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Ministers and Senators Behaving Badly Series 4

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If you can't convince them, then confuse them …<br />

“Services Australia estimates that it will administer 449,500 refunds<br />

determined under the programme, <strong>and</strong> their associated repaid debts<br />

would be refunded commencing in July 2020 <strong>and</strong> concluding within<br />

12 months,” it says.<br />

The submission says Services Australia estimates that “$555.6 million in<br />

cash payments have been received from recipients to date for those inscope<br />

debts”.<br />

About 80,000 debts would be reassessed before “refunding or reaffirming<br />

the debt”, the submission says.<br />

Guardian graphic Photograph: Guardian graphic<br />

It is understood that the expenditure review committee of cabinet agreed<br />

last month to instruct the commonwealth’s legal representatives to begin<br />

settlement negotiations on the basis that it is prepared to refund invalidly<br />

raised debts.<br />

But they were also instructed to first oppose paying interest on the debt<br />

refunds, dem<strong>and</strong> Gordon Legal withdraw its negligence claims, <strong>and</strong> would<br />

reconsider if the proposal was unsuccessful.<br />

Source:<br />

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/27/robodebt-governmentadmits-it-will-be-forced-to-refund-550m-under-botched-scheme

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