Annette Musolino, whose role in DHS at the time of #Robodebt was to advise the relevant Minister of Legal issues, in the hot seat for a full day of questioning tomorrow, and some more on Tuesday. #RobodebtRC 🔥🔥🔥
She was meant to appear in the first hearing block but failed to prepare her statement in time.
I recall, I believe in a Senate inquiry a few years ago, she defended Robodebt & denied linking suicides with the scheme. 😡
She also played a role on AAT decisions re Robodebt.
Wonder what Musolino is dreaming about tonight?
Squiggy’s head also floating around there. 😂
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#RobodebtRC Hank Jongen, media spokesperson for Robodebt on behalf of DHS at the time confirms his job was to
“Neutralise” media reports.
Hank says that when he realised the amount of interventions on welfare recipients went from 20,000 per year to 20,000 per fortnight he simply thought there must be thousands upon thousands of welfare recipients that simply do owe debts. Didn’t think anything was odd. 🤨
Hank Jongan says he was none the wiser on the actual use of income averaging, that he thought it was only used in very rare circumstances.
Is asked if he was concerns about incorrect debts
He says “Yes” and that he raised it with “Malisa Golightly”
“In a friendly way”
#RobodebtRC Rachelle Miller making sure Alan Tudge gets no sleep tonight, revealing damning evidence on his practise of fobbing off media reports at the time & using his media releases to put a positive spin on the deadly scheme.
Miller: “It’s what Minister Tudge wanted”
Back connected again… and watching Miller’s evidence.
They are now going through a specific media release from Tudge.
Miller confirms she was involved in the editing of the media release.
Miller says she acknowledges that it is
“Not very accurate”
Holy moly.
Rachelle Miller just said they also regarded the Sydney Morning Herald as Left Wing media.
They obviously categorised whichever media had a negative report as “Left Wing”. This is utterly disgraceful.
“It does NOT change how income is assessed or how debts are calculated. It is an EASY way to confirm details & resolve outstanding matters”
As it turns out, was all bullshit in the end. In the hot seat today, the jig is up. 🔥🪑 #RobodebtRC
And that same year, Christian Porter who is due for his grilling on Friday, said that Debt Letters sent to welfare recipients were
“Polite letters” that allow welfare recipients to confirm their income
“In an easy and seamless way”
Infuriating. Disgraceful. Blatant lies.
Rachelle Miller just said that DHS didn’t pay much attention to media reports of Robodebt tragedies because they didn’t really give a stuff about
“Left Wing media” and that all they wanted to do was “shut them down”
Left Wing Media told the truth.
Right Wing politicians lied.
#RoboDebtRC
Commissioner Holmes drills in on evidence suggesting some AAT decisions were not regarded as sensible.
Musolino:
“It’s probably not the most respectful word we could have used there.”🤨
Musolino being asked about a meeting with Malisa Golightly which she claims is she unable to find any records of.
“I haven’t located any emails that go to the substance of that meeting”
“I genuinely can’t recall”
Musolino being asked about the need for her to form her “own view” about key decisions, before making a decision
Keeps reverting to that she relied on the advice of others, clearly dismissing that the obligation is on the decision-maker to ensure that a correct decision is made
#RobodebtRC Annette Musolino asserts she has “broad experience” in legal matters, but starts to peddle back on prior claims she had a “deep understanding” in administrative law.
Musolino: “The role was to rely on a large legal team”
Surely the team relied on Musolino, too. 🙄
Now being Q’d on the way compliance officers assessed income of welfare recipients, and her understanding that income averaging should only be used after these officers have exhausted all every possible option for assessing income
Musolino: “It depends what every possible means”
Scott asks if words ‘Every Possible Means’ should mean what it actually means? “Every possible means?”
Musolino: “That wasn’t the process under Robodebt”
Scott asks if that means averaging should only be used as a last resort.