Robodebt Cover-Up: documents on repairing Australian Public Service buried

by Rex Patrick | Apr 27, 2023 | What's the scam?

Most people have watched in disgust at the failures of elements of the senior public service in relation to Robodebt; where top level bureaucrats morphed into political toadies as a result of their own considerable ambition, turning a blind eye to illegal and, ultimately, fatal conduct.

On March 8, the Public Service Commissioner, Peter Woolcott AO, met with the secretaries of the Federal Secretaries Board, the Top Level Committee of Heads of Departments, to discuss public service issues that had been canvassed in the Royal Commission into the Robodebt scandal. This is something most people would consider quite appropriate.

 So, what’s the scam?

Under FOI, I requested Commissioner Woolcott’s briefing, minutes and talking points associated with the March 8 bureaucratic talk fest. Woolcott, a Coalition appointment (and former staffer to Andrew Peacock and Chief of Staff to Alexander Downer) retires in 4 months, has refused access to the documents he holds, claiming it’s not in the public interest to release them.

Robodebt was one of the most serious failures of Public Service ethics, standards and conduct in a very long time, a scandal that has been aired in the Royal Commission hearing room.

 Yet Woolcott wants any remedial action to be kept secret from the public.

 The legislated function of the Australian Public Service Commissioner includes: 

  •         Strengthening the professionalism of the APS and facilitate continuous improvement in workforce management in the Australian Public Service;
  •         Upholding high standards of integrity and conduct in the APS;
  •         Monitoring, reviewing and reporting on APS capabilities within and between Agencies to promote high standards of accountability, effectiveness and performance.

The Royal Commission has exposed the very things Woolcott was supposed to be working to prevent in his $845,650 per annum role as Public Service Commissioner. The Public Service failed shamefully; so did the guardian of Public Service professionalism. He rightly deserves to. Be held to account.

But it appears he doesn’t want any attention to come his way, rather he wants to retire from office in August and quietly slither out the door with his files locked away behind him.

Robodebt and transparency failures: is the rule of law optional for the PM’s office?

Rex Patrick is a former Senator for South Australia and earlier a submariner in the armed forces. Best known as an anti-corruption and transparency crusader - www.transparencywarrior.com.au.

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