Thread by @strangerous10

#RobodebtRC Tudge Arrogance Off The Charts as Commissioner Holmes pounds the former Health Services minister for a clear failure to give a stuff at all about victims of this Robodebt Scam, casting them all as Fraudsters, without any evidence.

Commissioner continues to dive in to call him out on multiple matters… I’m only just catching up after being away for a period.

He’s now saying Robodebt was “already underway” before he became DHS Minister, waffling, getting draining

Tudge confirms that the Data matching system under the LNP had “significant changes” to its previous design

Now Greggery brings up docs about his strategy in dealing with “adverse media” reports.

Tudge slows down. Looking, searching through documents, seems lost 🙈

Greggery gives him a hand and points to his desires to defend Robodebt, to “correct” negative media reports

Tudge waffles but agrees there was a plan to “correct the record” on certain matters.

But then starts blaming his office, saying they are the ones that analyse each case

Greggery now showing him emails with evidence of him instructing what to put in media releases, editing media advisor’s story, and Greggery suggests he was involved in the “editing” of the material that went to “The Australian”

FFS

Tudge more or less concedes.

Says he was just seeking to be assured of the “robustness” of the scheme (as a justification for editing media articles that went out for publication).

Tudge is a journalist as well, who would have known!

Now brings up the “Debt scare backfires on Labor” article from The Australian, (this was also discussed with Rachelle Miller yesterday). Simon Benson article

Tudge agrees that the Opposition at the time made a claim that Tudge / LNP had edited the story
(Clearly it was true)

Tudge “can’t recall” the details about a welfare recipient’s private details being released in the article.

Waffles, and justifies it by saying the welfare recipient’s original complaint about a “debt that she did not owe” which he didn’t like

he took revenge?

“I can’t recall if it was my initiative”
“But it came from my office”

Greggery: “Which you approved”

Goes back to justifying, it was done to “correct the record”

Saying, he had to do it to defend the illegal scheme.
What a jerk.

Says he was ok to leak the private details to the media because it was an “illegitimate” criticism of Robodebt, apparently. So he had to do it.

Commissioner questions the morality in going after an individual like this. Tudge on the ropes here. He’s fucked.

Taking deep breaths, nerves coming,
“In hindsight, I wish the information had been released from the department”

Commissioner asks how having a “government department going after someone” would make it any better?

He’s moving around, twiddling his pen, leaning back, huffing

Says the AFP “squashed” the case for him, so it gave him reassurance.

And that he can’t recall specific criticisms made to him after what he did, other than “from the Opposition”

“That’s the main issue that I recall”

Greggery says let’s
“Turn to the question of suicides related to the scheme”

Brings up evidence of a particular case (names redacted from what I can tell)
An email from Rachelle Miller giving details about the welfare recipient.
Tudge “can’t recall” the case.

Adjournment called for 5 minutes to give the transcribers a time to catch up.

Tudge given a chance to regather he was looking shaky there. The suicides he denied were a factor for so long.

Are coming to the fore now. 😔

Thinking of you deeply Jenny Miller as you watch on, and all parents, families of victims.

The hearing has recommenced

I had to take some time away, it gets difficult even for someone, me, who has no connection to these suicide victims.

Trying to get back into it.

Tudge leaning waaay back on his seat as he looks on. As though he is under attack.

Greggery drilling him.

What I mean with the above, is that if it is hard for me, (or us), I can’t imagine the sorrow in families and friends of the victims. This is what the RRC was for though. To get to the truth, its difficult, everyone affected will respond differently.

Greggery presses Tudge on suicides, putting it to him that it “must have” caused him to reconsider, and to “pause” the system.

Tudge says Oh but I DID pause the system.

Greggery: “Did you do it because of this?”

Tudge waffles, starts going through notes… fmd.

Greggery confirms he “didn’t pause the system” because of suicides.

Tudge has nowhere to go. This is massive.

Tudge starts the indefensible, this is sick.
“You can’t always know” the reason for a suicide.
I can’t believe he is saying it.

Commissioner hammers Tudge. Big one. 💥

On how it was not a concern to him, in respect to the specific previous suicide victim that was shown in evidence.

“It was a concern to me” says Tudge.
But not enough to do anything. It’s just words.

Sorry had to delete a tweet or 2 due to silly typos.

Tudge is waffling on now, inexcusable justifications, such as that he was trying to make changers to the system to make it better, but doesn’t want to say it was because of suicides.

Now he’s reverted back to blaming DSS and the PM, saying they had the highest authority on this issue, and they should have been the ones to stop it from going through cabinet.

So that apparently justifies why he defended the scheme instead of trying to stop it.

Tudge now being smashed by Commissioner again, this time on why he gave details of Debts to journalists to defend Robodebt, saying they are real Debts, when his own department hadn’t even concluded they were real debts?

Tudge says he was pretty damn sure they were real.🤨

But he gives no real justification, no facts, no evidence.

This is another big revelation. Tudge told the media to report that Debts he hadn’t even concluded were real, were in fact real. A clear lie.
One would wait to be assured they are real before saying they are real.

Greggery asking Tudge now about the PWC audit, and the Ombudsman report.

Greggery brings up an email re: Tudge’s press releases, which includes the findings of the Ombudsman that didn’t find illegalities in the scheme at the time.

Commissioner asks: “You knew better, surely?”

Tudge obviously claiming he relied on the Ombudsman, bla bla bla. He mentions “Last resort” somewhere in there.

To which the Commissioner jumps at and asks his understanding of it.
“I don’t think I was aware at the time”
Goodness me.

Holmes now asks if he “ever” asked the PM or DSS, about stopping the scheme (given he earlier said they had the highest authority and are responsible)

Tudge:”No”
Of course not. We knew that but great Commissioner got it on record.
He never tried to stop it. Ever.

Greggery going through more emails, regarding be advised of another suicide. And the specific details of the case, identifying that this individual specifically had a mental health issue. Tudge being asked how a person like this could get a Debt.

Tudge has no explanation.

Greggery: “The explanation is simple”
He says there are indicators, that should have identified this as a factor.
Tudge waffles.

And I need to wrap it up now. I will be on tonight (and sparingly on inbetween), but I need to get on with other matters. I’m watching it in the background.

This has been, for me, the most explosive hearing yet. So much to come from it.

And I noticed it’s done for the day but Greggery says he is still hungry so has called him back for breakfast tomorrow.

Tudge ripped to pieces today.