Extension of the Robodebt Royal Commission

The Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), has amended the Letters Patent to extend the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme.

Royal Commissioner, Catherine Ena Holmes AC SC, advised the Government that a further short extension was needed and the Government agreed. The Royal Commission will now deliver its report by 7 July 2023.

The Royal Commission has been examining, among other things:

• the establishment, design and implementation of the Robodebt Scheme, who was responsible for it, why they considered it necessary, and any concerns raised regarding legality and fairness,
• the handling of concerns raised about the Robodebt Scheme, including adverse decisions made by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal,
• the outcomes of the Robodebt scheme, including the harm to vulnerable individuals and the total financial cost to government, and
• measures needed to prevent similar failures in public administration.

The Government acknowledges the ongoing and considerable work of Commissioner Holmes and her team and looks forward to receiving the Royal Commission’s final report.