the attention of the government at the time, the program was stopped," he said. "I'm sorry to those people that have been adversely affected. I truly am."
Former prime minister Scott Morrison is among the former ministers adversely cited in the 990-page Royal Commission report. He has rejected the findings as "absurd" and "unsubstantiated", and accused the Albanese government of "political lynching".
The Royal Commission found that he misled cabinet over the legality of the unlawful data-matching debt-recovery scheme.
Just who is in the sealed section of the report - and what has been recommended for them - is still not known.
Commissioner Catherine Holmes stated robodebt showed the "myriad of ways that things can go wrong through venality, incompetence, and cowardice".
Karen Barlow
Karen Barlow is ACM's Chief Political Correspondent. Working in the federal press gallery, she investigates and writes about federal politics and government. She has an interest in integrity, leadership and social equity. She has covered two Olympics and been to Antarctica twice. Contact her on karen.barlow@canberratimes.com.au
Karen Barlow is ACM's Chief Political Correspondent. Working in the federal press gallery, she investigates and writes about federal politics and government. She has an interest in integrity, leadership and social equity. She has covered two Olympics and been to Antarctica twice. Contact her on karen.barlow@canberratimes.com.au
