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representatives vote 2021-06-15#1

Edited by mackay staff

on 2022-06-10 12:54:25

Title

  • Motions Pensions and Benefits
  • Motions - Pensions and Benefits - Stop MP for Maribyrnong from speaking

Description

  • <p class="speaker">Bill Shorten</p>
  • <p>I move:</p>
  • <p class="italic">That the House:</p>
  • <p class="italic">(1) notes:</p>
  • <p class="italic">(a) the Morrison Government recently settled the Robodebt class action in the Federal Court of Australia for $1.9 billion;</p>
  • <p class="italic">(b) the Court judgement declared Robodebt was:</p>
  • <p class="italic">(i) a "shameful chapter" and a "massive failure of public administration";</p>
  • <p class="italic">(ii) the cause of "heart-wrenching" financial hardship, anxiety and distress, including suicidal ideation and in some cases suicide;</p>
  • <p class="italic">(iii) a "huge waste of public money"; and</p>
  • <p class="italic">(iv) unlawful and inaccurate, something that "should have been obvious" to the Government; and</p>
  • <p class="italic">(2) calls on the Morrison Government to:</p>
  • <p class="italic">(a) explain to the House why nobody has been held accountable for Robodebt, the biggest compliance failure on record by an Australian Government;</p>
  • <p class="italic">(b) promptly provide all information requested by the Senate but withheld on the basis of a public interest immunity claim while the Robodebt class action was underway; and</p>
  • <p class="italic">(c) immediately establish a Robodebt Royal Commission.</p>
  • <p>The robodebt case is a sorry saga in the history of public administration in this country. On Friday there was a judgement handed down by the Federal Court where they found that this was a 'shameful chapter'. Indeed, I'm going to quote directly from the decision. Justice Bernard Murphy said in his summary:</p>
  • <p class="italic">In the course of the proceeding the Commonwealth admitted that it did not have a proper legal basis to raise, demand or recover asserted debts which were based on income averaging from ATO data.</p>
  • <p>Australians listening to parliament will be surprised to know that it cost $1.763 billion&#8212;</p>
  • <p class="speaker">Mark Coulton</p>
  • <p>I move:</p>
  • <p class="italic">That the Member be no longer heard.</p>
  • <p class="speaker">Tony Smith</p>
  • <p>The question is that the member for Maribyrnong be no further heard.</p>
  • <p>Is the motion seconded?</p>
  • The majority voted in favour of a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/debate/?id=2021-06-15.6.4):
  • > *That the Member [Maribyrnong MP [Bill Shorten](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/maribyrnong/bill_shorten)] be no longer heard.*
  • This means that Mr Shorten can no longer contribute to this debate. These motions are known as *gagging orders*.