Thread by @lukehgomes

My analysis today: #Robodebt is the story of a government pulling all stops to dodge public scrutiny – right to the bitter end.

From day one, it was spin, legal manoeuvres and vicious attacks on critics who dared to speak out. theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol

I'm going to create a thread here pulling together some other events that I couldn't fit into the story

Here is Kathryn Campbell, then head of DHS, now DSS, blaming welfare recipients and the media (which means, mostly my colleague @knausc) for problems with the #robodebt program theguardian.com/australia-news…

The Oz, in this story, plays down any problems with #robodebt as "Medicare scare-type tactics" being employed by Labor

Alan Tudge in January 2017, according to this AAP story: "Mr Tudge, however, said he wasn't aware of anyone who was completely convinced they don't owe money but have been given a debt notice." sbs.com.au/news/centrelin…

Skipping forward a bit, here are Liberal senators telling community legal groups they are causing anxiety by using the "robodebt" term theguardian.com/australia-news…

Also from the Senate inquiry, Liberal senator Hollie Hughes questioning Darren O'Donovan's credibility as a legal academic for using the #robodet moniker

You can read Darren's explanation for why he used the term here. aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_…

That this issue became the main fixation of the Liberal senators on the Senate committee tells you a fair bit, I think

Here is Stuart Robert describing the class action as a "political stunt", only two months before the govt conceding income averaging was unlawful smh.com.au/politics/feder…

This one is pretty unbelievable. Months after the government admitted the scheme was unlawful, Coalition senators wrote that robodebt victims may have just their head "buried in the sand" – that's why they received debts theguardian.com/australia-news…