Stuart Robert Minister for Employment Workforce Skills Small and Family Business

Stuart Robert 

Minister for Employment Workforce Skills, 

Small and Family Business

STUART ROBERT … this politician carries so much baggage he is 

like a dead man walking 

STUART ROBERT 

• Entered Politics in 2007 

• Assistant Minister for Defence from 18.9.2013 to 21.9.2015 

• Minister for Veterans' Affairs from 21.9.2015 to 18.2.2016 

• Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of 

ANZAC from 21.9.2015 to 18.2.2016 

• Minister for Human Services from 21.9.2015 to 18.2.2016 

• Assistant Treasurer from 28.8.2018 to 29.5.2019 

• Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme from 

29.5.2019 

• Minister for Government Services from 29.5.2019 

• Cabinet Minister from 29.5.2019 

• Minister for Employment workforce Skills, Small and 

Family Business 2021 

What Scott Morrison said about Stuart Robert’s appointment to 

Minister for Employment workforce Skills, Small and Family 

Business in 2021 

The Prime Minister says Stuart Robert “has delivered” in his previous 

Cabinet appointments, despite numerous gaffes and scandals since 

he came into Parliament. 

When questioned by Andrew Probyn about Stuart Robert’s 

suitability for the ministerial promotion, Scott Morrison said he had 

done an “outstanding job” in his previous role. 

“When someone does a good job … they show they can take on 

responsibility and get things done for Australians,” Morrison said 

Source: 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-29/prime-ministerdefends-stuart-robert/13280228 

2



“CASH FOR COMMENT” 

On November 26, 2012 Stuart Robert delivered a 

controversial speech to Parliament largely 

written by Simone Holzapfel a company's 

lobbyist - herself a major Liberal National Party 

donor then gets $12,500 from the Property 

Developer in July 2013. 

Simone Holzapfel is a former long-time advisor 

to Tony Abbott. 

Simone Holzapfel Sunland's proposal was to 

build 44 storey towers on public land at the 

Southport Spit Queensland 

Mark Dreyfus said "Having a lobbyist for a 

property developer write speeches for Stuart 

Robert to give in Parliament shows an 

unacceptable level of influence. 

"To find donations from this same property 

developer have subsequently been made to the 

LNP suggests this was a 'cash for comment' deal. 

"This is as dodgy as it gets." 

3




MP Stuart Robert gave public promotional comments, 

then gets $12,500 from Developer in July 2013 

by Sydney Morning Herald on 28 September 2016 

Property developer Sunland donated thousands of dollars to the 

Coalition in the months after government MP Stuart Robert 

delivered a controversial speech to Parliament largely written by the 

company's lobbyist, Simone Holzapfel, herself a major Liberal 

National Party donor. 

In what Labor says appears to be a "cash for comment" deal, Fairfax 

Media can reveal that Sunland founder and chairman Soheil Abedian 

personally donated $12,500 to the Queensland Liberal National 

Party in July 2013, just months after Stuart Robert's November 2012 

speech. 

As revealed by Fairfax Media this week, Stuart Robert's speech - in 

which he defended Sunland's role in a contentious property dispute 

in the Middle East that saw two Australian men jailed in Dubai - was 

substantially written by developer lobbyist Simone Holzafpel. 

Ms Holzapfel wrote a four-page defence of Sunland after a 

November 17 newspaper article scrutinised the company's dispute 

with the Australian men, who spent five years trapped in a legal 

nightmare in Dubai. 

Seven sections of that response - provided to various government 

officials and obtained by Fairfax Media - subsequently found their 

way into Stuart Robert's adjournment debate speech on 

November 26. 

4



Mr Abedian gave the LNP another $7500 in 2014-15, according to 

official disclosure return documents. Sunland also gave $5000 to the 

LNP in 2014-15, bringing the total to at least $25,000. 

Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said Stuart Robert had been 

caught out before doing the bidding of LNP donors, referring to a 

scandal that ended his frontbench career in February 2016. 

"Having a lobbyist for a property developer write speeches for Stuart 

Robert to give in Parliament shows an unacceptable level of 

influence. It's as good as the developer giving the speech himself. 

"To find donations from this same property developer have 

subsequently been made to the LNP suggests this was a 'cash for 

comment' deal. 

"This is as dodgy as it gets." 

The Sunland donations come in addition to the $114,000 donated 

by Ms Holzafpel - who used to work as a staffer to former prime 

minister Tony Abbott - in the lead-up to the 2013 election. 

The Gold Coast-based head of SHAC Communications, 

Ms Holzafpel says the money came from her own pocket and has 

rejected suggestions she channelled it from any of her clients. 

Much of Ms Holzapfel's money was donated directly to 

Stuart Robert's fundraising vehicle, the Fadden Forum. 

Stuart Robert’s Fadden Forum is now being examined as part of 

a Queensland corruption inquiry after it was revealed it was 

used to secretly bankroll two candidates in the Gold Coast City 

Council elections. 

Kristyn Boulton and Felicity Stevenson - who both worked for Stuart 

Robert - were given $30,000 each to run at the March poll but their 

LNP links were not disclosed until months later. 

5



The revelations came as the council considered a controversial 

development application by Sunland to build 44 storey towers on 

public land at the Southport Spit Queensland. 

The company this week temporarily withdrew the proposal for a 

44-storey complex at the Spit amid community opposition - two 

days after a Fairfax Media investigation into the saga. 

But Stuart Robert supports the Sunland proposal and has urged 

councillors to approve it. 

In a speech to Parliament in November 2012, Mr Robert praised 

Sunland as a "great Queensland company" and their directors as 

"fine, upstanding men" and "pillars of the community". 

"I know the Sunland directors well and their integrity is beyond 

reproach," he said. 

The revelations came as the council considered a controversial 

development application by Sunland. 

The company this week temporarily withdrew the proposal for a 

44-storey complex at the Spit amid community opposition - two 

days after a Fairfax Media investigation into the saga. 

But Stuart Robert supports the Sunland proposal and has urged 

councillors to approve it. 

Treasurer Scott Morrison was asked about Fairfax Media's report on 

Stuart Robert's speech but declined to comment. 

"I AM NOT AWARE OF THE MATTERS YOU ARE REFERRING TO 

SO IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR ME TO OFFER ANY SORT 

OF RESPONSE," MORRISON SAID. 

Stuart Robert's speech was one of two contentious speeches he 

made about the dispute between Sunland and Marcus Lee. 

6



Marcus Lee is an accountant and property executive who was 

arrested on fraud charges in Dubai in 2009 after a land deal between 

Sunland and his company Nakheel went bad. He spent nine months 

in jail and then a further four years under house arrest. He was fully 

acquitted in 2013 and returned home to Australia in 2014. He is now 

attempting to sue Sunland over the saga. 

John Sneddon, lawyer for Mr Lee, said Stuart Robert's speech had 

endangered his client and had been a "bizarre thing to do". 

"If the lobbyist is representing a third party and that third party's 

interests are being advanced in that way in the Australian Parliament 

then I think that's something the government should be concerned 

about," he said. 

Senior LNP sources are furious over the latest revelations. 

"How could he be so stupid?" said one. "It's just so blatant. And it 

has come back to bite." 

Asked if Sunland had donated to Stuart Robert's campaign or the 

Fadden Forum this year, a spokesman for Stuart Robert said: "No." 

Stuart Robert was sacked from Mr Turnbull's frontbench in February 

2016 after it was revealed he used his ministerial office to open 

doors for a mining company led by major LNP donor Paul Marks. 

Source: 

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/property-developer-donatedto-lnp-after-controversial-stuart-ROBERT-speech-20160928-grpyu8.html 

7




Stuart Robert 'put my life at risk': 

Marcus Lee breaks his silence over MP's Sunland speech 

by Adam Gartrell and Amy Remeikis for the Sydney Morning Herald 

on September 29, 2016 

An Australian man who spent five years trapped in a legal nightmare 

in the Middle East says Turnbull government MP Stuart Robert put 

his life at risk by making a controversial speech defending a 

property developer. 

Breaking years of silence about his ordeal, Marcus Lee has waded 

into the debate about Mr Robert's links to development firm 

Sunland, as Labor called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to 

"back or sack" the embattled MP. 

An angry Mr Lee took aim at Mr Robert after the 

backbencher attempted to justify a November 2012 speech 

which Fairfax Media this week revealed was partly written by 

Sunland lobbyist and Liberal Party donor Simone Holzapfel. 

"While Mr Robert states he spoke with multiple sources before 

giving his speeches under parliamentary privilege at no time did he 

contact me or my representatives to get a balanced view," Mr Lee 

told Fairfax Media. 

"Given the gravity of my situation in the Middle East, and as an 

Australian citizen, you would think he would have done this at a 

minimum. 

8



"In making his speeches in parliament Mr Robert not only denied 

me the presumption of innocence, while a serious criminal case was 

before Middle East courts, but in doing so he also put me and my 

wife's life at risk with total disregard." 

Marcus Lee, pictured with his wife Julie, has hit out at Turnbull 

government MP Stuart Robert. CREDIT:PAUL HARRIS 

Mr Lee is an accountant and property executive who was arrested on 

fraud charges in Dubai in 2009 after a land deal between Sunland 

and his firm Nakheel soured. Along with fellow Australian man 

Matthew Joyce, he spent nine months in jail and then a further four 

years under house arrest. He was fully acquitted in 2013 and finally 

returned home to Australia in 2014. 

He is now suing Sunland for loss of income, distress and legal costs. 

Despite the ongoing case, the normally media-shy Mr Lee felt 

compelled to speak out after Mr Robert's own comments on 

Thursday. 

Earlier, Mr Robert broke his silence over the affair, saying he felt 

obligated to defend Sunland - which is based in his Gold Coast 

electorate - because he felt they were getting "one-sided criticism" 

in the media. 

9



"Following two earlier speeches delivered by a senator colleague 

that I also felt were one-sided, I believed that if one side of the issue 

could be aired in Parliament, the other side could be as well. That is 

only fair," Mr Robert said in a statement. 

"I was informed by various sources. 

"Due to the complexities of the issues involved it was important to 

be precise with language, I delivered my own speech." 

An extract of Mr Robert's speech to Parliament. The highlighted 

section is just part of his speech that appears to originate from 

developer lobbyist Simone Holzapfel. 

In another 2012 speech, Mr Robert was critical of Marcus Lee and 

Matthew Joyce while lauding Sunland as a "solid Australian 

corporate citizen" and its directors as "fine, upstanding men" and 

10



"pillars of the community". 

The speeches sent shockwaves through Marcus Lee's camp, who felt 

they were ill-informed and could have a devastating impact on his 

bid for freedom. 

Mr Lee called Mr Robert's justification "bizarre". 

Under fire: Liberal National Party MP Stuart Robert is the latest politician 

to be engulfed in a donations scandal. CREDIT:ANDREW MEARES 

"Given I was completely exonerated by the Dubai courts I'm still 

waiting for an apology from Mr Robert," he said. 

Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said Mr Robert's position as 

chair of Parliament's committee on treaties was untenable. 

It demands someone of the highest integrity and impartiality to fill 

that role – Mr Robert is clearly not the right person for the job 

"This is an important role which oversees major trade deals and 

extradition treaties with other nations," he said. 

"It demands someone of the highest integrity and impartiality to fill 

that role – Mr Robert is clearly not the right person for the job." 

The job adds almost $32,000 to the backbencher's $199,000 base 

salary. 

11



Former Labor MP Craig Thomson was forced to stand down as chair 

of the economics committee in August 2011 while was investigated 

for misusing Health Services Union funds. 

Making his first public comments on the issue, Prime Minister 

Malcolm Turnbull did not offer a defense of his backbencher. 

"That speech has been on the public record, the donations that were 

made by a property developer have also been on the public record 

and disclosed," he said. "He set out all those facts and I refer you to 

them." 

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said he was "surprised" by 

Mr Turnbull's handling of the matter. 

"Malcolm Turnbull has to decide does he back Stuart Robert, or will 

he sack Stuart Robert? Will he back him or sack him?" 

Mr Robert said any suggestion he helped Sunland in exchange for 

political donations was "outrageous and offensive". 

Mr Robert was sacked from Mr Turnbull's frontbench in February 

2016 over a controversy involving Liberal Party donor Paul Marks. 

Source: 

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/stuart-Robert-put-my-life-at- 

risk-marcus-lee-breaks-his-silence-over-mps-sunland-speech-20160929- 

grrgqb.html 

12




A Murky Week in Gold Coast Politics 

Save Our Broadwater's by Judy Spence on October 8, 2016 

Stuart Robert and Peta Credlin 

• The role of Simone Holzapfel in influencing politicians to 

defend Sunland and the timing and circumstance of her own 

contributions to the LNP 

• The role of politicians as Sunland advocates 

• The success Sunland has achieved in getting politicians to 

advocate their causes 

13



The Australian reported that Simone Holzapfel, a former long-time 

advisor to Tony Abbott, owed more than $430,000 including 

$355,000 to the Australian Tax Office when she donated $114,000 to 

Stuart Robert's election war chest, The Fadden Forum. 

At the time she was a lobbyist for Sunland. She says the money she 

donated was her “own money” but at the time the company, Shac of 

which she was the only director was in the hands of administrators. 

Judge Wall, veteran to the Southport District Court and Planning 

and Environment Court accused the Gold Coast City Council of 

failing to listen to residents' concerns about developments such as 

the controversial twin-tower Sunland project earmarked for the Spit 

as it would see beautiful Broadwater views destroyed. He said this 

council seems to be pro-development at any cost. 

14



The same day we also learnt that Sunland's lobbyist Simone 

Holzapfel, lobbied Peta Credlin, Abbott's Chief of Staff to tone down 

the Australian Government's support for two Australians, Marcus Lee 

and Mathew Joyce, who were detained indefinitely in Dubai on 

bribery charges associated with Sunland dealing. 

Credlin did not pass the emailed notes on to Abbott, but the same 

day our own Sunland cheer leader, Stuart Robert’s gave a speech in 

parliament defending Sunland which he called a "solid corporate 

citizen." This was in November 2012. 

It was revealed that his speech was almost verbatim to the briefing 

notes provided to him by Holzapfel. The Australian reported: that 

speech could have cost lives. They reveal that at the time she sent 

the briefing notes she was working as Tom Tate's media officer. 

15



Robert had done another speech in parliament the month before 

praising Sunland as a 'great Queensland company' and its directors 

as 'fine, upstanding men' and ‘pillars of the community'. 

Sunland Chairman, Soheil Abedian personally donated $12,500 to 

the Queensland Liberal National Party just months after Stuart 

Robert's speech. 

Let's not forget Stuart Robert was sacked from the front bench in 

February 2016 because he was caught out doing the bidding of LNP 

donors. 

Marcus Lee, broke his silence and in the Age said, "In making those 

speeches in parliament Mr Robert not only denied me the 

presumption of innocence, while a serious criminal case was before 

the Middle East courts, but in doing so he also put me and my wife's 

life at risk with total disregard." 

16



Marcus Lee and his fellow Australian Mathew Joyce spent nine 

months in jail and a further four years under house arrest. He was 

fully acquitted in 2013 and returned to Australia. He is now suing 

Sunland for loss of income, distress and legal costs. 

Stuart Robert is currently Chair of Parliament's Committee on 

treaties. The opposition said this demands someone of the highest 

integrity and impartiality to fill that role and Mr Robert is clearly not 

the right person to fill that role. 

Sunland is very successful in getting politicians to use their public 

positions to advance their causes. Recently Mayor Tom Tate bent 

over backwards to get Sunland's proposal to build 44 storey towers 

on the public land at the Southport Spit over the line despite his 

own planning officers 14 strong recommendations to oppose it. 

He even had the editor of the Sunday Mail doing his best to 

convince people that they wanted to see the Spit covered in high 

rise towers. 

17



Tate has his own praetorian guard and they pulled out every stop to 

assist the project get up. Chair of the Planning Committee, Cameron 

Caldwell circulated a four page document to his fellow councillors 

before the committee voted on the Sunland proposal, justifying 

grounds to support it despite the strong opposition of his own 

department. 

The Fairfax media reported this week that he received a five word 

text from Stuart Robert just prior to the council vote. Tate has his 

own praetorian guard and they pulled out every stop to assist the 

project get up. Chair of the Planning Committee, Cameron Caldwell 

circulated a four page document to his fellow councillors before the 

committee voted on the Sunland proposal, justifying grounds to 

support it despite the strong opposition of his own department. 

18



The Fairfax media reported that he received a five word text from 

Stuart Robert just prior to the council vote. 

The council meeting itself was a shameless attempt to get the 

Sunland project over the line with Tate and Caldwell doing their 

darndest to convince fellow councillors to support it. They showed a 

promotional video from Sunland and even suggested the council 

might spend millions on a bridge upgrade just to make it happen. 

When they realised they didn't have the numbers, they moved a 

motion to give themselves 12 months to buy time. 

19



This week Sunland announced that it was withdrawing its plans for 

the Spit, no doubt because their legal advice would have informed 

them that they had no chance of winning a case in the Planning and 

Environment Court. 

But their media position was that their building would have been a 

world-class landmark. They still have not conceded that the majority 

of the public do not want to see any high rise on this public land. 

Sunland's determination to build apartment blocks for the mega rich 

may have the support of the LNP politicians on the Gold Coast but 

as Judge Wall said this week, "It's important to have an independent 

umpire in the Planning and Environment Court". 

20



On the same day that Sunland withdrew its application Caldwell 

called a press conference to say it was the "ultimate gesture of 

goodwill" on behalf of Sunland. He spoke of his "heavy heart" at 

Sunland's decision. 

It is evident that Caldwell and Sunland showed no acknowledgment 

of the Reachtel Poll we commissioned that showed 60% of people 

don't want to see high rise on the Spit. 

If this isn't murky enough there is more. 

The Australian reported ASF Casino that the Chinese-government 

owned company, The Guangzhou Dredging Company involved in 

the ASF consortium which also wants to build as many high rise 

towers on the Spit as they can convince the Queensland 

Government to allow them, is linked to the building of artificial reefs 

in the internationally explosive South China Sea dispute. 

21



This is the same company that only two years ago almost convinced 

the Queensland Government to allow them to build a small city and 

cruise ship terminal in the middle of the Broadwater until 

community opposition killed the plan. 

Source: 

http://www.saveourspit.com/No_Terminal/news/NewsArticle.jsp?News_I 

D=266&fbclid=IwAR3tbplEi4n0ezoAy223fWOmjUqDBH2- 

cTN1eLjbvqytQzOp1pLUylQcCzg 

22



OPERATION BELCARRA 

Stuart Robert meddled in Council elections for Sunland 

Property Developer Simone Holzfapl - she was 

attempting to get council approval for its Mariner’s Cove 

development, a project which lobbied to place 

twin 44-storey towers in a three-storey zone. 

Stuart Robert was trying to secretly stack the Gold Coast 

council with pro-development candidates. 

Kristyn Boulton and Felicity Stevenson, long time 

employees of Stuart Robert, hoodwinked voters by 

promoting themselves as "independent" candidates with 

no political ties despite having their campaigns being 

directly, secretly bankrolled by the LNP. 

Sunland’s Simone Holzfapl declared a "personal" 

contribution of over $100,000 to LNP slush fund, 

the "Fadden Forum". 

OPERATION BELCARRA was an investigation into the 

conduct of candidates involved in the 2016 Local 

Government Election for the Gold Coast City Council, 

Moreton Bay Regional Council and Ipswich City Council 

23




Lies and Crony contradicts Stuart Robert at Queensland Crime 

Corruption Commission (CCC) Corruption Inquiry 

By Penny Toland | for Independent Australia on 21 April 2017 

Federal Liberal MP Stuart Robert appearing before the Queensland Crime 

and Corruption Commission 'Operation Belcarra' public hearing on 

Tuesday 18/4/17. Does he look like someone with something to hide? 

(Image via @_sara_jade_) 

Stuart Robert tells the Queensland Crime Corruption 

Commission (CCC) Inquiry … 

he bankrolled independent Council candidates to block Labor 

24



Embattled Federal LNP MP Stuart Robert and his former staffer 

Councillor Kristyn Boulton both fall victim to amnesia at a 

Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission hearing in 

Brisbane this week, writes Penny Toland. 

“Now, politics is a battle of ideas. That’s what it is and it’s what it 

should be, and we believe our ideas are superior to theirs, again 

without prejudice, and our job is to present our ideas in the best 

possible way…. 

And whilst $50,000 or $60,000 to two candidates is a lot of money 

by community standards, I appreciate it, if the Labor Party gets a 

foothold, I’ll have to spend a lot more money defending our ideas 

than that!” 

Such was the closing statement of Federal Liberal National 

Party MP Stuart Robert’s testimony during day one of the 

Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) public hearing 

on Tuesday, 18 April 2016. 

The public hearing forms part of Operation Belcarra, an investigation 

into the conduct of candidates involved in the 2016 Local 

Government Election for the Gold Coast City Council, Moreton Bay 

Regional Council and Ipswich City Council. 

This defining statement by Stuart Robert provides further substance 

to the public outcry that Kristyn Boulton and Felicity Stevenson 

hoodwinked voters by promoting themselves as "independent" 

candidates with no political ties despite having their campaigns 

being directly, secretly bankrolled by the LNP. 

Sunland’s Simone Holzfapl declared a "personal" contribution 

of over $100,000 to LNP slush fund, the "Fadden Forum" 

25



Was it really the paranoid assertion of Labor gaining a foothold 

through the 2016 Local Government election that motivated Stuart 

Robert’s involvement? ` 

Interestingly Stuart Robert testified about his rationale for the 

donations, claiming: “Penny Toland, was now running for the Labor 

Party” in reference to my mayoral candidacy. In reality, ECQ 

disclosures clearly showed no donations or gifts in kind from the 

Labor Party. 

Indeed, in the next breath, Stuart Robert himself conceded that it 

was correct Labor had not endorsed any candidates. 

So what gives? 

Stuart Robert, a Federal member of Parliament, has also 

denied under questioning having anything to do with local politics: 

"If I may, sir, local politics is not my thing. As a general rule, if you 

play on someone else's turf, they'll play on yours, so I just don't get 

involved." 

Despite such protestations, his actions quite clearly reveal a very 

different reality. 

In 2013, Stuart Robert sought to have the then Assistant Planning 

Reform Minister Rob Molhoek call in a planning application on 

behalf of a developer who later donated to Stuart Robert’s reelection 

campaign. 

Then, in 2015, Stuart Robert wrote to the Gold Coast City Council 

CEO regarding the controversial Sunland Development (which was 

undergoing Council assessment), stating: 

“The city is deserving of a project of this quality and it has my full 

endorsement.” 

26



The lead lobbyist for Sunland, Simone Holzfapl, who also appeared 

at Tuesday's hearings, must have been pleased to hear such a 

glowing endorsement. 

Holzfapl declared a "personal" contribution of over $100,000 to LNP 

slush fund, the "Fadden Forum" — something the CCC neglected to 

ask her about on Tuesday under oath. 

This was a baffling oversight by the CCC, given allegations raised in 

Federal Parliament last year that Holzfapl may have been using this 

mechanism to funnel undisclosed donations to the Liberal Party 

from her developer clients. 

Fast forward a few months and we again see Stuart Robert take 

steps to influence local government, this time through organising a 

meeting with Boulton and Stevenson to reveal his intention to seek 

approval for the LNP fundraising arm known as the Fadden Forum 

to provide financial support to their respective campaigns. 

Stuart Robert also appeared to have selective amnesia, claiming 

under oath on Tuesday that he'd had no communications with them 

all during the campaign: 

"I didn't speak to them at all during the campaign, like, during the 

whole campaign. So whatever conversations we had before they left 

would have been the last ones until such time..." 

It had seemingly slipped Stuart Robert’s mind that time he made a 

public speech in support of Boulton on 19 November 2015 ... and 

had officially launched her campaign on 28 November 2015 — both 

events proudly shared by Boulton and Stuart Robert. 

27



Stuart Robert on social media 

Source: 

@Saveourspit / May 5, 2016 

Official Save Our Spit Alliance (Est 2003) people committed to preserving 

the Gold Coast Spit & the Broadwater both now and for future 

generations. 

_________________________________________________________________________________ 

Day one also saw the first 2016 Gold Coast City Council candidate to 

testify, Councillor Kristyn Boulton, the successful candidate from 

Stuart Robert’s self-professed "ideological battle", elected to 

represent Division 4. 

28



A long-time former employee of Stuart Robert, Boulton’s 

questioning was squarely aimed at her knowledge of LNP funding 

and her general involvement in the LNP. 

What followed were responses that significantly downplayed her 

LNP ties and feigned ignorance of its fundraising activities. 

For instance, when questioned about the source of her campaign 

funds via the now infamous Fadden Forum, 

Boulton bizarrely claimed to be 

“... at the bottom of nowhere, I still don’t understand how it all 

relates to one another.” 

These claims were, by days end, spectacularly shot out of the water 

by her former boss' testimony. 

When voters questioned her about any ties to Stuart Robert, she 

said 

"... never shied away from that fact that I was working for a Federal 

member of Parliament. In fact, I'd tell people, you know, I've served 

two apprenticeships under him." 

Upon seeking further clarification about this statement from the 

Commission, Boulton replied: 

"I was talking about the eight years. You know, an apprenticeship is 

four years.” 

One has to wonder as to the terminology chosen here. What is more 

palatable to a non-LNP supporter? Nine years as the electorate 

officer to a Federal LNP member, or merely “two apprenticeships”? 

Further examination of Boulton’s interaction with voters focussed on 

the claim of “independence” and inclusion of the term “independent 

candidate” in campaign materials. 

29



Boulton replied that she would only inform a voter she was 

independent if they asked as 

“... otherwise it would be assumed, I would think, that there’s no party 

politics in council and we’re all independents.” 

Minutes later, Boulton contradicts this statement by highlighting 

that she had previously run and lost when running under a “party 

political ticket” in 2008. 

The questions that followed honed in on Boulton’s knowledge about 

the LNP contributing the lion’s share of her campaign funds. Boulton 

outlined how the $30,000 in question was deposited in three 

tranches. 

While Boulton conceded the hardcopy of her campaign account 

bank statement, which was submitted as evidence, identified the 

source for the first two deposits as 'LNP donation' and the final 

deposit as 'LNP/Fadden Forum', she said that during the campaign 

she had only done “phone banking”, which meant she has not seen 

that the money coming into her account had come directly from the 

LNP, rather than Stuart Robert. 

Boulton went on to explain that she did not view any bank 

statements until after the election. 

30



Boulton later carefully outlined for the Commission, the process she 

undertook to finalise her Electoral Commission disclosure 

return. The process included generating a handwritten 

summary/ledger of campaign contributions. 

Boulton explained that the creation of the handwritten summary was 

“... to make sure in chronological order, from the start of the 

campaign, checking off the bank accounts and Horace's version of the 

summary, going through and making sure that I didn't miss 

anything.” 

31



In relation to the donations in question, Boulton was asked whether 

she noticed the three donation entries at the same time, or the third 

donation later? 

Boulton responded emphatically: 

“No, I went right through the bank statement, and I didn't call anyone 

until I was quite sure I'd been right through it.” 

A quick look at the handwritten summary/ledger (partially 

reproduced below from the submitted evidence) does raise a 

number of questions: 

32



Source: 

https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/stuart-ROBERTfibs-and-crony-contradicts-him-at-qld-ccc-corruption-inquiry,10221 

33




Federal MP Stuart Robert at odds with Gold Coast Councillor 

Kristyn Boulton 

by Paul Weston and Lea Emery, Gold Coast Bulletin April 2017 

FEDERAL MP Stuart Robert has contradicted evidence given by his 

former staff member turned councillor Kristyn Boulton that she 

didn’t know her successful Gold Coast election campaign was 

funded by the LNP. 

Giving evidence on day one of the Crime and Corruption 

Commission (CCC) hearing in Brisbane yesterday, Councillor Bolton 

said: 

• Mr Robert himself initially funded her bid for office. 

• She never knew how much money she was getting. 

• She was not initially concerned the donations compromised her 

standing as an independent candidate as they were not from 

the LNP. 

• And that she relied on advice from Mr Robert, her former boss 

of nearly nine years, when filling out her disclosure form. 

But when called to the stand yesterday, Mr Robert said he spoke to 

Cr Boulton and division five candidate Felicity Stevenson — another 

former staff member — in late January letting them know he would 

arrange for money to come from his fundraising arm the Fadden 

Forum. 

Mr Robert said he suggested the amount would be $25,000 each. A 

further $5000 was donated on request from Cr Boulton. 

34



He said he had “sought permission from the Liberal National Party 

to provide dollars to them”. 

The Fadden MP said he did not choose the amount — $30,000 each 

over three donations — but there was a discussion between them all 

in his Biggera Waters office at the end of January 2016, less than two 

months before the poll. 

Mr Robert admitted he initiated the meeting because he was aware 

both staff members were facing seasoned political opponents. 

He said he became aware that Stacey Schinnerl, an independent 

candidate who worked with the AWU, and Eddy Sarroff, a former 

councillor once endorsed by Labor, would stand in the two council 

divisions in his electorate. 

Gold Coast City Councillor Kristyn Boulton (left) arrives for a hearing at the Crime and 

Corruption Commission (CCC) in Brisbane. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled 

“The idea of Labor getting a foothold in my part of the Gold 

Coast was not particularly appealing,” he told the hearing. 

“So we had a discussion if I could seek assistance for funding for 

them. I probably nominated an amount of $25,000, which is 

probably a fair starting point for them to fight.” 

Mr Robert recalled both women did not go on leave from his office 

until February 1. 

35



Mr Robert’s counsel, Adrian Braithwaite, asked Cr Boulton about a 

conversation she had with Mr Robert in January last year about the 

funding coming from the Fadden Forum. “I am not saying it did not 

happen but I do not recall,” Cr Boulton said. 

Cr Boulton said she was unaware of how the Fadden Forum 

operated despite working in Mr Robert’s office for almost a decade. 

Throughout her evidence Cr Boulton frequently claimed she did not 

know the full details behind the money or the Fadden Forum. 

“I have tried to get to the bottom of it and I am nowhere,” she said. 

She told the hearing that in hindsight she would have disclosed the 

donation differently. 

Mr Robert said the Fadden Forum was spoken about at least once a 

week in his office of four staff. 

Cr Boulton had earlier told the hearing she was very concerned 

about ensuring she was perceived as being an independent. 

Cr Boulton said she had asked Mr Robert for advice as to how to 

disclose the three donations from the Fadden Forum. 

On her form she did not include a name or residential or business 

address as required under the Local Government Act. 

“I spent a lot of time on it because it wasn’t something I had ever 

done before,” she said. 

Cr Boulton told the hearing she relied on Mr Robert’s advice as well 

as help from the ECQ. 

She said she did not start to look into what the Fadden Forum was, 

which donated $30,000 to her campaign, until questions were raised 

after the election. 

“I have tried to get to the bottom of it and I am nowhere,” she said. 

36



In reading from an SMS stream, Mr Robert said Cr Boulton had listed 

the Fadden Forum’s PO Box address in her handwritten disclosure 

draft. 

Source: 

https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/council/federal-mp-stuart- 

ROBERT-at-odds-with-gold-coast-councillor-kristyn-boulton/newsstory/6c8a69a50c617a1c87ba569e87578464 

37



Stuart Robert, Paul Marks 

and buying influence 

Paul Marks 

38



Stuart Robert, Paul Marks and buying influence 

Golf fanatic and millionaire businessman Paul Marks became 

the Liberals’ best friend 

By Stephen Drill, Ellen Whinnett and Tom Minear for Herald Sun 

on 27 February 2015 

HOW Paul Marks got Prime Minister Tony Abbott to his birthday 

party and got to rub shoulders with the Chinese President. 

Tony Abbott boarded the “Special Purpose Aircraft” or “VIP”, the 

cost of which is met by taxpayers. 

Mr Abbott jetted to Melbourne to make a discreet appearance at 

Paul Marks’s birthday party. 

Had Mr Marks not boasted so loudly about the event in advance, 

the Herald Sun may never have learned of it, and the public would 

never have known much about him. 

We know that Mr Marks donated more than $1.1 million to the 

federal Liberal Party last financial year — $250,000 in his own name, 

$500,000 from his mining company, Nimrod, and another $431,000 

from another in his complex web of companies, P. Marks 

Investments Pty Ltd. 

This makes him one of the largest individual donors to the Liberal 

Party, and a prized catch indeed. 

Paul Marks was born Paul Miszkowski in Haifa, Israel, on 

December 2, 1949 

39



In 1998 there was another furore after Mr Marks, a mature-age 

postgraduate student, offered donations and consultancies worth 

$2 million to the University of Melbourne because he was impressed 

by the work of some of his tutors. 

Subsequently, five of his 10 course marks were upgraded — 

including one that went from a fail to a pass — which allowed him 

to satisfy the requirements of his Master of Applied Finance degree. 

An ensuing investigation by the university found nothing untoward 

in the upgrading of his marks 

Tony Abbot with Paul Marks at the Liberal donor’s birthday party. 

Picture: Tony Gough 

40



How Paul Marks became such a good friend of the Liberal Party is 

still not clear. 

He was brought into the fold by Stuart Robert, the Queenslandbased 

Assistant Defence Minister and the party’s most prolific and 

aggressive fundraiser. 

Both Mr Marks and Mr Robert — in statements that appeared 

remarkably similar — confirmed to the Herald Sun that Mr Robert 

had first introduced Mr Marks to Mr Abbott at a “private function”. 

The pair both declared they were “close personal friends.’’ 

He started several mining companies, including Conquest and 

Evolution, and investors included his good friend Mr Robert. 

In the 2013-14 financial year he became a “whale’’, a high-wealth 

individual donor to the Liberal Party, pouring in vastly more money 

than most of the big corporate donors. 

“The Liberal Party promised to repeal the carbon tax and mining tax 

before the 2013 election, which were substantial drags on the 

economy. 

Mr Marks’s support for the Liberal Party has come at a time when his 

business interests in a mine in Bourke, in northern New South Wales, 

have been expanding. 

The Melbourne businessman was in Canberra on November 17, 

2014 when Mr Abbott welcomed the President of China, Xi Jinping, 

arguably the most powerful man in the world, for the signing of a 

free trade agreement. 

Mr Abbott and President Xi hosted a red carpet ceremony in 

Parliament’s plush main committee room, where 14 deals were 

signed between Australian and Chinese businesses and 

organisations. 

41



42



The most senior business figures in Australia lined up to sign the 

papers with their Chinese counterparts, under the watchful gaze — 

and the implied endorsement — of President Xi and Mr Abbott. 

Bank chiefs were there — Mike Smith from ANZ, Gail Kelly from 

Westpac; the head of Australia Post, Ahmed Fahour; the boss of the 

stock exchange, Elmer Funke Kupper; the head of Qantas, Alan 

Joyce; and the mining giants — Sam Walsh, head of Rio Tinto, and 

billionaire Andrew “Twiggy’’ Forrest. 

And then there was the unknown Mr Marks, signing up to a deal 

with the Chinese government-owned Minmetals to develop a 

greenfields site in Bourke through his mining company, Nimrod. The 

mine is not yet commercial, but Mr Marks has high hopes. 

“Nimrod Resources Limited has significant potential because of the 

unique geological structures at the site and the initial chemical and 

physical geoscience testing,” he said. 

“Initial geoscience testing shows the potential for a project in the 

order of Olympic Dam. 

“The potential employment for Bourke may be significant.” 

Olympic Dam is a BHP Billiton copper, gold and uranium mine in 

South Australia with an “inground’’ value of $863 billion. 

MONEY, POWER, BIG NAMES, BIG GAMES 

THE group of MPs sitting around the dining table in Parliament 

House was agog. 

Their colleague, Stuart Robert, the most prolific and aggressive 

fundraiser in the Liberal Party, was regaling them with tales of how 

he raked the dollars out of supporters’ pockets and into the party. 

43



One of the stories included literally selling framed sporting 

memorabilia off the walls of his office. 

Other advice dished out by the successful former businessman 

included inviting “corporates’’, or big supporters, to important 

ceremonial occasions. 

It was all part of making them feel included, and invaluable. 

Mr Robert, 44, is a polarising figure in the Liberal Party. The Assistant 

Minister for Defence, he was elected to the Liberal National Party in 

Queensland in 2007, in the northern Gold Coast seat of Fadden. 

Victorian-born, he was raised on a cane farm in Bundaberg before 

joining the Army, where he served for 12 years before resigning and 

setting up a hugely successful consulting and recruitment firm, GMT. 

He had to separate himself from that company and its various 

offshoots after joining Parliament, although his early register of 

member’s interests show a complicated web of companies and 

trusts. 

Mr Robert used to fly around on Clive Palmer’s private planes before 

Mr Palmer fell out spectacularly with the Liberal National Party. 

A devout Christian, Mr Robert reads the Bible on long plane trips, 

and shares a house in Canberra with rising star and Social Services 

Minister Scott Morrison. 

He is married with three sons, and the co-founder of a children’s 

charity in Uganda. 

Ellen Whinnett 

Source: 

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/golf-fanatic-and- 

millionaire-businessman-paul-marks-became-the-liberals-best- 

friend/news-story/82eca91bc350e4cac88360170c66d556 

44




Australia Dinner Showed Cozy Ties Between Conservatives and 

Mining Executive 

By Daniel Stacey for The Wall Street Journal on June 30, 2016 

The relationship between conservative leaders and mining 

entrepreneur Paul Marks has become the subject of public 

scrutiny in Australia 

SYDNEY—At an intimate dinner in a state-funded parliamentary 

suite in late 2012, senior members of Australia’s conservative Liberal 

Party gathered to discuss a mine project proposed by a local 

entrepreneur. The project needed funding and government permits. 

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and colleagues urged 

a representative of South Africa’s Investec Bank to help raise up to 

A$10 million (US$7.8 million) to advance the project in eastern 

Australia, according to an attendee. As glasses were replenished 

with white wine, party members also discussed ways to speed up 

project approvals, the attendee said. 

Mr. Abbott, who at the time was Australia’s opposition leader and 

had sights set on the country’s top political post, was eager to woo 

the mining industry, which was flush with cash after a years long 

commodity boom. In speeches that year Mr. Abbott had pledged to 

slash taxes on mining, and described a federal mining tax introduced 

by Australia’s centre-left Labor Party as “penalizing success.” 

Within a year, the mine developer and major shareholder, 

Paul Marks, had become the Liberals’ biggest donor by injecting 

A$1.1 million into party coffers. 

45



This account of that meeting offers the latest details in a relationship 

between the Liberal Party and Paul Marks which has been the 

subject of public scrutiny in recent months. 

Members of Australia’s Labor Party have alleged that Liberal leaders 

offered to help Mr. Marks in return for donations. If true, that would 

be a breach of ministerial standards, according to Australian 

governance experts. Violators are typically expected to resign. 

Robert Stuart, who attended the meeting is being investigated by 

Australia’s Federal Police for alleged abuse of office after admitting 

that his financial trustee had been gifted a stake in the mining 

project, according to the Australian Federal Police. 

Australian politicians often use such trustees to manage investments 

so that they can avoid perceptions of conflict of interest, especially 

in cases when they own stocks in industries that fall under their 

legislative influence. 

Mr. Abbott, who was ousted as prime minister last year in a party 

coup but remains a member of parliament, hasn't been accused of 

wrongdoing. He declined to comment on details of the 2012 dinner, 

though his office confirmed he attended the event. 

It also released a document describing the event as a “mining 

dinner” whose purpose was to introduce the mining firm—Nimrod 

Resources Ltd., a privately held company based in the Australian 

state of Queensland—to party leaders so they could assure 

management that they would remove a tax on mining production 

when in office. 

Allegations from opposition politicians and published in local 

newspapers that Mr. Abbott and other Liberal party members used 

their power to help promote the gold-mine project backed by 

Nimrod began surfacing last year. 

46



Mr. Abbott and Liberal party members denied wrongdoing and said 

they were merely supporting the growth of local businesses and 

encouraging foreign investment. 

Mr. Marks, Nimrod’s chief executive, was the Liberals’ biggest federal 

donor in the 2013 financial year, giving around 15% of the party’s 

donor-declared federal contributions through various companies. 

He had not been a major donor before. 

Mr. Marks didn’t respond to requests for comment through his 

company, or to phone messages and a letter left at his residential 

address. Other attempts to reach Nimrod officials were unsuccessful. 

In the past Mr. Marks has said he supports the Liberal party because 

it pledged to lower taxes on industry and support growth. 

In February, Australia’s Herald Sun newspaper reported that 

Mr. Abbott attended a private parliamentary dinner in 2013 

involving Mr. Marks and a Chinese businessman, at which guests 

were given Rolex watches by the Chinese guest. Nimrod later 

obtained financial backing from Chinese investors. 

Mr. Abbott’s staff said publicly at the time that he hadn’t been aware 

of the guest list before arriving, and had later returned the watches. 

Mr. Marks and Nimrod didn't comment on the report. 

The 2012 dinner, accounts of which were reviewed by The Journal, 

was attended by Mr. Abbott and three Liberal colleagues, as well as 

Mr. Marks, another Nimrod official and Investec’s local head of 

natural resources, Hugh Thomas, according to one attendee. Several 

other participants confirmed their attendance. 

47



Liberal lawmaker Ian Macfarlane, who became minister of industry, 

tourism and resources in Mr. Abbott’s government, outlined ways to 

access a government program that helps speed up permits, as well 

as tap tariff concessions and streamlined foreign-investment 

applications, the attendee said. 

Stuart Robert, a Liberal politician who was assistant defense minister 

in Mr. Abbott’s government, told the Journal he organized and 

attended the event. He said he couldn’t recall if raising equity from 

Investec or federal support for approvals were discussed. He said the 

meeting’s purpose was political fundraising. 

Australian federal police said they are investigating Stuart Robert for 

potential abuse of office after he admitted in February in an internal 

party investigation that his financial trustee had been gifted a stake 

in Nimrod via a company called Metallum Holdings. Mr. Robert 

didn’t identify the trustee or the size of the stake and Mr. Robert’s 

name doesn’t appear in company documents. He said he committed 

no wrongdoing. 

Mr. Abbott and Mr. Macfarlane were pledged shares in the 

company, Mr. Marks told the dinner, the attendee said. 

Mr. Abbott said he has never held shares in Nimrod and wasn’t 

pledged any. Mr. Macfarlane declined to comment. Company 

documents don’t list Mr. Abbott or Mr. Macfarlane as shareholders. 

Investec’s Mr. Thomas confirmed he attended the meeting in an 

emailed statement. He said Investec had no further involvement with 

Nimrod as the project “didn’t meet our investment criteria.” 

Nimrod secured an exploration agreement with China’s state-owned 

Minmetals Exploration and Development in 2014. Terms of the deal 

weren’t disclosed. 

48



That deal, signed in front of Mr. Abbott and Chinese president 

Xi Jinping during a free trade ceremony in November 2014 at 

Australia’s Parliament House, and widely reported by Australian 

media, came after Mr. Robert had travelled to China three months 

earlier and attended an investment meeting with Mr. Marks, 

Minmetals, and the Chinese Vice Minister of Land and Resources 

Wang Min. 

The status of the gold project remains unclear. 

Source: 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/australia-dinner-showed-cozy-tiesbetween-conservatives-and-mining-executive-1467338700 

From left to right, Chinese President Xi Jinping, former Australian Prime 

Minister Tony Abbott, and Paul Marks, chief executive of Nimrod 

Resources in 2014. PHOTO: KYM SMITH/NEWS LTD. 

49




by Kaye Lee for The Australian Independent Media (AIM) on 

March 7, 2017 

Of great concern is Stuart Robert’s relationship with co-investor and 

Liberal Party donor Paul Marks, and the extent to which Chinese 

business interests are buying influence in Canberra. 

The following timeline lists the close links between Stuart Robert 

and Paul Marks and how Robert has used his position and party to 

promote Mr Marks’ business dealings with China. 

In April 2013, Stuart Robert billed taxpayers $1600 to attend the 

opening of a gold mine owned by Evolution Mining, a company in 

which he owned shares. He was later forced to repay the 

money. Paul Marks was a Non-Executive Director of the company. 

In June 2013, Chinese businessman Li Ruipeng presented Robert and 

other Coalition figures with Rolexes during a dinner attended by 

Tony Abbott and Paul Marks in Stuart Robert’s parliamentary office. 

In early 2014, a staffer in the former Queensland 

government introduced noodle king Mr Li to agents looking to lease 

premium top-floor office space at 50 Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise. 

Subsequently, Li Ruipeng, who owes creditors in China up to 

$30 million, was evicted from the Gold Coast office space for being 

$200,000 behind in rent. 

In mid-2014, Paul Marks started making huge donations to the 

Liberal Party under several different names – $250,000 to the federal 

Liberal Party and $181,361 to the Free Enterprise Foundation from 

P. Marks Investment Pty Ltd, another $250,000 to the federal Liberal 

Party from Paul Marks, and $500,000 from his mining company 

Nimrod Resources Limited. 

50



In August 2014, Stuart Robert flew to China with Paul Marks, lending 

what was perceived as official support for a mining deal that Marks 

was negotiating with the Chinese government despite Robert 

insisting he was there in a private capacity and had paid for the trip 

himself. 

There are several problems with this. 

Firstly is the Statement of Ministerial Standards which states, under 

section 2.1 (entitled “Integrity”): 

Although their public lives encroach upon their private lives, it is 

critical that Ministers do not use public office for private purposes. 

And in section 2.20 (“other forms of employment”), the Standards 

mandate that: 

A Minister shall not act as a consultant or adviser to any company, 

business, or other interests, whether paid or unpaid, or provide 

assistance to any such body, except as may be appropriate in their 

official capacity as Minister. 

Secondly, it was revealed that both Robert and Marks had shares in 

a company called Metallum Holdings Pty Ltd and the company had 

an interest in Nimrod Resources. 

Thirdly, whilst Mr Robert paid for some of his trip, he charged 

taxpayers $881.92 for accommodation and the flight from 

Coolangatta to Sydney the day before he flew out claiming “official 

business”, and then he flew back to Australia via an Asian stop, at 

which point his “private travel” again became “official business” for 

which he claimed $10,449.83. 

51



Defence Secretary Dennis Richardson revealed Stuart Robert only 

officially informed the department of his private visit to China after 

he returned to Australia which seems odd because the “official 

business” in Singapore was “To attend the Singapore-Australia Joint 

Ministerial meeting and the Defence Ministers’ Dialogue.” Did he 

just front up without telling anyone? Did he say I’ll make my own 

way there? Or did he drop in so he could charge us for his trip? 

After an internal investigation by Martin Parkinson, Robert was later 

forced by Turnbull to stand down from the Ministry with Barnaby 

Joyce saying “once all the details become apparent you’ve got to say 

sorry, ‘Goodnight Irene’.” 

In November 2014, Tony Abbott hosted a red carpet event with the 

President of China, Xi Jinping, where 14 deals were signed between 

Australian and Chinese businesses and organisations. 

The most senior business figures in Australia lined up to sign the 

papers with their Chinese counterparts, under the watchful gaze — 

and the implied endorsement — of President Xi and Mr Abbott. 

Bank chiefs were there — Mike Smith from ANZ, Gail Kelly from 

Westpac; the head of Australia Post, Ahmed Fahour; the boss of the 

stock exchange, Elmer Funke Kupper; the head of Qantas, Alan 

Joyce; and the mining giants — Sam Walsh, head of Rio Tinto, and 

billionaire Andrew “Twiggy’’ Forrest. 

And then there was the unknown Mr Paul Marks, signing up to a 

deal with the Chinese government-owned Minmetals to develop a 

greenfields site in Bourke through his mining company, Nimrod. 

52



In March 2015, Tony Abbott infamously was late for a caucus 

meeting after he had taken a taxpayer-funded RAAF jet to 

Melbourne the night before, also claiming $788.03 for comcars and 

accommodation, to attend Paul Marks’ birthday party (ignoring the 

fact that his birthday is in December). Stuart Robert also attended 

the party at Huntingdale Golf Club. 

Paul Marks donations ramped up 

April 2015 Liberal Party Australia $150,000 

May 2015 Liberal Party Australia $175,000 

June 2015 LNP Qld $15,000 

July 2015 Liberal Party Australia $1,300,000 

Liberal Party Vic $30,000 

LNP Qld $15,000 

May 2016 Liberal Party Tas $30,000 

Country Liberals NT $30,000 

Liberal Party ACT $30,000 

Liberal Party NSW $30,000 

Liberal Party SA $30,000 

This list only goes to June 2016 and may not be complete as 

Mr Marks donates under various different names to different 

branches of the Liberal Party whose returns don’t always correlate 

with Mr Marks’ declarations. 

Last September, Paul Marks was in Brisbane reportedly to explore a 

potential gold deal, quite possibly in Bob Katter’s electorate. 

Interestingly, he was accompanied by a Katter Party fundraiser. 

53



Paul Marks sure seems to have a great deal of money to splash 

around. 

Source: 

https://theaimn.com/stuart-robert-paul-marks-buying-influence/ 

54



Beware Chinese billionaires bearing gifts 

In June 2013, Chinese billionaire Li Ruipeng 

from the firm Liguancheng Group was in 

Canberra. There was a dinner at Parliament 

House and representing the then-federal 

Opposition was leader Tony Abbott, his chief 

of staff Peta Credlin, opposition industry 

spokesman Ian Macfarlane, and opposition 

spokesman for defence, science, technology 

and personnel, Stuart Robert. 

Tony Abbott, Stuart Robert and Ian Macfarlane 

were given $250,000 worth of watches out of a 

plastic bag by Chinese instant noodle billionaire 

Li Ruipeng. 

There were also watches for Abbott’s wife, Margie, 

and Stuart Robert’s Wife, Chantelle, who were not 

present at the dinner – but not Abbott’s then chief 

of staff, Peta Credlin, who was. 

55




Stuart Robert: DFAT says Chinese Officials believed 2013 

meeting was Official; Minister shrugs off Rolex controversy 

by political reporters Stephen Dziedzic, Francis Keany and Louise 

Yaxley for ABC News on 11 February 2016 

It is unclear who leaked this photo 

56



Key points: 

• Stuart Robert says function with Li Ruipeng was private 

• Mr Ruipeng provided expensive watches to MPs at dinner 

• Stuart Robert hosted dinner, which he described as "no 

different to a boardroom meeting" and says ROLEX watches 

have been returned 

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) says Chinese 

officials believed they were meeting Human Services Minister Stuart 

Robert in an official capacity when he travelled to Beijing last year. 

Stuart Robert is under investigation for a trip to China in 2014, 

where he appeared at a signing ceremony for a mining deal 

between Australian company Nimrod Resources and a Chinese 

business. 

He also met Chinese government officials during the visit. 

Labor Senator Penny Wong pressed the DFAT head Peter Varghese 

about the trip during Senate estimates. 

Senator Wong asked whether it was appropriate that a minister 

"rock up to one of these meetings" without informing the 

department first. 

"Would you ever advise a foreign minister to hold such a meeting?" 

she said. 

Mr Varghese said there were questions of judgement for the 

minister. 

Senator Wong also pressed the matter with Graham Fletcher, First 

Assistant Secretary of the North Asia Division. 

57



"It's plain that the company and the Chinese Government thought 

they were dealing with Stuart Robert in his ministerial capacity?" she 

said. 

Mr Fletcher responded "yes". 

'It's no different to private dinners', Stuart Robert says 

The exchange followed news Stuart Robert held a function with a 

Chinese billionaire, who later gave out Rolex watches as gifts. 

Stuart Robert has now confirmed that in 2013, Chinese businessman 

Li Ruipeng presented himself and other Coalition figures with 

Rolexes during a dinner attended by former prime minister Tony 

Abbott and Liberal Party donor Paul Marks. 

Stuart Robert said the dinner in his Parliament House office was not 

held at the request of Mr Marks, who last year donated hundreds of 

thousands of dollars to the Liberal Party. 

Stuart Robert told the ABC that he hosted the dinner, which he 

described as "no different to a boardroom meeting". 

"[It's] no different to private dinners that are hosted by other MPs 

almost every night here," he said. 

It has been revealed Mr Ruipeng provided watches said to be worth 

approximately $250,000 in total to MPs at the 2013 dinner. 

Stuart Robert said the watches had since been returned. 

"We thought they were fake, until Ian Macfarlane got a heads up 

that perhaps they weren't," he said. 

"Having said that, I declared them, because I declare everything in 

terms of gifts. 

"We got them valued and sought advice from the Clerk and then 

they were returned." 

58



A photo published in News Corp's Herald Sun shows Mr Robert 

posing with Mr Ruipeng, raising a glass alongside Mr Abbott and 

LNP MP Ian Macfarlane. 

Stuart Robert refused to comment on an internal investigation over 

a trip to China, which Labor claimed was a breach of ministerial 

standards. 

Source: 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-11/stuart-ROBERT-china-offialsmeeting-dfat/7158808 

59




Stuart Robert, Paul Pisasale and a tale of two Rolexes 

By Belinda Jones | Independent Australia on 7 January 2019 

Herald Sun front page image of (from left) Member for Groom McFadden Li Ruipeng, 

Member for Warringah Abbott, Liberal Party donor Paul Marks and Member for 

Fadden ROBERT (Screenshot via YouTube) 

It was revealed that a number of Liberal Party MPs received Rolex 

watches with a total value of $250,000 in a brown paper bag from a 

Chinese billionaire. 

https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/stuart-Robertand-a-tale-of-two-watches,12247 

60




Tony Abbott and other Liberals took Rolexes they thought were 

fake 

by Ellie Hunt for The Guardian on 10 February 2016 

Tony Abbott, Stuart Robert and Ian Macfarlane were given $250,000 

worth of watches out of a plastic bag by Chinese instant noodle 

billionaire Li Ruipeng. 

There were also watches for Abbott’s wife, Margie, and Stuart 

Robert’s wife, Chantelle, who were not present at the dinner – but 

not Abbott’s then chief of staff, Peta Credlin, who was. 

Tony Abbott and Ian Macfarlane are among the Liberal MPs who accepted designer 

watches out of a plastic bag from the ‘instant noodle billionaire’ 

Li Ruipeng. Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP 

A group of Liberal party MPs, including the former prime minister 

and then federal opposition leader Tony Abbott, are under scrutiny 

over $250,000 worth of designer watches they were given by a 

visiting billionaire from China almost three years ago – that were 

assumed to be fakes. 

61



Among them is the embattled MP Stuart Robert, who was then the 

opposition’s defence, science, technology and personnel 

spokesman, and is now under intense political pressure over a 

controversial trip to China in 2014. 

“Instant noodle billionaire” Li Ruipeng, the chair of the Li Guancheng 

Investment Management Group, gave Abbott, Robert and the then 

opposition industry spokesman, Ian Macfarlane, designer watches 

out of a plastic bag at an informal dinner at Parliament House in 

June 2013 as a goodwill gesture. 

There were also watches for Abbott’s wife, Margie, and Robert’s wife, 

Chantelle, who were not present at the dinner – but not Abbott’s 

then chief of staff, Peta Credlin, who was. 

(The then Queensland minister Rob Molhoek also received a Cartier 

Ballon Bleu bracelet watch, valued at $23,400, from Guancheng in 

2013 – the most expensive gift received by any Newman 

government official in that financial year, and surrendered by 

Molhoek to the Ministerial Services Branch.) 

Macfarlane, assuming his Rolex was a fake worth between $300 and 

$500, declared the gift with the clerk of the House of 

Representatives but kept it (“and wore it occasionally,” says the 

Herald Sun). 

Macfarlane had the watch valued in Sydney after the September 

federal election, after the then Liberal candidate for Moore, Ian 

Goodenough, favourably compared it to his own, genuine Rolex. 

Macfarlane was told his watch was worth about $40,000 – and his 

had obviously not been as expensive as those given to Abbott and 

Margie Abbott. 

62



“My understanding is that they were handed over in a plastic bag, as 

has been reported, and I think everybody was of the same view,” a 

spokesman for Abbott said. 

“They were declared in the normal way. As with most 

parliamentarians, it’s better to over declare than under declare but I 

believe Mr Abbott was of the understanding that they were fake, 

given the way that they were handed over, and, when it became 

apparent that they weren’t, they were handed over straight away.” 

Asked by Guardian Australia whether Stuart Robert had, like 

Macfarlane, assumed at first the watch was a fake, a spokesman said 

there was “nothing to add to the story that’s not already out there” 

but confirmed that it had been returned. 

Less than a year later in August 2014, Stuart Robert, the then 

assistant defence minister, took what he says was a “personal” trip to 

Beijing with friend and Liberal Party donor Paul Marks to celebrate a 

mining deal. 

He is now fighting to save his ministerial career as Labor accuses the 

prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, of failing to enforce his own 

standards. 

Phillip Coorey writes in the Australian Financial Review that Stuart 

Robert “should have learned from the watches to tread warily in 

China”. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/10/liberalstook-rolex-and-other-designer-watches-assuming-they-were-were-fake 

https://www.afr.com/politics/beware-chinese-billionaires-bearing-gifts- 

20160209-gmpk8p 

63



In August 2014, Stuart Robert, the then 

assistant defence minister, took what he says 

was a “personal” trip to Beijing with friend 

and major Liberal Party donor Paul Marks to 

celebrate a mining deal involving Nimrod 

Resources, an Australian mining company 

headed by Paul Marks. 

The 2014 Beijing visit was a side trip to his 

$10,450 taxpayer funded trip to Singapore. 

In 2016 an internal investigation found 

Robert Stuart had shares in a trust linked to 

the mining company of a Liberal donor 

Paul Marks. 

64



The 2014 Beijing visit was a side trip to his $10,450 taxpayer 

funded trip to Singapore 

Stuart Robert's China trip preceded official Singapore visit, 

records show 

By Daniel Hurst, Political Correspondent for The Guardian 


Liberal minister refuses to answer media questions about whether 

his private time in Beijing was a side trip to his taxpayer-funded 

Singapore duties. 

65



The embattled minister Stuart Robert took his controversial “private” 

trip to China several days before he was due in Singapore for official 

business, raising questions about portions of his international travel 

being taxpayer funded. 

Guardian Australia asked Robert whether he had undertaken the 

Beijing visit as a side trip to his $10,450 government-funded trip to 

Singapore, but he and his office declined to answer. 

Robert, the human services and veterans’ affairs minister, is facing 

an investigation by the Department of the Prime Minister and 

Cabinet (PM&C) over his attendance at an event in Beijing to 

celebrate a deal involving Nimrod Resources, an Australian mining 

company headed by major Liberal party donor Paul Marks. 

The then assistant defence minister said he had “attended in a 

private capacity” but a media release issued by China Minmetals 

Corporation said Robert had extended his congratulations “on 

behalf of the Australian Department of Defence” and had presented 

“a medal bestowed to him by Australian prime minister in honour of 

remembrance and blessing”. 

The Beijing event was held on 18 August 2014. Robert is also 

reported to have met with China’s vice-minister of land and 

resources on 19 August 2014. 

Finance Department entitlement records showed he claimed 

$10,449.83 “to attend the Singapore-Australia joint ministerial 

meeting and the defence ministers’ dialogue” from 21 August 

to 23 August 2014. 

PM&C confirmed Robert had requested personal leave for the 

period 15 to 22 August 2014 and this been approved by the then 

prime minister, Tony Abbott. 

66



Guardian Australia repeatedly asked Robert and his spokesman 

whether the Beijing trip constituted a side-trip to the official 

engagement in Singapore, and sought clarity about which flights 

were paid for by taxpayers and which flights were paid for privately. 

There was no response to the direct queries when first submitted. 

When asked again about the issue Robert’s spokesman reiterated 

that he would not make any further comments. 

There is no suggestion a privately funded side-trip would be illegal, 

but it would muddy the waters of his defence of the nature of his 

travel. 

News Corp Australia, which broke the story, quoted Robert’s 

spokesman as saying the minister had paid for the trip himself. 

“Mr Robert was on leave and attended in a private capacity,” he said. 

The treasurer, Scott Morrison, defended his friend in similar terms, 

saying Robert “was there at his own expense, paid his own way” and 

“there was no taxpayer expense involved”. 

A Chinese government website indicated Robert had told the viceminister 

of land and resources, Wang Min, that the Australian 

government welcomed mining investment in Australia. 

The shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said it appeared that 

Robert had “breached the ministerial standards, not once, but twice”. 

Dreyfus pointed to the prohibition on ministers using “public office 

for private purposes” and the rule against ministers acting “as a 

consultant or adviser to any company, business, or other interests, 

whether paid or unpaid, or provide assistance to any such body, 

except as may be appropriate in their official capacity as minister”. 

“He’s got to now make a full statement about as to what it was he 

was doing in Beijing,” Dreyfus said. 

67



“It can’t be both a trip for private purposes and a trip on which he 

met with a vice minister in the Chinese government. 

What did his visa application say? 

What assistance did he get from the Australian embassy in Beijing? 

Who paid for his trip? 

Who paid for his accommodation? 

Who paid for his expenses? 

All of these questions need to be answered.” 

Dreyfus sought to suspend parliament’s normal business to intensify 

pressure on the government. He wanted to move a motion 

demanding Robert “immediately attend the house to provide a full 

explanation of his trip to China and explain why he has not breached 

the prime minister’s statement of ministerial statements”. 

The government shut down the Labor speeches and used its 

numbers to block the procedural manoeuvre. 

Turnbull has asked the secretary of his department, 

Martin Parkinson, to provide advice on whether ministerial standards 

had been breached. 

“I deal with these matters very thoroughly and very seriously and in 

accordance with the code,” the prime minister told parliament. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/09/stuart- 

ROBERTs-china-trip-preceded-official-singapore-visit-records-show 

68



The Beijing visit was a side trip to his $10,450 taxpayer funded 

trip to Singapore 

Stuart Robert silent on Visa Application for China trip 

by Daniel Hurst, Political Correspondent for The Guardian 


Embattled minister asked whether his declaration on his Chinese visa 

application supported his claims that his 2014 trip to witness a 

mining deal was for personal purposes only. 

The minister for human services and veterans’ affairs, Stuart Robert, 

leaves parliament after question time. Labor devoted a lot of time to pursuing 

Robert over allegations of breaches of ministerial standards. 

Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP 

The embattled minister Stuart Robert has refused to say whether his 

application for a Chinese visa backs up his claim that his 

controversial 2014 trip to witness a mining deal was merely for 

personal purposes. 

69



Robert, who is under intense political pressure over alleged breaches 

of ministerial standards, told parliament he would cooperate with an 

official investigation but would not be drawn on the accuracy of 

his previous media statements. 

“I am confident I have not acted inappropriately,” the minister for 

human services and veterans’ affairs said, while declining to answer 

direct questions. 

Robert is fighting to save his ministerial career after revelations of a 

“personal” trip to Beijing in August 2014 to celebrate a deal 

involving Nimrod Resources, an Australian mining company headed 

by major Liberal party donor Paul Marks. 

The then assistant defence minister said he had “attended in a 

private capacity” but a media release issued by China Minmetals 

Corporation said Robert had extended his congratulations “on 

behalf of the Australian Department of Defence” and had presented 

“a medal bestowed to him by Australian prime minister in honour of 

remembrance and blessing”. 

Robert – who disputes the media release – met China’s vice-minister 

of land and resources, Wang Min, the next day and said the 

Australian government welcomed mining investment, according to 

a Chinese government website. 

A translation of the Chinese-language website suggests Nimrod 

Resources representatives also attended the meeting. 

The shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, began a series of 

questions to Robert by asking whether it had been accurate for his 

office to say he had been on approved leave and attended in a 

private capacity. 

70



Robert replied he was confident he had not acted inappropriately 

“regarding a visit I undertook overseas in a personal capacity in 

2014”. He said he would “fully assist” the secretary of the 

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Martin Parkinson, 

who is set to report back to Turnbull on any alleged breaches. 

The “private” trip to China occurred several days before Robert was 

due in Singapore for official business. 

Guardian Australia asked Robert whether he had undertaken the 

Beijing visit as a side trip to his $10,450 taxpayer-funded trip to 

Singapore and sought clarity about which flights were paid for by 

taxpayers and which flights were paid for privately. 

In parliament, Labor also asked the foreign affairs minister, Julie 

Bishop, the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, and the trade 

minister, Andrew Robb, to explain their knowledge of elements of 

Robert’s trip. 

Andrew Robb brushed off a question about whether AusTrade had 

provided any assistance in connection with the Nimrod Resources 

deal, noting Turnbull had “sought all information associated with the 

issues”. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/09/stuart- 

Robert-silent-on-visa-application-for-china-trip 

71





Stuart Robert told Defence Department about 2014 China visit 

AFTER returning to Australia 

by defence reporter Andrew Greene and political reporter 

Matthew Doran for ABC News on 10 February 2016 

Mr Robert maintained it was a private visit, despite meeting with 

senior Chinese officials. (Supplied: Minmetals) 

Stuart Robert is currently Human Services Minister 

Turnbull Government minister Stuart Robert waited until after he 

returned to Australia to inform departmental chiefs of a 

controversial trip to China, Senate estimates has heard. 

72



Stuart Robert was assistant defence minister when he visited China 

in 2014. 

Stuart Robert maintains it was a private visit, despite meeting with 

senior Chinese officials, as well as witnessing a mining deal with a 

Liberal Party donor. 

Defence Secretary Dennis Richardson told a Senate estimates 

hearing he was informed of the private trip shortly AFTER Stuart 

Robert returned home. 

"Following his return to Australia, Minister Robert asked his office to 

advise the department who he had met in China," Mr Richardson 

said. 

Current Defence Minister Marise Payne told the committee she 

would also ask for clarification into whether Stuart Robert took his 

departmental phone to China, or any other official devices. 

It comes as travel entitlement reports show Stuart Robert claimed 

almost $900 in expenses to travel to Sydney the day before his 

personal leave began. 

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet confirmed Stuart 

Robert was on approved personal leave from August 15 to August 

22, 2014. 

On August 14, Stuart Robert claimed air fares from Coolangatta to 

Sydney for $449.92 and travel allowance for his time in Sydney on 

"official business" of $432. 

Mr Robert also claimed the use of a COMCAR in Brisbane and 

Sydney on the same day, totalling $139.10. 

A week later, Mr Robert charged taxpayers more than $10,000 in 

overseas travel to attend the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial 

73



meeting and the Defence Ministers' Dialogue in Singapore from 

August 21 to August 23, 2014. 

Mr Robert requested to come back from leave a day early to attend 

the summit in Singapore. 

Source: 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-10/stuart-ROBERT-informeddepartment-of-china-visit-upon-return/7155528 

74



75





Stuart Robert to be sacked as Minister over China trip scandal 

by Malcolm Farr for news.com.au on February 12, 2016 

MALCOLM Turnbull has highlighted shareholdings and a potential 

conflict of interest in his reasons for accepting the resignation of 

Human Services Minister Stuart Robert. 

The strongest defence of Stuart Robert within government 

circles had come from Treasurer Scott Morrison, who told 

reporters the accusations were “a massive overreach and it’s a 

shocking beat-up”. 

Veterans Affairs Minister Stuart Robert is to be dumped from the cabinet. 

Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas / Source: AAP 

The Prime Minister said an investigation had found Mr Robert acted 

“inconsistently” with ministerial standards. 

76



Mr Robert has offered his resignation but the investigation findings 

and a welter of public information made clear he had little choice. 

His removal from the ministry will be included in a broad ministerial 

reshuffle following the retirement announcements from former 

Nationals leader Warren Truss and Trade Minister Andrew Robb. 

He has been accused of using his office to assist a friend in a 

business deal during a private visit to Beijing in August 2014. 

The Prime Minister asked his department to investigate the trip, 

taken with a big Liberal Party donor Paul Marks, but the public flow 

of fresh detail was overwhelmingly damning of Mr Robert. 

And the Department of Foreign Affairs has agreed in a Senate 

committee that the Chinese officials believed they were dealing with 

Mr Robert in his ministerial capacity. 

“Mr Robert advised Dr Parkinson that at the time he travelled to 

Beijing in August 2014 he did not believe that he had any interest in 

or connection to Mr Paul Marks’ company, Nimrod Resources,” Mr 

Turnbull said. 

“In the course of assisting the investigation, Mr Robert’s advised 

Dr Parkinson that on checking his records he had become aware 

that shares in Metallum Holdings Pty Ltd, a company in which Mr 

Marks was also a shareholder, had been allocated to his trustee 

some time before the visit to Beijing. 

“He told Dr Parkinson that this had been done without his 

knowledge. He further advised Dr Parkinson that he believed 

Metallum Holdings Pty Ltd had an interest in Nimrod Resources. 

“Stuart Robert recognised that this connection would create the 

impression that at the time he went to Beijing he had something 

personally to gain from the Nimrod Resources project.” 

77



Mr Turnbull said Stuart Robert had asked him for his exclusion from 

the coming reshuffle. 

“I thank him for his service as a minister and for his candid cooperation 

with Dr Parkinson in his inquiry,” the Prime Minister said. 

The Robert case and the inquiry findings were reviewed by the 

governance subcommittee of cabinet. 

“Dr Parkinson concluded that Stuart Robert had acted inconsistently 

with the Statement of Ministerial Standards, although he accepts 

that Stuart Robert may not have intended to do so,” Mr Turnbull 

said. 

The strongest defence of Stuart Robert within government circles 

had come from Treasurer Scott Morrison, who told reporters the 

accusations were “a massive overreach and it’s a shocking beat-up”. 

Source: 

https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/stuart-ROBERT-to-besacked-as-minister-over-china-trip-scandal/newsstory/631e384834d7f5eb4a1da18b80f4cb2a 

78





79





Stuart Robert's latest disgrace adds to case for Corruption Law 

Reform 

In February 2016 Robert Stuart was sacked from the ministry by 

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull after the public became aware of 

the then human services minister's dubious use of his position of 

public trust to support a friend who was a Liberal Party donor and in 

whose company Mr Robert had a financial interest. 

After an internal investigation found Robert Stuart had shares in a 

trust linked to the mining company of a Liberal donor Paul Marks. 

Mr Stuart went to Beijing to celebrate a mining deal involving 

Nimrod Resources, an Australian mining company headed by Paul 

Marks. 

Source: 

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/stuart-Roberts-latestdisgrace-adds-to-case-for-corruption-law-reform-20160929-grrl1v.html 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-12/stuart-Robert-to-resign-fomministry-abc-understands/7163226 

Stuart Robert / Credit: AAP IMAGE 

80



Stuart Robert (centre) attended a meeting in China where a prominent 

Liberal donor, Paul Marks, finalised a mining deal. (Supplied: Minmetals) 

81



Stuart Robert listed his parents as directors of 

Robert International Pty Ltd which held shares 

in GMT Recruitment, an IT recruiter, between 

2010 and 2016 - less than a month after the 

2010 election. 

GMT companies had won 356 government 

contracts, averaging more than $100,000 each 

and totalling more than $37 million. 

Stuart Robert claimed to have "ceased 

involvement" in GMT Recruitment before the 

2010 election, which was held on August 21, 

2010. 

Stuart Robert’s parents’ home became the 

registered office for Robert International 

almost a month later. 

82



Stuart Robert listed his parents as directors of Robert 

International Pty Ltd between 2010 and 2016 

Stuart Robert's father says he was unaware he was director of 

MP's company for six years 

by Latika Bourke for The Age on September 1, 2017 

The father of Turnbull government MP Stuart Robert says he was 

unaware he was a director of a private investment company that 

held shares in his son's IT service business which has won tens of 

millions of dollars worth of government contracts. 

Alan Robert, 80, has also told Fairfax Media that the private 

investment company, Robert International, was run by his son 

during the six-year period he and his wife, Dorothy, were the 

company's only directors. It is a revelation that would link the 

Queensland MP with the IT services business, GMT Group, at a time 

when Stuart Robert claims to have "ceased involvement" in GMT. 

Liberal MP Stuart Robert delivers the statement after Question Time. 

CREDIT: ALEX ELLINGHAUSEN 

83



But Mr Robert hit back denying any wrongdoing, accusing Fairfax 

Media of publishing "a load of rubbish", and attacking Labor for 

referring the matter to the corporate regulator. 

The former minister has been under fire after Fairfax Media last 

week revealed he had direct financial links with a company awarded 

millions in federal government work. Section 44 of the constitution 

forbids MPs from directly or even indirectly profiting from the 

Commonwealth. 

Mr Robert resigned his directorships and offloaded his shares in his 

GMT Group in 2010 – three years after he was first elected to 

Parliament. He told Fairfax Media he structured his affairs in a way 

that did not breach the constitution, but has refused to provide any 

evidence to support this claim. 

It emerged that Mr Robert's parents were made directors of Robert 

International - which held shares in GMT - on September 10, 2010 - 

less than a month after the election. 

The couple's home became the registered office for Robert 

International almost a month later. 

Alan Robert said he was unaware he had been appointed director 

and company secretary until informed by Fairfax Media. 

"Oh are we?" he said when told he and his wife were listed as 

directors of Robert International Pty Ltd between 2010 and 2016. 

"Blessed if I know; you'd have to talk to Stuart about that," he 

added. "No we haven't run it, no ... Robert International was run by 

our son so I'm not too sure how we figured into the directorship 

thing but there hasn't been any direct involvement in it, no." 

84



Mr Robert claims to have "ceased involvement" in GMT before the 

2010 election, which was held on August 21. However, his father's 

comments suggest he was still involved in Robert International, 

which continued to hold shares in GMT for more than a year after 

the 2010 election. 

ASIC records show Robert International, which is the trustee 

company for his family trust, held shares in GMT until December 

2011. By this time, GMT companies had won 356 government 

contracts, averaging more than $100,000 each and totalling more 

than $37 million. 

More than 45 government agencies have used GMT, including the 

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Veteran's 

Affairs, and CrimTrac. Mr Robert was a member of Parliament's 

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence committee while many of those 

contracts were awarded. 

Having initially claimed Fairfax Media lied about speaking to his 

father, Mr Robert on Thursday afternoon accused it of asking 

"opaque" questions. He noted his father was caring for his mother, 

who was recovering from a heart attack. 

He also tabled trust documents which he said were signed by his 

parents in their capacity as directors, and described his father as a 

"sophisticated investor". 

Mr Robert said his arrangements had been vetted by the Liberal 

National Party prior to his first preselection in 2007. 

The LNP's former president Bruce McIver has so far refused to 

respond to requests for comment. 

Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said a "full investigation into 

this matter is warranted". 

85



"The big question is why has the Prime Minister refused to express 

confidence in Stuart Robert despite repeated opportunities? Just 

how much worse does it have to get before this government acts, 

and catches up with the reality that this man is not fit for public 

office?" 

Labor frontbencher Andrew Leigh wrote to the Australian Securities 

and Investments Commission on Thursday asking whether the 

regulator would "be investigating the allegations". 

During an unrelated appearance at a public hearing at Parliament 

House, ASIC commissioner John Price said he would "make some 

inquiries" following Fairfax Media's report. But he said this would not 

necessarily trigger a formal ASIC investigation. 

When Mr Robert was first elected in 2007 he remained a director of 

shareholder of multiple GMT companies, which he founded in 1999. 

He did not resign these interests until the day before the 2010 

election, which produced a hung Parliament. 

In a second conversation with Fairfax Media, Alan Robert said he 

could not recall signing multiple ASIC documents lodged in his 

name, including one as recently as last year handing back the 

directorship to his son. 

"I suppose if the signature's there we must have signed them," he 

said, adding he had never profited from the private investment 

company. 

"No, no. I think it simply might have been a matter of using our 

address as a mailbox or something, I'm not sure," he said. "I don't 

know much about it really, not sure whether that's a trust." 

86



Fairfax Media on Wednesday put a series of detailed questions to 

Mr Robert about Robert International and his parents' involvement. 

Mr Robert did not respond to the specific questions. 

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's office has been approached 

repeatedly for comment about Mr Robert's situation. 

Asked if Mr Robert should give a full explanation, Attorney-General 

George Brandis said on Thursday he did not know enough about the 

case to comment. 

Robert International was founded in 1999. Mr Robert and his wife 

were listed as directors until 2010, resuming in 2016. 

Fairfax Media has been examining Mr Robert's business dealings 

after revealing GMT received $16.5 million worth of government 

contracts between 2007 and 2010, when Mr Robert was a director 

and shareholder in the multiple GMT companies. 

Mr Robert, who was sacked from the frontbench last year, has 

claimed he arranged his personal finances to avoid breaching 

section 44 of the constitution which forbids MPs from benefiting 

from the Commonwealth. 

Source: 

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/stuart-roberts-father-says- 

he-was-unaware-he-was-director-of-mp-sons-company-for-six-years- 

20170912-gyfeg7.html 

87



Stuart Robert listed his parents as directors of Robert 

International Pty Ltd between 2010 and 2016 

'Three strikes': Cory Bernardi and Labor target Stuart Robert 

over potential constitutional 'Breach' 

by Fergus Hunter for The Age on September 5, 2017 

Former Coalition minister Stuart Robert has been urged to quit 

Parliament after Fairfax Media revealed he was previously elected 

despite direct financial links to a company awarded millions in 

government contracts. 

ASIC records and his register of interests show Mr Robert was a 

"director and shareholder" of GMT Group and a number of other 

GMT companies awarded about $16.5 million worth of government 

contracts between 2007 and 2010. 

Stuart Robert, who was sacked from the ministry last year following 

a series of scandals, was a director and shareholder of the 

companies for three years after entering Parliament in 2007. 

Section 44 of the constitution prohibits MPs from directly or 

indirectly profiting from the Commonwealth. 

The former minister for veterans affairs and human services has 

denied breaching the constitution, and dismissed questions about 

his eligibility as a "mute [sic] point". 

Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said Mr Robert has shown 

"dodginess" by mixing private interests with public duties. 

"He's got to fully explain what the contracts were. It's not just about 

the constitution," Mr Dreyfus told Sky News. 

88



Liberal defector Cory Bernardi, who now sits on the Senate 

crossbench, said "the honourable thing to do would be to leave the 

Parliament". 

"He's not in breach of the constitution now because he's been 

elected since then, but the principle of it - how could that be 

allowed to happen? Why has it been allowed to happen and why are 

people saying 'oh well, that's in the past. Let it go'?," Senator 

Bernardi said. 

Queensland Labor senator Murray Watt said Mr Robert "has got 

form with mixing his own private financial dealings with his officials 

roles". 

"With Stuart Robert, this is three strikes. He had to resign as a 

minister over a scandal, he's been giving speeches to Parliament 

written by lobbyists for developers. Surely, this is the third strike and 

he should be out and Malcolm Turnbull should get a better Member 

of Parliament for the Gold Coast," Senator Watt said. 

Mr Robert told Fairfax Media he had structured his corporate affairs 

in a way that "did not breach the requirements of section 44 of the 

constitution" but declined to provide evidence. ASIC records and 

parliamentary records show he was a director and shareholder of the 

company from 2002 to 2010. 

Source: 

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/three-strikes-cory-bernardi- 

and-labor-target-stuart-ROBERT-over-potential-constitutional-breach- 

20170905-gyauq3.html 

89



Stuart Robert called for billionaires to get a 

GST exemption for bringing $100 million 

super yachts to Australia - days after getting 

free tickets to a boat show in April 2018 

90



Stuart Robert called for billionaires to get a GST exemption for 

bringing $100 million super yachts to Australia 

Is he on another planet? 

Sacked Turnbull Government Minister Stuart Robert calls for 

billionaires to get a GST Exemption for bringing luxury super 

yachts to Australia - after getting free tickets to a Boat Show 

by Stephen Johnson for Daily Mail Australia on 31 May 2018 

• Gold Coast based Liberal MP Stuart Robert wants the GST 

scrapped on Super Yachts 

• Sacked Turnbull Government Minister said this would create 

a Charter Industry 

• He cited the $80 million Dragonfly owned by Google Co- 

Founder to make his case 

• Parliament Speech made an hour after female MP called for 

GST-free Tampons 

A sacked Turnbull Government minister called for billionaires to get 

a GST exemption for bringing $100 million super yachts to Australia 

days after getting free tickets to a boat show. 

Stuart Robert, a Gold Coast-based Liberal MP, made a passionate 

call in parliament for the 10 per cent tax to be scrapped on luxury 

cruiser charters - an hour after a female politician called for tampons 

to be GST free. 

'So why don't we apply a modicum of common sense and get rid of 

this ridiculous rule of 10 per cent GST on charter boats?,' he said. 

91



A former Turnbull Government minister called for billionaires to get a GST 

exemption for bringing super yachts to Australia after getting free tickets 

to a boat show (Dragonfly boat pictured) 

Mr Robert, who was sacked as a minister in February 2016, made his speech 10 

days after receiving two free tickets to the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show 

92



Stuart Robert, who was sacked as a minister in February 2016 for his 

links to Chinese businesses, made his speech to the House of 

Representatives only 10 days after receiving two free tickets to the 

Sanctuary Cove Boat Show in the exclusive millionaires' row gated 

suburb of Hope Island, which is home to former mining magnate 

Clive Palmer. 

However, he angrily denied being influenced by the free tickets 

when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. 

'Don't be stupid or I'll just hang up. Don't be an idiot. I've been 

pushing this issue for years,' he said by phone. 

'A 20-buck ticket to go to a Sanctuary Cove Boat Show that I've 

been to almost every year for 10 years, and I've opened many times, 

is completely irrelevant.' 

He declared his gift on the pecuniary interest register on May 21, as 

required by law. 

His call for the super yacht GST exemption was also made an hour 

after Labor backbencher Sharon Claydon moved a motion for 

tampons to be GST-free. 

'This is an unfair and discriminatory tax on women,' she said. 

'Tampons and pads are not luxury items but rather essential items.' 

Like other Liberal MPs, Stuart Robert is opposed to a GST 

exemption for women's period products. 

93



The backbencher member for Fadden, believed he could win support from 

the Labor Party to have the GST scrapped on super yachts 

The Turnbull Government is opposed to scrapping the GST on 

tampons, as the Labor Opposition and the Greens campaign to have 

the consumption tax exemption on fruit and vegetables extended to 

women's sanitary products. 

However Mr Robert, the backbench member for Fadden, believed he 

could win support from the Labor Party to give a Goods and 

Services Tax exemption to super yacht owners. 

'I also believe there is an opportunity - and I've been reaching out to 

the Labor Party on this - to deal with the issue of the 10 per cent 

impost of GST on any super yacht that comes to Australia and 

wishes to charter,' he said. 

'Right now, we face the farcical situation where there are no 

registered super yachts in Australia. These large boats come to 

Australia.' 

94



Stuart Robert, a Gold Coast-based Liberal National Party MP, 

made a passionate call in parliament for the 10 per cent tax 

to be scrapped on luxury cruiser charters 

Stuart Robert mentioned the nine-year-old Dragonfly super yacht, 

built in Western Australia, which is believed to be owned by Google 

co-founder Sergey Brin. 

'These large boats come to Australia. There is a market for charter, 

but the current law in this place says that if the $100 million 

Dragonfly, a boat built in Western Australia but owned offshore, 

comes here and someone wants to charter it, they first of all must 

pay 10 per cent of the price of the yacht,' he said. 

'The yacht owner must pay $10 million to the Commonwealth for 

the privilege of charter.' 

The 73-metre Dragonfly, worth about $80 million, is not even 

available for charter and was spotted in Sydney last year. 

95



Stuart Robert angrily denied being influenced by the Sanctuary Cove 

Boat Show tickets when contacted by Daily Mail Australia: 

'Don't be stupid or I'll just hang up. Don't be an idiot. I've been pushing 

this issue for years.' 

However, Mr Robert said a GST exemption could see a new boat 

charter industry on the Gold Coast. 

'Let us go forth and build a great boating industry, not just for the 

Gold Coast but for the entire country,' he said. 

Source: 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5790141/Gold-Coast-Liberal- 

MP-Stuart-Robert-wants-super-yacht-charter-tours-Australia-GSTfree.html 

96



Stuart Robert called for billionaires to get a GST exemption for 

bringing $100 million super yachts to Australia 

Stuart Robert Received Free Tickets To Sanctuary Cove Boat 

Show In April 2018 

By Belinda Jones | Independent Australia | 16 October 2018 

STUART ROBERT received free tickets to Sanctuary Cove Boat 

Show. 

Five days after attending the Boat Show, he advocates in Parliament 

for the removal of GST on "charter" yachts while denying support for 

calls to remove GST from feminine hygiene products 

Source: 

Stuart Robert's litany of transgressions by Belinda Jones 

https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politicsdisplay/stuart-ROBERTs-litany-of-transgressions,12001 

97



Expense records show Stuart Robert, the 

Member for Fadden, bought 210,000 items 

with Taxpayer money on June 12, 2018. 

Robert spent almost $17,000 of taxpayers' 

money on "personalised letterhead 

stationery". 

More than $20,000 was spent on books and 

$793,000 on flags. 

98



Stuart Robert bought 210,000 items with Taxpayer money on 

June 12, 2018 

Stuart Robert spent more than any other MP on personalised 

stationery in 2018 

Coalition MPs spent $15 million on printing and communications in 

the first half of 2018. 

Liberal politician Stuart Robert spent almost $17,000 of taxpayers' 

money on "personalised letterhead stationery" during the final 

weeks of the financial year, more than five times the typical spend 

for an MP. 

Expense records show the Member for Fadden bought 210,000 

items on June 12 — 10 weeks before he was named Assistant 

Treasurer. 

More than $20,000 was spent on books, much of it in June, and 

another $793,000 on flags 

One senator spent more than $20,000 on web services 

The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority referred the 

ABC's enquiry to the Department of Finance. 

Source: 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-05/mps-expense-claims-stuart- 

Robert-spent-most-on-stationery/10328066?nw=0 

99



Stuart Robert claimed a total of $62,814.52 

but only repaid $37,975 for his extraordinarily 

high internet bills from the taxpayer for his 

Gold Coast home 

100



Stuart Robert claimed a total of $62,814.52 but only repaid 

$37,975 for his extraordinarily high internet bills from the 

taxpayer for his Gold Coast home 

Liberal MP Stuart Robert to repay huge Home Internet Bills 

by Guardian Staff and AAP on 6 October 2018 

Assistant treasurer Stuart Robert concedes the thousands of dollars 

clocked up were higher than public expectations 

Stuart Robert says his taxpayer-funded internet bills will soon drop back to normal 

levels. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian 

The assistant treasurer, Stuart Robert, says he will pay back 

thousands of dollars of home internet bills, which he concedes were 

higher than public expectations. 

The Queensland MP came under scrutiny over his home internet 

costs, after it was revealed taxpayers were charged $2832 in just one 

month on his 4G broadband connection. 

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Robert said his “semi-rural” home in Nerang, near the Pacific 

Highway on the Gold Coast, was too far from the telephone 

exchange to get broadband, so he was forced to use a 4G wireless 

connection. 

He said his taxpayer-funded internet bills would soon drop back to 

normal levels. 

“I can confirm that the NBN is now being rolled out in my local area 

and I have a connection appointment booked in,” he said in a 

statement on Friday. 

“When installed, this will result in an immediate drop in costs to a 

level similar to other parliamentarians.” 

Parliamentary expense records in the three months to May show 

Robert spent more than $2000 a month on average for his Gold 

Coast residence. 

He has been charging taxpayers more than $1000 per month for 

data at his home since 2016. 

Robert told Fairfax Media he racked up a high bill in May because he 

used 300 gigabytes of data, so had to pay for extra after exceeding 

his 50GB limit. 

Optus currently offers unlimited 4G broadband for $90 a month, 

while Exetel offers 250GB a month for just $70. 

It’s understood the national broadband network will not be rolled 

out in some parts of Nerang until the first quarter of 2019. 

“I’ve asked the special minister of state to report back to me,” the 

prime minister, Scott Morrison, told reporters in Tasmania on Friday. 

“Once I’ve heard from the special minister of state, then we’ll take 

the next step. 

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“I think [voters would] want an explanation and that’s why I’ve asked 

for one.” 

Robert has a master’s degree in information technology and was the 

chief executive of GMT Recruitment, an IT recruiter, before he 

entered parliament in 2007. 

He was dumped from the Coalition ministry by Malcolm Turnbull in 

2016 after a scandal over a “private” trip to Beijing when he 

attended an event to celebrate a deal involving an Australian mining 

company headed by a Liberal party donor. 

Morrison appointed Stuart Robert Assistant Treasurer in his August 

reshuffle after replacing Turnbull as Prime Minister. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/06/liberal-mpstuart-ROBERT-to-repay-huge-home-internet-bills 

\ 

His taxpayer-funded home internet bill in May alone 

cost $91.34 a day or $639.44 a week 

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The 43-year-old Liberal minister from Queensland has been 

charging taxpayers $91 a day to connect his luxury 

Nerang home on the Gold Coast to the internet 

Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert , who is on a $326,025 salary, 

charged taxpayers $2,832 for his May home internet connection 

Source: 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6243433/Minister-repaythousands-taxpayer-dollars-used-internet-bill.html 

104



Stuart Robert claimed a total of $62,814.52 but only repaid 

$37,975 for his extraordinarily high internet bills from the 

taxpayer for his Gold Coast home 

Stuart Robert repays nearly $38,000 for home internet bills 

by Australian Associated Press for The Guardian on 12 October 2018 

The assistant treasurer Stuart Robert says he has repaid the almost 

$38,000 he accumulated in taxpayer-funded home internet bills. 

The federal government sent Robert a bill after it was revealed he 

had charged taxpayers more than $1,000 a month for data at his 

Gold Coast home since 2016. 

Special minister of state Alex Hawke said he had been advised 

the finance department signed off on Robert’s internet 

connection. 

“Due to the location of his residence, Mr Robert was only able to 

access mobile broadband services with limited monthly download 

capabilities,” Hawke said in a statement on Friday. 

Despite the plan being approved, the high excess data charges had 

“understandably caused concern”, Hawke said. 

Robert wrote on Twitter on Friday, after his colleague issued a media 

release, that he had paid $37,975, which reflected excess usage 

charges beyond those covered under the plan. 

The minister intends to hook up the NBN when it is available in his 

area. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/12/stuartrobert-repays-nearly-38000-for-home-internet-bills 

105



106



The mystery of Stuart Robert’s unusually high 

Office Rental Payments 

1/110 Brisbane Rd, Labrador QLD 4215 

107



The mystery of Stuart Robert’s unusually high 

Office Rental Payments 

Stuart Robert’s Office Rental Mystery 

by Asher Moses | Government | Michael West Media 

on October 28, 2018 

Then there is the mystery of Robert’s unusually high rental 

payments. Robert expensed $59,590.75 for office facilities in the 

April to June quarter this year, a steep rise on the previous four 

quarters which each had office facilities expenses well under 

$30,000. 

According to planning documents, Robert’s office is 467 square 

metres. Another unit leased in the same complex was advertised for 

just under $285 per square metre plus GST & outgoings, which 

makes the market rate for Robert’s office an estimated $12,000 a 

month plus outgoings. 

Robert also spent almost $17,000 of taxpayer money on 

“personalised letterhead stationery” during the final weeks of the 

financial year, which the ABC reported was more than five times the 

typical spend for an MP. 

The Department of Finance, which oversees expenses, refused to 

comment on whether it would be investigating Robert’s expenses or 

if it had approved the large increase in office facilities cost. 

Source: 

https://www.michaelwest.com.au/close-to-the-wind-the-trials-of-liberalmoney-man-stuart-robert/ 

108



STUART ROBERT'S 

LITANY OF TRANSGRESSIONS 

109



Stuart Robert's Litany of Transgressions 

by Belinda Jones for Independent Australia on 16 October 2018 

STUART ROBERT still owes money to Australian taxpayers as well as 

an apology and an explanation as to why he should still hold 

office. Belinda Jones investigates. 

On 12 October, embattled Assistant Treasurer Stuart 

Robert tweeted that he had ‘repaid’ $37,975 that he had previously 

claimed as ‘residential internet expenses’. 

No apology. No contrition. Just a very matter-of-fact tweet with an 

air of finality about it. Problem solved. Nothing to see here. 

The previous Friday 5 October, Robert’s excessive claims for his 

home internet costs were exposed. Robert had only recently been 

resurrected to the Government front bench after being relegated to 

political purgatory by former PM Turnbull for a previous 

transgression — breaking the Ministerial code of conduct. 

Morrison and Robert not only shared a house in Canberra when 

Parliament is sitting, but they are close friends who also share the 

Pentecostal faith. 

Gold Coast locals are probably more familiar with Member for 

Fadden Stuart Robert than most other Australians. 

Robert, who somehow holds a master’s degree in information 

technology, is well-known around these parts for being a longserving 

local member with a very chequered past, that seems to be 

ignored every time he’s up for re-election. Though, it is getting more 

and more difficult for the voters of Fadden to overlook his still 

mounting indiscretions. 

110



It’s important to note that the safe Coalition Electoral Division of 

Fadden encompasses some of Queensland’s wealthiest suburbs, 

such as Sanctuary Cove, Hope Island and Sovereign Island, where 

most homes have million dollar super-yachts moored at the end of 

their private jetties. Robert, who actually lives in the electorate of 

Wright, is also well-known among locals for his ability to attract 

wealthy donors to his Liberal-National Party campaigns. 

While Robert was saying all this, he was claiming extraordinarily high 

internet bills from the taxpayer for his Gold Coast home. 

Robert claimed that he had "connectivity" issues despite his semirural 

home being located approximately 15km from the heart of 

Surfers Paradise. 

Robert’s neighbours report being "stunned" by the amount of data 

usage at their neighbour’s home. 

Robert’s residential expenses claims from 11 December 2008 to 

30 June 2018 have been calculated by IA below. (He did not claim 

any internet expenses prior to December 2008.) 

Robert claimed a total of $62,814.52 for his residential internet costs 

during this time. While these costs were consistently high, there was 

a noticeable and significant spike in Robert’s residential internet 

expenses in 2016. This spike prompted speculation about the reason 

for his high residential internet costs when reported in mainstream 

media earlier this month. 

Around the same time, coincidentally, the church where 

Stuart Robert and his family worship, METRO Pentecostal 

Church on the Gold Coast, launched their Christian TV streaming 

service. 

111



Robert’s wife, Chantelle, is the People’s Pastor at this church; 

Chantelle and Robert advertised in 2019 that they were hosting 

a trip to Israel at the cost of $5,600 per person. 

112



Stuart Robert claimed $62,814.52 in total during that time for his 

Gold Coast home. 

If Robert is allowed an average of $400 per quarter or $1600 per 

annum, from January 2008 to Jun 2018, that makes a total of 

$16,800. 

This is also a generous figure considering no claims were made by 

Robert for internet costs in 2008 until December of that year: 

$24,839.52 - $16,800 = $8,039.52 

It appears Stuart Robert still owes the Australian taxpayer $8,039.52. 

And a notice to show cause as to why he should still hold the 

position of Assistant Treasurer in the Morrison Government given 

his veritable litany of transgressions. 

Source: 

https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/stuart- 

ROBERTs-litany-of-transgressions,12001 

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1051093223630757888.html 

113



Stuart Robert spotted baptising tourists in 

Israel when he was supposed to be sitting in 

parliament. 

Stuart Robert was holidaying in Israel with his 

wife Chantelle, leading a two-week ‘Treasures 

of Grace’ Tour on behalf of his Pentecostal 

church. 

His tour was promoted as a journey where 

people could 'walk in the footsteps of Jesus' at 

a cost $5,600 per person. 

114



Stuart Robert spotted baptising tourists in Israel when he was 

supposed to be sitting in parliament 

Stuart Robert is in the hot seat after being spotted baptising 

tourists in Israel 

Calls to sack Centrelink minister 

How many lives does the Centrelink minister have? 

by Leon Della for BoscaGm Publishing on December 11, 2019 

Morrison Government minister for Government Services Stuart Robert is 

being pressured to resign after footage was revealed showing him 

baptising tourists in Israel (pictured) 

Minister for government services Stuart Robert is in the hot seat 

after being spotted baptising tourists in Israel when he was 

supposed to be sitting in parliament. 

115



The federal minister was holidaying in Israel with his wife Chantelle, 

leading a two-week Treasures of Grace Tour on behalf of his 

Pentecostal church. 

His tour was promoted as a journey where people could 'walk in the 

footsteps of Jesus' at a cost $5600 per person, reported the Daily 

Mail. 

Mr Robert took personal leave from parliament to go on the 

journey. Parliament only sat for a total of 35 days this year. 

Photos of Mr Robert dunking a woman during a baptism ceremony 

in the Jordan River have brought on a flood of criticism and calls for 

his head. 

“This is a bloke who the taxpayer is paying … and instead of 

representing the Gold Coast, he’s overseas swimming with his 

mates,” a Labor MP told the Courier Mail. 

“Who does he think he is – the f**king Messiah?” 

A spokesperson for Mr Robert retaliated, saying he had approval for 

leave from parliament and that he’d paid for the family trip out of 

his own pocket. 

“People of faith have come to expect these sorts of attacks from 

Labor,” said the spokesperson. 

“The minister had approved leave and attended the trip with his 

family in a personal capacity and at his own expense as a volunteer 

with his local church.” 

The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) also defended Mr Robert. 

“Were this to be a MP on personal leave making a pilgrimage 

according to the tenets of other faiths, nobody would raise an 

eyebrow – they might even praise their piety,” ACL head Dan Flynn 

told the Daily Mail Australia. 

116



Mr Robert’s religion has landed him in hot water before. 

In March this year, taxpayers footed the bill for him to attend a 

Hillsong mega church conference with his wife. 

Taxpayers stumped up $2326 for his travel and accommodation, 

including $672 for wife Chantelle. 

The government claims he was asked to represent the government 

at the five-day Hillsong conference. 

Last year, he ripped off $2000 a month from taxpayers for his 

internet bills and was eventually forced to pay back almost $38,000. 

In 2016, then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull sacked Mr 

Robert for breaching ministerial rules during a secretive trip to 

China he made in 2014, after it was revealed Mr Robert had an 

indirect financial stake in the company he helped in Beijing. 

Mr Robert also currently oversees the government’s robo-debt 

scheme, which was last week found to be unlawful by the federal 

court. 

He has also gone on record as saying, “We will not apologise … for 

… [what] we are lawfully required to do.” 

One wonders if one is soon on the way. 

Do you think it’s right for an MP to take time off from the very 

limited time he or she is required to sit in parliament? Is the furore 

around Mr Robert warranted? 

Source: 

https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/government/centrelink/calls-forcentrelink-ministers-head 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7769987/Calls-Stuart-Robertresign-footage-emerges-showing-BAPTISING-tourists-Israel.html 

117



Stuart Robert is quite the Teflon Man, 

sailing from one scandal to the next 

118



Stuart Robert is quite the Teflon Man, sailing from one scandal 

to the next 

Close to the Wind: The trials of Liberal money-man Stuart Robert 

by Asher Moses | Government | Michael West Media 


Stuart Robert / Source : StuartROBERT.com 

Stuart Robert is one of the government’s top money-men. The 

Liberal Party looks after him as he is a gun fund-raiser who bankrolls 

campaigns in marginal seats. 

He is also quite the Teflon Man, sailing from one scandal to the next: 

Rolex watches from the Chinese, outrageous home internet bills and 

unusually high office rents; water off a duck’s back. 

Asher Moses reveals new documents which show ambiguous 

evidence to a Queensland corruption commission. 

119



Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert is a former Australian Army officer 

and internet entrepreneur, but it is his career in politics which has 

earned him a reputation as a Teflon man. 

Having quit the front bench in 2016, after an internal investigation 

found he had shares in a trust linked to the mining company of a 

Liberal donor, Stuart Robert has proven a political Lazarus, 

resurrected to the ministry to take stewardship of the corporate 

regulator, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission, 

despite his other business interests being investigated by ASIC. 

There was the Rolex watch scandal and lately the controversy over 

his high parliamentary expenses. 

Perhaps the most interesting revelation however is Stuart Robert’s 

sworn testimony to a Queensland corruption inquiry OPERATION 

BELCARRA last year, an inquiry which was examining claims of 

misconduct in the Gold Coast local government elections. 

New documents have come to light which cast doubt on the veracity 

of Robert’s testimony to the inquiry about the nature of his 

fundraising vehicle, the Fadden Forum, a vehicle which he used to 

bankroll two of his long-time staff – Kristyn Boulton and Felicity 

Stevenson – to run as independents for Gold Coast council elections. 

Robert is the LNP’s best fundraiser in Queensland. He is a valuable 

money-man for the Liberal Party. One MP said the Fadden Forum 

was Stuart Robert’s main source of power in the party. He is also a 

roommate of Prime Minister and fellow Pentacostalist Scott 

Morrison. Robert was a key supporter and numbers man for 

Morrison in the recent leadership spill. 

Fundraising forums such as Fadden are often run by MPs in wellheeled 

seats such as that of Stuart Robert, according to Graeme Orr, 

Professor in the law of politics at UQ. 

120



“Sometimes these are off-Broadway, with limited party oversight. If 

the MP’s seat is safe, they don’t need the money for their own 

campaign. But they can use it to wield influence within the party, by 

supporting factional mates to gain pre-selection or election,” says 

Graeme Orr. 

Enter property developer Sunland, which at the time of the 2016 

Gold Coast Council elections was attempting to get council approval 

for its Mariner’s Cove development, a project which lobbied to place 

twin 44-storey towers in a three-storey zone. 

Knocking back the application for Mariner’s Cove would be like 

rejecting the Sydney Opera House, lamented Sunland’s founder 

Soheil Abedian. 

Sunland’s Mariners Cove project 

Robert, who attended the launch of the controversial development, 

also wrote to Gold Coast City Council urging them to support it, 

even though it was outside his electorate. Sunland is a generous 

Liberal Party donor. 

His political rivals accused Robert and the LNP of trying to secretly 

stack the Gold Coast council with pro-development candidates. 

121



Robert said in his sworn testimony to the Queensland Crime and 

Corruption Commission (CCC), Operation Belcarra, last year that he 

organised for his fundraising vehicle Fadden Forum to donate 

$30,000 each to the campaigns of Councillor Boulton, who was 

elected, and Stevenson, who was not. 

The chief lobbyist for Sunland, Simone Holzapfel, donated $114,000 

to the Fadden Forum in 12 separate payments in 2013, at a time 

when she reportedly owed more than $430,000. 

The furtive financing did not go entirely unnoticed however. Labor 

senator Jenny McAllister raised concerns in a Senate Estimates 

hearing that there may have been a “deliberate attempt to conceal 

the nature of the donor”. 

Holzapfel, who’s firm Shac Communications helped Boulton and 

Stevenson with their campaigns, has repeatedly insisted the 

donations were personal donations from herself. There is no 

evidence to suggest otherwise. 

Robert has spoken in Parliament several times in support of Sunland, 

including one speech where more than half the words were written 

by Holzapfel, who had previously worked for former prime minister 

Tony Abbott. 

In the months after Robert delivered his speech, Sunland’s 

boss donated thousands of dollars to the Queensland LNP. In a 

public forum, where Robert was questioned about his support for 

the development in light of the large donations from Sunland’s 

lobbyist, he said the question was irrelevant because the federal 

government didn’t have any say in planning. 

122



Robert, whose seat of Fadden is on the Gold Coast, said he 

organised the donations to Councillor Boulton and Stevenson, which 

accounted for the majority of the pair’s campaign funding, to 

prevent Labor “getting a foothold” in his area, “which would make 

my job a lot harder”. 

“The Fadden Forum is the Liberal National Party,” Robert said in his 

testimony. “All funds are banked in the Liberal National Party. I have 

no control over them whatsoever.” 

He said in his testimony the Fadden Forum existed to raise funds for 

the broader Liberal National Party and this was made clear to all 

donors. 

Professor Orr said laws governing MP resources forbid incurring 

office expenses while soliciting financial support for MPs or their 

party 

“That’s made well clear to those that seek to donate; that it’s not 

only for my re-election but also for the re-election of those in the 

wider Liberal National Party fold.” 

This is where things get interesting. The Fadden Forum website was 

taken offline before Robert gave evidence to the CCC. However, 

archived versions of the website show it was online at least as late as 

April 2016, with a large red “Donate – Support Stuart Robert MP” 

button on the front page as well as an About page with multiple 

references to “Support Stuart Robert MP” and text stating it was for 

LNP’s “Fadden election campaigns”. 

An analysis of the archived snapshots of the Fadden Forum website 

shows that it appears to have been tweaked between November 

2014 and August 2015 to add a “Proudly Supporting Hon Stuart 

Robert MP” button on the front page which is in addition to the big 

red donation button. 

123



The Fadden Forum website does not mention that funds would be 

used to support other candidates; and it leaves the distinct 

impression the donations are for Robert’s campaign only. 

Robert told the CCC the way the Fadden Forum raised funds from 

donors was via a membership fee (“generally $1000 a month”), and 

that the membership application made it plain the fundraising was 

for the broader LNP. 

He said Boulton and Stevenson, who did not disclose their Liberal 

links until after the poll, were not involved in the fundraising or 

handling of membership applications despite their long tenure in his 

small office. 

However, it can now be revealed that a “2009-10” Fadden Forum 

membership form offered three tiers of membership – Individual 

Member ($300), Corporate Membership ($1500) and Business 

Sponsor ($7500) – with cheques to be made out to the “Fadden 

Campaign Account” – and payments forwarded to what was at the 

time Robert’s electorate office address: 5 Cottonwood Place, 

Oxenford, QLD (the Fadden Forum website’s registration details still 

include this address as well as Robert’s parliamentary email address). 

124



125



Professor Orr said laws governing MP resources forbid incurring 

office expenses while soliciting financial support for MPs or their 

party. He said MPs are held personally accountable to see that 

public resources are used properly and may be required to repay 

improper spending plus a 25 per cent loading/penalty. 

Nowhere in the many archived versions of the website researched 

for this story, or the membership form, does the Fadden Forum 

make clear that the donations are to be used more broadly for LNP 

purposes. 

“We’ve renamed it The Forum now … because we do so much more 

fundraising outside of the electorate,” Robert told the CCC. “The 

Fadden Forum is a reasonably large fundraising house and it 

fundraises right across the country.” 

In ticket pre-sale offer for a $550-a-head Fadden Forum fundraising 

dinner, which was mailed out to Jubilee Primary School, “Fadden 

Forum Advertising Sponsors” logos were featured including 

Sportsbet and Virgin Australia. 

ROBERT told the CCC he did not speak to Cr Boulton and Stevenson 

during the campaigns but social media postings reveal he was 

involved with launching Cr Boulton’s campaign. Robert said he 

earlier told the pair he was going to seek funding for their 

campaigns from the Fadden Forum and that they would have known 

what the Fadden Forum’s business was. 

Robert directly contradicted testimony from Boulton who claimed 

she didn’t know her successful election campaign was funded by the 

LNP. According to Robert’s testimony, Boulton knew the Fadden 

Forum PO Box address off the top of her head. 

126



While the CCC’s jurisdiction is limited to state matters it has strong 

powers and takes the quality of evidence at its hearings very 

seriously. One person who gave evidence at the same inquiry, 

Operation Belcarra, was charged with perjury. 

“Individuals who knowingly give false testimony at a Crime and 

Corruption Commission (CCC) hearing in relation to a matter that is 

material to the hearing can potentially face a charge of perjury, an 

offence outlined in section 123 of the Queensland Criminal Code,” a 

CCC spokesman said. 

EXPENSE CLAIMS DON’T ADD UP 

Robert announced earlier this month that he was 

immediately paying back almost $38,000 in internet charges he had 

billed the taxpayer, which appears to have ended an 

investigation into the internet fees by Special Minister of State Alex 

Hawke, who would not comment on whether the cause of the excess 

internet charges were examined. 

Robert spent $239,493.27 on “printing and communications” 

expenses between July 2017 – June 2018; of that, $71,318.15 was 

classified “e-material”. E-material includes things like website costs, 

digital advertising and content production, like this flashy Facebook 

video of Robert promoting a seniors expo, complete with drone 

footage, graphics and cutaways. 

Even when he was a backbencher in the October to December 2017 

quarter, Robert’s printing and communications expenses were 

$107,848.99, more than any other MP including the prime minister. 

These printing costs are also unusually high for someone in a safe 

seat. 

127



One current Labor MP who spoke on condition of anonymity said 

the high e-material expense appears to be due to Robert hiring 

photographers and video producers for his social media profiles, 

with a continuous stream of content such as the aforementioned 

drone video, an interview with former foreign minister Julie 

Bishop and a video of tiger cubs at Dreamworld. 

Alex Hawke 

“He clearly spends a bomb on Facebook advertising – his reach is 

bizarrely high,” the Labor MP said. 

It is unclear why the overall printing expenses are so high, however, 

recent investigations have shown Liberal politicians giving large 

printing contracts to firms owned by major donors.. One of 

those caught in the crosshairs is Hawke, who was nonetheless 

tasked with investigating Robert’s internet bills. 

OFFICE RENTAL MYSTERY 

Then there is the mystery of Robert’s unusually high rental 

payments. Robert expensed $59,590.75 for office facilities in the 

April to June quarter this year, a steep rise on the previous four 

quarters which each had office facilities expenses well under 

$30,000. 

128



According to planning documents, Robert’s office is 467 square 

metres. Another unit leased in the same complex was advertised for 

just under $285 per square metre plus GST & outgoings, which 

makes the market rate for Robert’s office an estimated $12,000 a 

month plus outgoings. 

Robert also spent almost $17,000 of taxpayer money on 

“personalised letterhead stationery” during the final weeks of the 

financial year, which the ABC reported was more than five times the 

typical spend for an MP. 

The Department of Finance, which oversees expenses, refused to 

comment on whether it would be investigating Robert’s expenses or 

if it had approved the large increase in office facilities cost. 

CORPORATE REGULATOR INVESTIGATION 

ASIC told a parliamentary committee in September last year it was 

investigating Robert’s business interests after revelations Robert had 

only offloaded shares in his IT services business, GMT, in 2010, three 

years after being elected to Parliament. 

The company won more than $37 million in government contracts 

between 2007 and December 2011 from more than 45 government 

agencies, Fairfax Media reported. 

Robert transferred his business interests prior to the 2010 election 

into the names of his elderly parents; his father told Fairfax 

Media this was done without his knowledge. Robert International 

Ltd owned shares in GMT until the end of 2011, despite claims from 

Robert he had “ceased involvement” with GMT before the 2010 

election. 

129



ASIC made initial inquiries but did not proceed to a formal 

investigation, telling a parliamentary inquiry in October last year 

there was not “sufficient evidence” Robert made his parents 

directors without their knowledge due to questions over the 

“competence” of Robert’s parents’ recollections owing to “health 

issues”. 

“The lodgements occurred in 2010, so there’s a statute issue in 

terms of limitations around that,” said ASIC’s senior executive leader 

for assessment and intelligence, Warren Day. “Stuart Robert 

removed himself from a whole range of directorships at those times. 

Another person was appointed.” 

Robert, who confused debt and deficit in a live TV interview in 

September, now has oversight of ASIC as part of his treasury 

portfolio. 

CONCERN OVER OTHER BUSINESS LINKS 

Robert quit the Turnbull ministry in 2016 after it emerged that he 

attended a signing ceremony in China for a deal between a Chinese 

business and Nimrod Resources, a company to which he and the 

Liberal Party were financially linked. Robert had claimed he travelled 

in a personal capacity, which contradicted advice from the 

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that Chinese officials 

believed they were meeting Robert in an official capacity. 

The executive chairman of Nimrod Resources, Paul Marks, who had 

donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Liberal Party, was 

reportedly present at a 2013 function held by Robert with a Chinese 

billionaire Li Ruipeng, who handed out $250,000 in mainly Rolex 

watches to MPs in attendance including Robert, Tony Abbott and 

130



Ian Macfarlane (he also gave a $23,000 Cartier watch to a 

Queensland state government minister). 

The watches, which Robert claimed he thought were fake, were 

subsequently returned. 

Earlier this month, The West Australian reported that Robert was 

only removed as a director of alternative health business Cryo 

Australia following queries from the newspaper, after Robert had 

told parliament he had already sold his shares. ASIC said last week it 

would be making inquiries into the matter. 

Former Federal Parliamentary speaker, Peter Slipper, who faced legal 

action over his expense claims, said he believed Robert was being 

protected from the legal process. 

Robert’s wife Chantelle is a pastor at the Metro Church on the Gold 

Coast and the church’s website advertises Stuart and Chantelle as 

hosts of a $5600 per person trip to Israel scheduled for next year. 

The church is also affiliated with the training organisation Metro 

International Leadership College. Robert claims on the pecuniary 

interests register to have no other substantial sources of income. 

In his first speech to Parliament following his election in 2007, 

Robert spoke of his desire to “ensure that this place governed for all 

Australia and not just for sectional interests”. 

There is no suggestion that any of the people named in this article 

broke the law or committed any wrongdoing. Robert, Morrison and 

Hawke declined to comment in response to a series of detailed 

questions. 

A recent update to his Pecuniary Interests Register shows Stuart 

Robert has begun the process of putting all his investments into a 

blind trust. 

131



Source: 

https://www.michaelwest.com.au/close-to-the-wind-the-trials-of-liberalmoney-man-stuart-ROBERT/ 

132



ROBODEBT SCAM 

2017 to 2020 

Extorting money from the needy 

Stuart Robert told Laura Tingle, proudly: 

“The Department has recovered $1.9 billion in 

overpayment and we have a legal 

responsibility to do that.” 

… The letters demand documented proof from 

the recipients going back as far as ten years. 

And in many cases, these debts have been 

found to be false. 

133



ROBODEBT SCAM from 2017 to 2020 


ROBODEBT SCAM – 2017 to 2020 

The official name is the Online Compliance Intervention. 

It's a newly automated debt recovery system that the Federal 

Government hopes will recover $4.5 million in welfare debt every 

day. 

Alan Tudge, Scott Morrison (Treasurer), Stuart Robert and Christian 

Porter - Centrelink were issuing automated debts that had not been 

incurred by the individuals concerned. 

The federal government has privately admitted it will be forced to 

refund more than 400,000 welfare debts worth about $550 million 

that were wrongly issued to hundreds of thousands of Australians 

under the botched ROBODEBT scheme. The government expects to 

lose an upcoming class action against the income compliance 

program and intends to settle. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/27/ROBODEBTgovernment-admits-it-will-be-forced-to-refund-550m-under-botchedscheme 

134



Artist impression of how 

LNP consider themselves as they will not apologise 

People who criticise Centrelink's debt recovery could have 

personal information released to 'correct the record' 

by Political Reporter Henry Belot for ABC News on 27 February 2017 

Blogger Andie Fox wrote an opinion piece for Fairfax Media early in 

February claiming Centrelink had "terrorised" her over a debt she 

claimed she did not owe. 

A few weeks later, her personal details were supplied to a journalist 

who wrote a comment piece from the Government's perspective, 

raising the prospect that Centrelink had been "unfairly castigated". 

Department secretary Kathryn Campbell said releasing personal 

information was necessary to ensure public confidence in the 

automated debt recovery system. 

Source: 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-27/dhs-warns-to-disclosecentrelink-recipients-history/8307958 

135





Half a million Australians to receive refunds over Centrelink 

ROBODEBT scandal 

Stuart 'ROBODEBT' Robert and unfunded empathy 

by Michelle Pini | Independent Australia on 1 August 2019 

Cartoon by Mark David / @MDavidCartoons 

The Minister responsible for Centrelink's shambolic ROBODEBT 

recovery system, Stuart Robert, thinks it is working well, despite 

at least a 20 per cent inaccuracy rate, writes executive 

editor Michelle Pini. 

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IT'S INTERESTING that Minister for the NDIS and Government 

Services Stuart Robert – who was stripped of his portfolio for 

ministerial misconduct and later promoted, only to rort taxpayers 

again – has been given senior oversight for the payment of 

Government funds to those most in need. 

It is interesting and also mind-boggling that someone who 

managed to take taxpayer funds under false pretences but was still 

given the benefit of the doubt, has no issue with a system to claw 

back money from others while pronouncing them guilty until proven 

innocent. 

I SCAM DEAD PEOPLE 

Robert recently apologised for his Department trying to take $7,000 

from a dead person (in one known instance). But instead of 

acknowledging there may be problems with Centrelink’s debt 

recovery system, he said only that he understood why people might 

be angry about receiving possibly fictitious debts. 

He then offered the following sage advice: 

“I certainly understand that and I always encourage people, if in 

doubt, contact the Department.” 

Robert made this statement without any hint of irony, despite the 

obvious inability of privately outsourced call centres under his 

control to handle the volume of such enquiries. In the 2018 financial 

year alone, 46 million calls went unanswered and a further 

5.3 million calls were abandoned due to absurd waiting times. 

But we digress. Back to the issue of extorting money from the needy. 

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STRENGTHENING WELFARE 

According to Prime Minister Scott Morrison: 

“What we’re doing in the welfare system is strengthening it.” 

Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? “Strengthening” evokes thoughts of a 

benevolent government providing additional assistance to the 

needy. 

Except that the Coalition Government’s idea of “strengthening” the 

welfare system refers to the systematic targeting of vulnerable 

people to repay – what are often fake – debts. 

Approximately 500,000 Australian citizens have been sent 

automated letters of demand from Centrelink, alleging that debtors 

– including people with disabilities, carers, students, the aged and 

unemployed people – owe the Government, often vast, sums of 

money that must be repaid, including interest. 

Speaking with IA, former Victorian Chief Crown Prosecutor Gavin 

Silbert QC said: 

I am very troubled by the fact that honest, law-abiding citizens are 

receiving letters of demand, threatening legal action. They are letters 

threatening to recover alleged debts plus interest, to deduct the socalled 

debts directly from wages, and to stamp passports, 

preventing these citizens from leaving the country until the debts 

are repaid. 

… The letters demand documented proof from the recipients going 

back as far as ten years. And in many cases, these debts have been 

found to be false. 

When challenged, however, many debts (about 100,000 so far) have 

been either waived entirely or significantly reduced due to 

inaccuracies in the ”robot’s” calculations. 

138



When questioned in Parliament by Opposition Leader Anthony 

Albanese as to when the Government would admit that the 

ROBODEBT scheme had failed, Robert replied it was working well 

because, apparently, “80 per cent of debts issued were accurate.” 

Even if this is correct, a 20 per cent rate of inaccuracy is monstrous. 

The system is clearly not working properly. 

Robert then went on the attack: 

“Does the Leader of the Opposition seriously want the Government 

to wipe $1.121 billion from 408,000 debts because the member 

doesn’t believe in income compliance?” 

UNFUNDED EMPATHY 

This, of course, is an absurd over-simplification. There is a proper 

and humane method of recovering money owed to the Government. 

Robert himself reimbursed money owed only after a Senate Inquiry. 

There were no letters of demand, wages automatically deducted, or 

travel rights revoked. 

No doubt, approaching the issue of “income compliance” in a 

compassionate and efficient manner, where people are treated with 

respect and presumed innocent until proven guilty, is more of what 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison dismisses as “unfunded empathy”, 

though he was referring to the raising of Newstart at the time. 

Yet Stuart Robert still thinks the system is operating well. 

Stuart Robert told Lara Tingle, proudly: 

“The Department has recovered $1.9 billion in overpayment and 

we have a legal responsibility to do that.” 

139



However, Mr Silbert told IA: 

“Government departments are meant to be model litigants — what 

is happening here is bullying and it is fraudulent.” 

If this is an example of your administration’s policies working well, 

Mr ROBODEBT, we can only wonder what it might look like if one of 

them went wrong. 

Source: 

https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/stuart- 

ROBODEBT-Robert-and-unfundedempathy,12958#.XVDXQjoamYE.twitter 

140





The robodebt horror was all about boosting the budget. That's 

the brutal truth 

By Katharine Murphy, Political Editor for The Guardian 

on 30 November 2019 

Who in the Morrison government will own the consequences of this 

wretched, possibly unlawful, scheme? 

Who will own the consequences of this botch-up seems a quaint 

sort of question to ask in politics these days? It implies that people 

in public life remain accountable for things, despite the steady 

erosion in standards, despite the tendency of some in politics to 

manufacture their own facts when the truth gets uncomfortable. 

Just in case you’ve never grappled with robodebt before, if you’ve 

missed the litany of horror stories about systemic indignities visited 

on our fellow, often vulnerable, humans (and the case studies are 

truly horrible), at the simplest level the scheme works like this, in two 

parts: the government sends benefit recipients letters claiming 

there’s a discrepancy, which escalates to a debt; but a number of 

these alleged debts have been over-egged because of the incomeaveraging 

formula. 

The Australian Council of Social Service is one of many advocacy 

groups that has been trying to tell the government for yonks there 

are two fundamental flaws in the scheme: the income averaging, 

which inflates debts; and reversing the onus of proof, meaning 

people hit with debt notices have to prove their innocence rather 

than the commonwealth proving that money is owing. 

141



Just a bit more background about the system quickly before we 

move on (and this one is a mind-focusing statistic): ACOSS 

says before robodebt commenced, the government would typically 

investigate and pursue around 20,000 overpayments each year, but 

once the semi-automated scheme took effect, debt collection 

increased to 20,000 overpayments each week. 

My colleague Luke Henriques-Gomes revealed in August the 

government was actually looking to push forward with this system, 

targeting thousands of pensioners and other “sensitive” welfare 

recipients under a proposed expansion of the wretched scheme – an 

expansion that was needed to chase $2.1 billion in budget savings. 

In contemplation was chasing people aged 65 and over, people 

living in remote areas, people who were homeless, and people with 

disabilities. According to the documents Henriques-Gomes 

obtained, the department was chasing the money. It needed to carry 

out an additional 1.6m income reviews over the next three years to 

reach the promised savings from the scheme, including 350,000 

debt-recovery reviews among “sensitive” or vulnerable groups. 

The minister currently responsible for this debacle, Stuart Robert, 

has been arguing, Black Knight style, that the setbacks of the past 

fortnight are just a flesh wound, that only a “small cohort” is affected 

by what is obviously a colossal botch-up. 

But my colleague Paul Karp has reported that human services staff 

have been told that up to 600,000 of the 900,000 robodebts that 

have been issued used income averaging. 

The first thing to say is it’s an entirely uncontroversial principle for a 

government to pursue debts in cases of overpayment. We all need 

Australia’s welfare system to be fair, transparent, targeted and 

fiscally sustainable. 

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But robodebt was hatched for a simple, clinical purpose: to return 

money to the budget at a time when the budget was firmly in 

the red. Viewed through the lens of the budget papers, robodebt 

was about supplying magic billions to the bottom line so the 

government wouldn’t have to cut spending or raise taxes in ways 

that might have cost it votes. 

Brutal, but true. Better to go after people you like to characterise as 

spongers on the public purse than people who might get angry 

enough with you to vote for someone else. 

With that heart-warming, life-affirming thought in mind, here’s my 

last observation. 

It is possible that a scheme that was meant to be a hollow log in 

budgetary terms, a vacuum cleaner for hoovering cash into the 

commonwealth coffers, could actually end up being a drain on the 

budget. 

Imagine that: a scheme hatched to be a money printing machine for 

the commonwealth winds up costing taxpayers. 

It’s hard to know whether that is ironic, or just unconscionable. 

I strongly suspect it’s the latter. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/30/the- 

robodebt-horror-was-all-about-boosting-the-budget-thats-the-brutal- 

truth 

143





Government was warned robodebt scheme was unlawful – but 

won't say when 

Luke Henriques-Gomes for The Guardian on 6 February 2020 

Emails between senior tax office officials reveal advice came on the 

same day the government announced it was overhauling the scheme 

The government services minister, Stuart Robert, has declined to reveal 

the legal advice the government received about whether the robodebt 

scheme was lawful. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP 

The government received legal advice that debts issued under the 

botched robodebt scheme were unlawful, confidential documents 

provided to a Senate committee have revealed. 

Emails between top tax office officials published on Thursday show 

that the agency was told by the Department of Social Services that 

debts based solely on the controversial “income averaging” method 

were “not lawful debts”. 

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The 19 November 2019 email, from the Australian Taxation Office’s 

general counsel, Jonathan Todd, to the ATO commissioner, Chris 

Jordan, was marked “Sensitive: Legal”, and was sent on the same day 

the Morrison government announced it was overhauling the 

scheme. 

“In further discussion with DSS, it appears that what you need to 

raise is: they have advised you that they have received legal advice 

that debts based solely upon DSS own income averaging of ATO 

annual tax data are not lawful debts (‘robodebts’),” the email stated. 

“They have also suspended the raising and recovery of robodebts as 

of today.” 

In the email, Todd told Jordan that “in view of that legal advice … 

it appears that ‘robodebts’ are not debts due to the 

commonwealth”. 

The email did not say when the government received the advice. On 

27 November, a federal court judgment was published revealing 

that the government had settled a court challenge brought by 

Victoria Legal Aid to a debt issued against a Melbourne woman. 

Legal Aid said the decision – which stated that the debt was “not 

validly made” – represented a rebuke to the legality of all debts 

raised under the process. 

The ATO was drawn into the saga because it was asked to garnishee 

tax refunds to recoup money over alleged debts, a practice 

that Guardian Australia revealed Services Australia was accelerating 

last year, and because alleged debts are partly identified using 

welfare recipients’ tax returns. 

Todd told Jordan he was “not in a position to garnish robodebts 

when served a notice under s 1233 of the Social Security Act, as the 

notice would not be in respect of a valid legal debt”. 

145



The government overhauled the program and is now reviewing 

hundreds of thousands of debts, but it has never publicly conceded 

that the entire scheme was unlawful. It is also facing a class action 

from Gordon Legal that has garnered nearly 10,000 interested 

parties. 

The email was one of six published by the Senate inquiry into the 

robodebt scheme following a request from senators to the ATO for 

correspondence discussing the government’s decision to overhaul 

the program. 

Labor’s government services spokesman, Bill Shorten, said the 

emails showed the government put the “emergency brakes on its 

pet scheme because it knows it is unlawful” while the inquiry chair, 

Greens senator Rachel Siewert, said the public deserved to know 

when it received the advice. 

“In junking the scheme, [the minister] Stuart Robert referred to the 

changes as a ‘refinement’,” Shorten said. 

“Since the government maintains it has done nothing wrong then it 

should have nothing to fear from openly revealing what it knew 

about robodebt’s legality and when.” 

Siewert said: “This is a fundamental question and with the 

government making a claim of public interest immunity over the 

release of legal advice it is clear that they don’t want Australia to 

know.” 

The government services minister, Stuart Robert, declined to address 

the legality of the scheme during Question Time on Thursday, 

reiterating his claim that the overhaul represented “refinements” to 

make the program more “robust”. 

146



Robert said his department, Services Australia, was “carefully and 

methodically working to identify those customers whose debts may 

have been calculated using [averaged] income data. 

“It’s not appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of this process and 

we’ll advise the House in the future when that process comes to its 

conclusion,” he said. 

Guardian Australia revealed on Wednesday that Robert, the 

government services minister, had declined to provide the 

committee with any legal advice the government had about the 

scheme, citing a precedent set by past Coalition and Labor 

governments. 

In a less common move, he also declined to state when any advice 

might have been received, noting that the government was still 

defending the class action. 

Since 2017, the government had defended the robodebt scheme as 

a legitimate method of recouping money owed by welfare 

recipients, despite a string of cases in which inaccurate debts were 

issued. 

Until November, it had sought to improve the scheme, but stood by 

its general premise. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/06/governmentwarned-robodebt-scheme-unlawful-but-wont-say-when 

147





ROBODEBT removed humans from Human Services, and the 

Government is facing the consequences 

by National Affairs Correspondent Greg Jennett for ABC News 

on 30 May 2020 

The problem with artificial intelligence is that it's artificial. 

The problem with the intelligence of humans is that it's limited, 

variable and compromised by judgement and values. 

Put both together and you get a good understanding of how and 

why the Federal Government muddled its way into, and out of, the 

expensive, stressful "ROBODEBT" debacle. 

A computer algorithm couldn't tell the difference between real and 

artificially calculated money "owed" in 470,000 cases. 

Humans, too driven by the desire for "integrity efficiency" and 

"budget repair", didn't stop to question strongly enough whether 

the automated means for gathering an estimated $2.1 billion could 

ever justify the agonising ends for welfare recipients. 

Scott Morrison was one of those who enthusiastically promoted 

"faster and more targeted interventions" through "streamlining 

existing compliance activities". 

As treasurer in 2016 and social services minister before then, Mr 

Morrison joined a long line of ministers, including Christian Porter, 

Alan Tudge and Stuart Robert, who believed in the promise of 

automated welfare debt recovery. 

148



They believed because they wanted the money it saved, not because 

they had satisfied themselves of the system's reliability. 

"A more targeted approach to managing people" is how the now 

Prime Minister had described it in mid-2016. 

The story of how the data-matching scheme was invented with vim 

by a coterie of high-powered bureaucrats and sold to starry-eyed 

ministers is fabled in Canberra. 

"Give our Department some extra money, and we'll get you an extra 

$2 billion" was the pitch. 

Never mind that in their zeal, the Human Services Department 

would actually remove humans entirely from the process of 

identifying alleged debts and mailing what amounted to letters of 

demand to more than 370,000 people. 

Nor had anyone evidently stopped to take rigorous legal advice on 

whether the brave new world of data-matched welfare recovery 

actually stood up to the laws of the land, which stand as the barrier 

between Government excess and the protection of the people. 

Although it's almost never released, we now know that subsequent 

legal advice to the Government warned its chances of defending 

numerous court actions would be close to zero. 

Viewed against such advice, the only surprise in Stuart 

Roberts' abject capitulation in a Gold Coast park late on a Friday 

afternoon is not that it came, but that it didn't come sooner. 

149



The scheme sent out debt notices without human oversight. (AAP) 

No apology either 

And the small matter of the outstanding $721 million in refunds? 

People will have to wait for months throughout the new financial 

year until it's fully paid out. 

Lawyers mounting a massive class action against the Government on 

behalf of those who felt wronged by the system — we may never 

know exactly how many were — are still mobilising, undeterred by 

the impending refunds. 

Publicly, they're in it for the compensation now. 

But every retreat the Government's made since late last year 

suggests this case is destined for negotiation in the settlement 

room, not in any courtroom, because the risks to the 

Commonwealth — and taxpayers — are immense if a judge ever 

gets to pick through the manifest failings of the income-averaging 

and data-matching scheme. 

150



The Guardian Australia has reported on "leaked advice prepared for 

ministers Stuart Robert, Anne Ruston and Christian Porter" calling 

for ROBODEBTs to be abandoned because the scheme was "no 

longer viable" or "cost effective" and would not rake in the money 

anticipated. 

Mr Robert's subsequent surrender suggests he has heeded that 

advice, as well as the legal advice that data methods used by the 

department would not stand up in court. 

20,000 letters a week were sent 

Not that it took Mr Robert to discover these flaws since he moved 

into the Government Services role — they'd been obvious from the 

outset. 

As early as 2017, the Senate had flushed out tell-tale statistics of a 

scheme that simultaneously failed to deliver the Government the 

money it had banked on, while inflicting grief on 200,000 people. 

An unknown portion of the cash handed back had come from 

people who may not have owed it, but paid anyway to avoid further 

harassment. 

Leap forward to 2020, under cover of the COVID-19 crisis, the backpedalling 

on ROBODEBT has been fast, furious and well-hidden from 

public scrutiny, as Australians might sadly come to expect these 

days with full-blown financial and administrative disasters (there've 

been a few of them). 

The general idea of data matching to identify welfare overpayments, 

known as the Income Compliance Program, remains a cornerstone 

of government policy. 

151



But with legal action afoot, 470,000 refunds coming and not so 

much as a "sorry" to those affected, the final reckoning on 

ROBODEBT's legacy is still outstanding. 

No computer will do it. 

A responsible human might have to. 

Source: 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-30/ROBODEBT-stuart-ROBERTscott-morrison/12303322 

152





Coalition won’t rule out passing new laws to reboot ROBODEBT 

scheme 

by Luke Henriques-Gomes for The Guardian on 2 June 2020 

The federal government will not rule out using new laws to allow a 

future reboot of the botched ROBODEBT scheme, an option 

Guardian Australia can reveal was explored in an opinion from its 

top lawyer last year. 

Guardian Australia can reveal the opinion from the solicitor general 

– referred to in a ministerial submission that has formed the basis 

for the government’s response to an ongoing class action – was 

received in September. 

It suggests the government was aware of serious legal doubts about 

the scheme two months prior to settling a federal court 

challenge and eight months before it announced it would refund 

460,000 unlawful debts, worth $720 million. 

A spokesman for Stuart Robert on Monday declined to discuss 

“privileged legal advice” and twice failed to rule out the use of 

legislation to legalise the averaging of tax office income data for 

future debt recovery. 

It is understood this option was discussed by ministers in March and 

last month, when the government finalised the announcement of 

470,000 refunds, but no decision has been made. 

In February, ministers were told of the possibility of using legislation 

in the context of defending the Gordon Legal class action. 

153



“This option was canvassed by the solicitor general in his opinion in 

September 2019 and could be modelled on taxation legislation,” the 

ministerial submission said. 

“Legislative change could be prospective or retrospective. However, 

a prospective legislative change may not affect past debts, so may 

have no impact on the [Gordon Legal] class action.” 

The opinion was also delivered well before a 19 November email 

provided to a Senate committee in which the Australian Tax Office 

confirmed it had been told by bureaucrats the scheme was unlawful. 

Prime Minister Morrison, who announced aspects of the 

ROBODEBT scheme in 2016 as treasurer, also argued the 

unlawfulness of using income averaging did not mean “those 

debts don’t exist”. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/02/coalitionwont-rule-out-passing-new-laws-to-reboot-ROBODEBTscheme?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other 

Stuart Robert, Scott Morrison and Christian Porter 

154





Stuart Robert claims credit for ROBODEBT change, despite 

ignoring problems 

by Josh Butler, Political Editor for The New Daily 

on November 17, 2020 

The government will pay a huge settlement over Centrelink's ROBODEBT program 

The minister overseeing the federal government’s unlawful 

‘ROBODEBT’ program claimed he “stood in and stopped it”, despite 

previously having rebuffed complaints. 

Government Services Minister Stuart Robert has been accused of 

“post-truth politics” after seeking to absolve the Coalition of 

responsibility for the unlawful scheme, which led to a mammoth 

$1.23 billion refund and compensation settlement. 

Mr Robert denied the Coalition was solely at fault in the incomematching 

debacle, claiming it was “a long standing practice” that 

had been used by Labor governments back to the 1980s. 

155



This is correct, but the framework was automated, with human 

beings taken out of it, under Coalition changes to the scheme in 

2016. 

Critics of ROBODEBT say this change meant less human discretion 

on debts, and put the onus on welfare recipients to prove they 

didn’t owe a money. 

The government suspended the ROBODEBT program late in 2019, 

after legal advice it could be unlawful. 

“This government stopped it and subsequent court cases have 

shown that we’re right to stop and say more proof points will now 

be used to ensure that debts are raised properly,” Mr Robert said on 

Sky News. 

“This is why we stopped the scheme in November last year, because 

we had concerns about the sufficiency of using this long-standing 

practice.” 

But in July 2019, even after three years of ferocious opposition to 

the program and questions about its possible illegality, the 

government had actually flagged plans to expand the datamatching 

program by adding Medicare to services it would cross 

reference. 

At the same time, Mr Robert defended the program, even as it 

emerged that one in five raised debts was later found to be 

incorrect. 

“I guess it’s a type of a mutual obligation, people need to keep their 

affairs or their income assessments up to date,” he said in July 2019. 

“If citizens just keep their income up to date, if there’s any questions 

contact the department, I think we can avoid many of these issues.” 

The minister tried to take credit for acting to suspend ROBODEBT. 

156



“I had only been in the portfolio for a few months before I stood in 

and stopped it. As soon as I came to the conclusion that I believed 

that there were issues with the sufficiency of how averaged data was 

being use from the ATO absolutely I stood in and stopped it,” Stuart 

Robert said. 

The day he said he took action, November 19, 2019, was nearly four 

whole months after he became Government Services Minister on 

July 29 of that year. 

Stuart Robert had previously been minister in the same portfolio 

between September 2015 and February 2016, before the ROBODEBT 

system was adopted. 

Labor’s shadow government services minister, Bill Shorten, accused 

Stuart Robert of “telling lies about ROBODEBT”. 

Asked several times by Sky host Laura Jayes if he apologised, Stuart 

Robert’s declined to actually say “sorry”, instead noting that “the 

Prime Minister has already apologised on behalf of the nation’s 

Parliament. And I certainly join him in that apology”. 

Stuart Robert is a close ally of Prime Minister Scott Morrison. 

“I would apologise for any hurt or harm in the way that the 

government has dealt with that issue and to anyone else who has 

found themselves in those situations,” Mr Morrison said in 

Parliament in June. 

“I would deeply regret any hardship that has been caused”. 

Mr Robert also rebuffed any suggestion that ROBODEBT had been 

linked to suicide. 

That is despite multiple families claiming loved ones had ended their 

lives amid the stress of being levied huge debts. 

“Suicide is a very difficult topic, and we need to handle it sensitively. 

157



So we reject the premise, the connectivity between suicide and 

ROBODEBT because it is complex, in terms of how we deal with 

those matters,” he said. 

After the Sky News interview, Jayes referred to British political 

comedy Yes Minister, describing Mr Robert’s responses as 

“breathtaking”. 

“Post truth politics,” she tweeted. 

Greens senator Rachel Siewert, who has railed against ROBODEBT 

for years, said the program had been linked to suicide. 

“This program has literally cost people’s lives, ruined many, many 

more and caused so much pain and anguish,” she said on Monday. 

“We still don’t know what the government knew and when, and they 

are still desperate to cover it up. Now the community needs to know 

how this all happened.” 

Senator Siewert and Mr Shorten have both called for a royal 

commission into the program. 

Mr Robert shrugged off those calls on Sky, saying there had been 

multiple parliamentary inquiries and legal cases. 

“We need a royal commission because it’s very clear that the 

government is going to continue to keep trying to hide what has 

happened,” Senator Siewert said. “A royal commission is the only 

way to get to the bottom of how this happened and make sure it 

doesn’t happen again.” 

Source: 

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/11/17/stuart-ROBERT- 

ROBODEBT-post-truth/ 

158





ROBODEBT victims ‘shattered’ over government payout of 

$300 each 

by Josh Butler, Political Editor for The New Daily 

on November 17, 2020 

Centrelink recipients are “fuming” over a government settlement for 

the unlawful ROBODEBT program, as those wrongly hounded for 

debts they didn’t owe find out they will only get $300 for their 

trouble. 

“That isn’t enough. It doesn’t make up for the torment,” one 

ROBODEBT victim, Nina, told The New Daily. 

“May as well give me a Woolies gift card and send me on my way.” 

On Monday, a landmark settlement was reached over the 

program, just as the case was due to begin in the Federal Court. 

Gordon Legal said the government would pay $112 million in 

compensation and legal costs to nearly 400,000 class action 

members. 

Government services minister Stuart Robert. Photo: AAP 

159



Government Services Minister Stuart Robert said the money was “for 

interest payments for money held” and represented about 

10 per cent of the total money refunded. 

ROBODEBT, the nickname for the government’s income compliance 

program, was ruled illegal by the Federal Court because it had 

little human oversight, with countless people handed debts for 

money they did not actually owe. 

The federal government suspended the program in February 2020. 

‘Shattered’ at settlement 

A previous settlement saw the government agree to refund $720 

million in debts already paid, and drop claims for $400 million still 

being chased. 

Mr Robert said Monday that $705.9 million had already been 

refunded to 405,814 recipients as of last week. 

All up, the full settlement represents more than $1.23 billion – but 

welfare recipients say they are upset at the $112 million settlement. 

Each person will get an “individualised calculation”, Gordon Legal 

said. 

On a simple averaging, the payment represents under $300 per 

participant. 

“I’m fuming,” Nina, from Perth, told TND. 

“That’s not compensation for the time I spent shaking telling a debt 

collector to send it back to Centrelink, getting upset by text 

messages and calls, especially the dreaded ‘you will be contacted by 

someone shortly’ one.” 

She asked for her surname not to be published, saying she had been 

left traumatised by the process. 

160



“It’s not compensation for the toll it took on my mental health,” Nina 

said. 

Gordon Legal partner Andrew Grech said some participants in the 

class action would not receive any of the settlement, after their 

debts were found to be not linked to data-matching. 

He said more than 380,000 people would share in the payment, in 

varying amounts based on amount of debt paid, how long ago they 

paid, and if any amount was still outstanding. 

Nicki, from Brisbane, who also asked her surname be withheld, said 

she was “shattered”. 

“I’m devastated that our pain and the crushing loneliness of the 

experience, and the impact it had on my family and others, was only 

worth that much,” she told TND. 

Nicki disputed the $12,000 debt she was handed in 2017, but 

eventually agreed to pay after becoming frustrated with the appeal 

process. 

TND is aware of many ROBODEBT recipients who felt forced to 

accept debts they disputed. 

Nicki paid back about $3500, before the system was ruled unlawful 

and her payments were refunded. 

“I stopped dreaming of owning anything big in the future, or taking 

holidays,” Nicki said. 

“I accepted we’d be broke for at least 10 years and I’d just have to 

find ways to hide it from my little girls so they didn’t know.” 

Mr Grech told TND the lead clients in the class action had accepted 

the settlement and were “happy with the outcome”. 

161



Labor’s shadow government services minister, Bill Shorten, repeated 

his previous calls for a Royal Commission into ROBODEBT. 

Activists unhappy with result 

The fight against ROBODEBT began with a grassroots campaign 

from online activists as early as 2015. 

A website called ‘Not My Debt’ collected stories of incorrect debts, 

uncovering a series of egregious errors and reports of mental 

distress caused by the program. 

Asher Wolf, one of the original campaigners, called the settlement a 

“letdown”. 

“It’s a tiny amount of money for what people had been through,” 

she told TND. 

Ms Wolf said she was upset that the case did not go through court, 

and that the settlement includes no admission of error from the 

government. 

The Not My Debt campaign commended the class action for 

achieving a settlement. However, organisers said they had hoped for 

a legal judgment on the system, and called for a Royal Commission. 

“No one has been held accountable,” campaigners complained in a 

statement, saying there were still “fundamental flaws” in the system. 

“Our hearts go out to the ROBODEBT victims who hoped for more 

from the class action process, and to all of the hundreds of 

thousands of Australians who have been and continue to be caught 

up in this cruel and illegal scheme.” 

The Australian Unemployed Workers Union called the settlement “an 

insult”. 

Source: https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/11/17/ROBODEBTvictims-shattered-payout/ 

162





Government dis-services 

- Stuart Robert is doing the PM’s dirty work 

by Paddy Manning for The Monthly on December 1, 2020 

Government Services Minister STUART ROBERT. Image via ABC News 

Government Services Minister Stuart Robert came under relentless 

pressure today over the illegal ROBODEBT scheme, with Labor MPs 

asking a string of hard questions after being gagged on the topic 

yesterday. 

Former Labor leader and now shadow government services minister 

Bill Shorten led much of the attack, asking Robert again about the 

tragic suicide of Jarrad Madgwick, whose mother, Kath, believes her 

son would still be alive if he had not received a ROBODEBT notice. 

163



Shorten asked why the government had not released data on 

ROBODEBT victims who had threatened self-harm, as Robert had 

promised yesterday. “Why won’t the minister admit the government 

received at least 14 official reports of ROBODEBT victims threatening 

self-harm?” he asked. “Is it because the number is even higher?” 

He was backed up by the member for Cunningham, Sharon Bird, 

who asked Robert why the government persisted with the scheme 

until the end of last year, even though the Administrative Appeals 

Tribunal first determined ROBODEBT was illegal in March 2017, and 

again on 75 subsequent occasions. 

Next came shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus, and then the 

Opposition leader, Anthony Albanese. Faced with a barrage of 

questions, 

Robert’s mantra in his replies was to repeat that suicide is complex 

but deny a causal connection to ROBODEBT notices. He said the 

Commonwealth did not accept any liability in last month’s 

$1.2 billion settlement with the 400,000 victims of the scheme, 

and repeatedly pointed out that the scheme’s income-averaging 

technique, which was found to be illegal, began under the Keating 

Labor government 26 years ago. 

It doesn’t wash. 

Robert said that Labor used exactly the same income-averaging 

process in good faith during the Rudd–Gillard–Rudd years from 

2007–13, and cited a June 2011 media release from Shorten, who 

was then the assistant treasurer, and Tanya Plibersek, then human 

services minster, claiming that a new ATO data-matching initiative 

was expected to claw back millions of dollars from welfare recipients 

who had debts with the Australian government. “Why can’t Labor 

accept that?” Robert asked rhetorically. 

164



But the ROBODEBT scheme is about much more than income 

averaging. It’s also a story of bungled automation, with the 

government reversing the onus of proof and putting it onto 

vulnerable people, then sooling private debt collectors onto them, 

and then defending the indefensible for years as the wheels came 

off, to the point where both taxpayers and the welfare system have 

lost out. 

Labor is right to pursue Robert over the scheme, even if he only 

proves to be the fall guy for the larger target: the prime minister. 

Albanese brought it all to a point in the motion he moved yesterday, 

which triggered the government gag. 

Albanese moved: “That the House: 

(1) notes that: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

(e) 

(f) 

as minister for social services, the prime minister was personally 

responsible for the design of the illegal ROBODEBT scheme; 

as treasurer, the prime minister continued his illegal ROBODEBT 

scheme, announcing it would save the budget $2 billion; 

after deposing Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister continued 

his ROBODEBT scheme for years despite knowing it was illegal; 

the prime minister announced his ROBODEBT scheme would 

save the budget $2 billion but it has in fact cost taxpayers at 

least $1.2 billion; 

the prime minister’s illegal ROBODEBT scheme harmed 

thousands of Australians and led to the suicide and self-harm 

of vulnerable people; and 

no one in this eight-year-old Liberal–National government is 

willing to take responsibility for the prime minister’s illegal 

ROBODEBT scheme; and 

165



(2) therefore, condemns the prime minister for designing and 

maintaining the illegal ROBODEBT scheme which led to the 

suicide and self-harm of vulnerable people. This was illegal, 

cruel and harmful and it came at a cost to the budget of some 

$1.2 billion.” 

Seconding Albanese’s damning motion, Shorten near-shouted at the 

government MPs: “This government broke the law, and you have 

blood on your hands!” Opposition business manager Tony Burke 

directly attacked Scott Morrison, who was attending via video from 

the Lodge. Burke had noticed Morrison texting – presumably to tell 

House leader Christian Porter to gag the Opposition – and 

commented, “Even when he’s not in the room he can’t cope with 

debate!” 

THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE? 

THAT THE OPPOSITION MEMBERS BE NO LONGER HEARD 

Source: 

https://www.themonthly.com.au/today/paddymanning/2020/01/2020/1606797994/government-dis-services 

166



STUART ROBERT … ‘WE PRAYED THAT 

RIGHTEOUSNESS WOULD EXALT THE NATION’ 

Niki Savva asked Robert if righteousness 

would manifest itself in the form of a 

Morrison victory? 

“Righteousness would mean the right person 

had won,” Stuart Robert replied. 

167



Stuart Robert … ‘We prayed that righteousness would exalt the 

Nation’ 

Liberal Leadership Change Again - 24 August 2018 

Malcolm Turnbull is no longer the Prime Minister, after a leadership 

challenge that became uglier by the minute over the space of four 

days. 

Scott Morrison becomes prime minister 

Scott Morrison became Australian's 30th prime minister when the 

Liberal Party voted him in as leader after a very public and 

acrimonious leadership spill. 

The 50-year-old came into the job after the conservative wing of the 

party grew frustrated with Malcolm Turnbull's inability to pass his 

signature energy and tax-cut policies. The resulting spill saw Mr 

Morrison beat Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton in a party room 

vote for leadership. 

Alex Hawke was a central player in Scott Morrison's rise to prime 

minister. He was seen as part of Morrison's inner circle along 

with Steve Irons and Stuart Robert. Alex Hawke was seen as the 

tactical leader of the effort to unseat Turnbull. 

After the first unsuccessful ballot, where people were discussing the 

disorganization of the Dutton challenge, Hawke began mobilising 

the numbers that he had on behalf of Morrison. By the time the 

second challenge came on 24 August 2018, Hawke had secured the 

numbers and the prime ministership for Morrison. 

There were also claims that Hawke had inside information coming 

from Bert van Manen, one of the deputy whips, who was also part of 

Morrison's bible study group. 

168



Robert was subsequently rewarded with a promotion in the ministry. 

Federal Liberal MPs Steve Irons, Scott Morrison and Stuart Robert. 

Steve Irons/Facebook 

Source: 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-23/liberal-leadership-crisistimeline/10155746 

https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2019/06/29/scottmorrisons-inner-circle/15617304008359 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Hawke 

169




Nation’ 

Morrison became prime minister, he told his receptionist, Mel, to 

text his family and ask them to pray for him. 

Before he left office, he prayed with his colleague and friend Stuart 

Robert. 

Savva asked Stuart Robert to tell her how they passed that time 

alone. 

“We prayed that would righteousness exalt the nation,” Stuart 

Robert said. 

Savva asked Robert if righteousness would manifest itself in the 

form of a Morrison victory? 

“Righteousness would mean the right person had won,” Stuart 

Robert replied. 

Source: Katharine Murphy 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jul/01/duttonskeystone-cops-and-morrisons-prayer-five-key-moments-from-nikisavvas-book 

170




Nation’ 

The overthrow of Malcolm Turnbull 

By Alex Mitchell For Come The Revolution On August 30, 2018 

Liberal MPs overthrow Malcolm Turnbull and replace him with a 

lightweight Happy-Clappy 

In 36 consecutive opinion polls, Malcolm Turnbull was preferred 

Prime Minister over Labor’s Bill Shorten. In mid-July, for example, 

Turnbull extended his lead over Shorten to 19%; Turnbull was 48% 

with Shorten dropping 2% to 29%. 

At the same time, Labor continued to lead the Federal Coalition on a 

two-party preferred basis by 51 to 49. 

What was blindingly obvious to everyone (except Liberal MPs 

apparently) was that Turnbull was a goer but the Liberal Party 

wasn’t. 

So, being Liberals, what did they do? They sacked Turnbull, their 

best electoral asset by a country mile, and replaced him with the 

cannon-ball-headed lightweight, Scott Morrison. 

Morrison’s elevation to the Prime Ministership was an accident. 

171



The job was supposed to go to Constable Peter Dutton, aka “Mr 

Potato Head”, but the geniuses in the extreme conservative camp, 

i.e. Tony Abbott, Eric Abetz, Kevin Andrews, Craig Kelly, “Field 

Marshal” Jim Molan, “General” Andrew Hastie, Concetta Fierravanti- 

Wells, Michaelia Cash, Amanda Stoker and Dutton himself, got their 

sums hopelessly wrong and Morrison carried the day in a split party 

room vote: 45 votes to 40. 

A “form of madness”? No, more an act of colossal stupidity. 

By the way, just remember, these same people are now running 

the country. 

IT’S WORSE THAN YOU THINK 

In the immediate wake of the latest Canberra coup, the political class 

and the media class have formed an uneasy alliance to tell 

Australians to “Stay Calm and Carry On”. 

The idea is that everyone should become ostriches, put their heads 

in the sand and pretend that nothing has happened. It’s not 

working. 

A counter-narrative is emerging and it goes something like this: 

1. Malcolm Turnbull was an arrogant, out-of-touch toff. Every 

time he was challenged by his conservative enemies, he 

buckled and caved in. Voters don’t like spineless leaders and 

they aren’t right wing as the politicians think. In fact. they are 

more progressive than their politicians. 

On the other hand, Turnbull was intelligent, sophisticated and 

he had some good ideas on climate change, coal-fired power 

stations, the republic, constitutional recognition of indigenous 

Australians etc. It’s a pity he didn’t fight for them. 

172



2. His main opponent, Tony Abbott, aka “The Mad Monk”, 

relentlessly conspired every day to tear Turnbull down. It was 

like an agonising re-run of Kevin Rudd stalking Julia Gillard 

after she stole his job back in 2010. Abbott is driven by 

revenge, right-wing Vatican ideology and misplaced ambition. 

He should quit parliament and remove himself to a cloistered 

monastery where celibacy, silence and masturbation are the 

chief vows. 

3. Scott Morrison, the 20 th prime minister and seventh in 11 years, 

is a lightweight without the intellectual capacity to govern a 

chook yard let along a country of 25 million with a $400 billion 

Federal Budget. 

What’s my evidence? 

Twenty year ago, Morrison was hired by John Brown and his 

son Christopher at the Tourism Task Force. He escaped being 

sacked by relocating to New Zealand where he learned the 

political ropes with the right-wing NZ National Party. 

On returning to Sydney he became director of the NSW Liberal 

Party which lost the 2003 State Election. A post-mortem, which 

was critical of Morrison’s inflexibly hard-line policy approach, 

was never released in full. 

Morrison was not present to cop any blame. He became John 

Howard’s managing director of Tourism Australia where he 

masterminded Lara Bingle’s disastrous advertising campaign 

which carried the slogan: “Where the bloody hell are you?” It 

cost a heart-stopping $200 million. 

173



Morrison was on the road again with his eyes set on Bruce 

Baird’s Federal seat of Cook, based on Cronulla. He lost the first 

pre-selection ballot, picking up only a handful of votes. Rightwing 

Liberals organised a vicious campaign against the 

successful candidate, of Lebanese background, with harmful 

“leaks” to the Daily Telegraph and radio shock jocks. 

Morrison then won pre-selection and was elected to the House 

of Representatives. He was soon Immigration Minister in 

charge of the Coalition’s “stop the boats” campaign called 

“Operation Sovereign Borders”. Morrison changed the focus of 

decades-long immigration policy, most notably with refugees 

becoming “illegals”. 

174



He used his “happy-clappy” evangelism to cloak a policy 

replete with sickness, depression, psychological disorder, 

self-harm and suicide. 

4. What’s the difference between Morrison and Peter Dutton? 

Morrison’s Liberal supporters claim the two politicians are 

different. Superficially, this may be true but essentially they are 

cut from the same reactionary cloth. 

Dutton is dumber and stupider than Morrison; after all, Dutton 

is a Queensland copper while Morrison has a university 

education and work experience in Australia, NZ and Canada. 

Dutton has joined Morrison’s Cabinet in his old portfolio as 

Home Affairs Minister where he commands a para-military 

Homeland Security Force with a tremendously lucrative budget. 

Australia’s best hope is that Dutton loses his Queensland seat 

of Dickson at the next Federal Election. On the eve of the latest 

Canberra coup, Canberra journalist Hugh Riminton revealed 

that Dutton had benefitted from the Commonwealth through 

the family ownership of a string of childcare centres; three were 

sold to Eddy Groves’ ABC Learning in 2002, a much favoured 

privately-owned entity during Prime Minister John Howard’s 

era. 

In the tumultuous days of the last parliamentary sitting 

Coalition MPs defeated a Labor motion to refer Dutton’s case 

to the High Court for adjudication. The Coalition won by a 

single vote. 

175



MPs are now pretending the case has “gone away”. It hasn’t 

and Riminton is furiously focussed on being vindicated. But 

even before the High Court challenge comes into play, Dutton 

will have to survive his French au pair scandal. Watch this 

space! 

5. Stuart Roberts, Liberal MP for Fadden on the Gold Coast, is 

Morrison’s choice as Assistant Treasurer. This politician carries 

so much baggage he is like a dead man walking. 

A former senior army officer, he was recruited to boost military 

numbers in the Australian parliament. Their purpose is to attack 

the Greens and ALP “lefts” who are increasingly alarmed about 

Washington’s influence in military policy, war purchases, 

promotions and joint exercises with the US and Japan. 

Roberts has featured regularly in Gold Coast headlines as the “bag 

man” for the Liberal Party and a “fixer” for the party’s right wing. 

Two years ago Malcolm Turnbull sacked Roberts from the ministry 

but Morrison’s first job was to bring him back. 

Criticising Roberts’ ministerial appointment, Gold Coast Labor 

Senator Murray Wyatt said: “I was a bit surprised to see Stuart 

Roberts back in the ministry, given how scandal-prone he’s been 

over the years.” 

Roberts shares a flat in Canberra with Scott Morrison. They are also 

rumoured to share “happy-clappy” religious views. 

Roberts told the media that the Australian Federal Police had 

cleared him of any wrongdoing. He described the latest criticism as 

“all Labor rubbish”. 

We shall see … 

Source: http://cometherevolution.com.au/the-weekly-notebook-73/ 

176




Nation’ 

Morrison shut the door on the Canberra winter to join his 

flatmates Steve Irons, Stuart Robert and Alex Hawke 

by Kaye Lee for The AIM on April 10, 2020 

Alex Hawke has been described as Scott Morrison’s “right hand 

man”, at least in the political assassination of Malcolm Turnbull, as 

reported by David Crowe. 

“Morrison shut the door on the Canberra winter to join his two 

flatmates and fellow Liberal MPs, Steve Irons and Stuart Robert, and 

their tactical whiz Alex Hawke, the man they considered their “spearthrower” 

because he was so brutally effective at marshalling 

numbers for a ballot.” 

Hawke (along with Stuart Robert and Morrison) is a Pentecostal and 

the member for Mitchell which includes the Hills District, home of 

Hillsong, which he attends. 

Hawke has said before that he would like us to be more like 

America. 

“The two greatest forces for good in human history are capitalism 

and Christianity, and when they’re blended it’s a very powerful 

duo.” 

No wonder he is attracted to Hillsong. 

In 2007, Anthony Albanese described Hawke as a branch stacker 

extraordinaire, a political hack tainted by links to fascists and part of 

the mentality that had led the NSW Liberals “to being the extremist 

rump that it is today”. 

177



There have been unsubstantiated rumours floating around that 

alleged the parents of Hawke’s wife Amelia were onboard the Ruby 

Princess along with some friends from the Hillsong Church. 

Regardless, the growing influence of the Pentecostals in our 

government is of grave concern, as is their growing influence 

amongst our young people. 

Source: 

https://theaimn.com/questions-about-hillsong-alex-hawke-and-thecoronavirus/ 

178



Stuart Robert (then the assistant 

Treasurer) confused the basic financial 

concepts of ‘debt’ and ‘deficit’ 

179



Stuart Robert (then the assistant Treasurer) confused the basic 

financial concepts of ‘debt’ and ‘deficit’ 

Sky News just crossed to Stuart Robert and he was taking a 

selfie and didn't know he was on 

By Cam Wilson for Gizmodo on March 25, 2021 

September 2018 

In 2018 when STUART ROBERT (then the assistant 

Treasurer) confused the basic financial concepts of ‘debt’ and 

‘deficit’, moments after taking a selfie unaware that he was live on 

air? 

Source: 

https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2021/03/stuart-Robert-cant-stop-failingupwards/ 

180



Stuart Robert unable to divest his stake in 

P2P Transport – the 2,600 vehicles include 

taxi, corporate and ride-share vehicles 

Robert holds shares in a $70 million taxi/ridesharing 

fleet business listed on the Australian 

Stock Exchange 

181



Robert Stuart unable to divest his stake in P2P Transport 

Scott Morrison backs Stuart Robert even though he can't sell off 

controversial shares 

by Political Reporter Jackson Gothe-Snape for ABC News 

on 9 October 2018 

Stuart Robert's business connections have included bodybuilding supplements 

and fleet management. (AAP: Mick Tsikas/Supplied) 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison believes Stuart Robert has acted "in 

accordance with the rules", even though the Assistant Treasurer still 

holds shares in a $70 million taxi/ride-sharing fleet business listed 

on the Australian Stock Exchange and facing multiple regulatory 

issues. 

182



Key points: 

• Stuart Robert cannot sell his shares in a $70 million taxi/rideshare 

business until December 

• The ride-share industry faces multiple regulatory issues 

relevant to the Treasury portfolio 

• Ministerial Standards require ministers to remove themselves 

from conflicts 

Stuart Robert resigned as director from three entities — including a 

bodybuilding supplement company — and sold shares in a gold 

business in September as part of his return to the ministry, his office 

confirmed. 

But he was unable to divest his stake in P2P Transport. He has to 

keep his shares until December under escrow arrangements. 

Escrow rules are set up by companies in order to ensure early 

shareholders keep their money invested for a minimum period. 

A spokesman for the Member for Fadden confirmed to the ABC he 

would be "unable to divest until the shares are released from 

escrow". 

The Gold Coast-based MP Stuart Robert argues no conflicts of 

interest arise from him keeping the shares. 

His office stated that Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has responsibility 

for taxation policy and the Australian Competition and Consumer 

Commission (ACCC). 

Since becoming Assistant Treasurer, Stuart Robert has issued joint 

press releases with Mr Frydenberg about multinational tax and 

competition and consumer issues. 

183



Who is P2P? 

P2P Transport describes itself as one of Australia's largest fleet 

management businesses focused on the point-to-point passenger 

transport industry. 

Its 2,600 vehicles include taxi, corporate and ride-share vehicles, 

making its success contingent upon developments in both 

conventional cab and new ride-sharing sectors. 

Multiple regulatory issues have direct impact on the business: 

The ATO — one agency in the Treasury portfolio — continues to 

face pressure over how it taxes ride-share businesses such as Uber. 

Black and White Cabs, a business purchased by P2P earlier this year, 

was one entity that secured authorisation from the ACCC — another 

Treasury agency — in 2016 for its ihail smartphone app. 

Foreign ride-share companies such as Uber face ongoing pressure 

to pay their fair share of tax in Australia. A Treasury paper released 

last week noted how ride-sharing was eroding the tax base. 

Stuart Robert bought shares in P2P in early 2018, according to the 

register of interests. 

It was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in December 2017, 

but its share price has subsequently dropped by a third. 

Mr Robert stands to benefit from any share price rise between now 

and when he divests. 

The ministerial standards require ministers to "make arrangements 

to avoid conflicts of interests arising from their investments". 

They suggest arrangements to avoid conflicts, such as the referral of 

decision-making responsibilities, divestment, or creating a trust or 

other arrangement that satisfies the Prime Minister. 

184



The Australian reported in late August that Mr Robert had written to 

Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Martin Parkinson and Treasury 

secretary Phil Gaetjens for advice about how to handle his conflicts 

of interest. 

The ABC sought clarification around any arrangements approved by 

the Prime Minister's office, but a spokesperson said only that "Mr 

Robert has disclosed his interests fully and transparently and in 

accordance with the rules". 

Mr Robert has had a range of investments and business dealings. 

When he became Assistant Minister Robert sold shares in Brazilianfocused 

mining company Orinoco Gold. 

Robert also resigned as director of three entities. 

One was RQ Supplements, a company selling vitamin supplements 

with the involvement of bodybuilder Rob Quatro. 

Another was Cryo Australia, a company focused on cryotherapy — 

the use of freezing temperatures for health benefits. 

An article in The West Australian discovered that even though Mr 

Robert disclosed to the register of interests on September 12 that he 

had resigned as director of Cryo Australia, documents formally 

removing him as director were only registered after the journalist 

made enquiries weeks later. 

Robert’s office emphasised that it was the board's responsibility to 

update ASIC with the necessary documents. 

Source: 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-09/stuart-ROBERT-p2ptransport-conflict-of-interest/10350644 

185



ASIC records showed Stuart Robert was still a 

director of CRYO Australia (a cryotherapy 

company that uses freezing temperatures for 

supposed health benefits) 

Robert invested as much as $700,000 in 

CRYO Australia 

186



ASIC records showed Stuart Robert was still a director of Cryo 

Australia 

ASIC to investigate whether Liberal MP Stuart Robert breached 

Corporations Act 

by Gareth Hutchens, Political and Economics Correspondent for The 

Guardian on 25 October 2018 

Assistant treasurer will face deeper scrutiny over involvement with 

Cryo Australia 

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission will examine whether Stuart 

Robert breached the Corporations Act by failing to notify ASIC in time of his 

resignation from Cryo Australia. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP 

The corporate regulator has agreed to investigate further the 

business affairs of the Liberal MP Stuart Robert, at the request of 

Labor. 

187



Robert, the assistant treasurer – who recently blamed “connectivity 

issues” for charging taxpayers nearly $38,000 for his home internet 

usage since 2016, before agreeing to repay it – will face deeper 

scrutiny of his role with Cryo Australia. 

Officials from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission 

(ASIC) have agreed to consider if Robert breached the Corporations 

Act by failing to notify ASIC in time of his recent resignation from 

Cryo Australia. 

Earlier this month (2018), ASIC records showed Robert was still a 

director of Cryo Australia (a cryotherapy company that uses freezing 

temperatures for supposed health benefits) even though it had been 

a month since he had told parliament that he had quit the board 

after Scott Morrison invited him back into the Coalition ministry. 

When the Weekend West inquired this month why ASIC records 

showed Robert was still a director of Cryo, the company reportedly 

lodged documents with ASIC within hours showing Robert had quit 

as a director. A spokesman for Robert then told the paper that 

Robert had resigned from the board “with effect” from 31 August. 

ASIC officials say they will investigate whether Robert breached the 

Corporations Act by failing to notify them of his resignation from 

Cryo within 28 days. 

ASIC official Warren Day said it was not uncommon for directors to 

publicly announce their resignation and for the lodgement to take 

time to reach ASIC’s register. 

In Senate estimates hearings on Wednesday evening, ASIC officials 

were also asked about the circumstances surrounding Robert’s 

involvement with Robert International, another one of his business 

affairs. 

188



Fairfax Media reported in September last year that Robert’s father, 

Alan Robert, was unaware that he had been made a director of a 

private investment company that held shares in his son’s IT service 

business which had won millions of dollars worth of government 

contracts. 

It was reported that Alan Robert said the company, Robert 

International, was actually run by his son for the six-year period that 

he and his wife, Dorothy, were listed as the company’s sole directors 

without their knowledge. 

At the time, Robert accused Fairfax Media of publishing “a load of 

rubbish” and attacked Labor for referring the matter to the 

corporate regulator. 

He claimed Fairfax had lied about speaking to his father but later 

accused Fairfax of asking his father “opaque” questions. He also said 

his father was caring for his mother, who was recovering from a 

heart attack. 

ASIC made initial inquiries at the time but decided not to pursue the 

matter, saying the allegations related to forms lodged with ASIC in 

2010 so there would be statutory and evidentiary limitations on 

ASIC’s ability to pursue it. It also said Alan’s and Dorothy’s age and 

health suggested there would be further limitations on any 

investigation, and the matter involved director appointments of a 

small proprietary company so it would be unlikely to affect 

consumers or investors in the broader economy. 

On Wednesday evening, the Labor senator Chris Ketter asked ASIC 

officials why they had not pursued the matter beyond its initial 

stages. 

189



Day said ASIC had reviewed a number of documents relating to 

Robert International, including the listing of directors’ names, and it 

considered media reports about the age of Robert’s parents and 

believed it did not need to pursue the matter further. 

“Given their age and their health, that would impact on their 

memory and other factors in relation to what they knew they did 

sign or did lodge at those times,” Day said. 

Ketter asked if ASIC had tried to independently confirm how healthy 

Robert’s parents were, given the assumption that their ill health 

would prevent them from assisting an investigation of the matter. 

Day said: “From the documents we saw, that confirmed their age, 

yes.” 

Ketter asked: “What about their health?” 

Day replied: “No.” 

Ketter said: “So you just accepted that?” 

Day replied: “Yes.” 

The shadow assistant treasurer, Andrew Leigh, said the allegations 

discussed in Senate estimates were troubling. 

“The public deserve to know that everything has been done to 

ensure that Mr Robert has done no wrong, particularly since the 

allegations surrounding his involvement as a director of companies 

would fall under his responsibilities as a government minister,” he 

said. 

“We welcome ASIC’s confirmation that they will make a new series 

of inquiries into Mr Robert’s directorships.” 

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia- 

news/2018/oct/25/ASIC-to-investigate-whether-liberal-mp-stuart- 

ROBERT-breached-corporations-act 

190



ASIC records showed Stuart Robert was still a director of Cryo 

Australia 

Minister Stuart Robert set to lose huge sum from Investment in 

Company led by Rapist 

by Ben Butler for The Guardian on 3 September 2019 

Exclusive: collapsed company Cryo Australia owes the federal 

minister and his business partner at least $410,000 

Cryo Australia owes a company linked to government minister Stuart Robert and his 

business partner at least $410,000. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian 

The government minister Stuart Robert and his business partner 

stand to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in an ill-fated 

investment in a health company headed by a convicted rapist Neran 

De Silva. 

Liquidators are investigating whether crimes may have been 

committed by directors of the company, Cryo Australia, here Robert 

briefly sat on the board alongside rapist Neran De Silva. 

191



The investigation by the liquidators David Clout and Patricia Talty 

appears to focus on the conduct of De Silva, whom creditors have 

accused of “misappropriating” company stock. 

There is no suggestion Robert has done anything wrong in relation 

to Cryo Australia, which offered customers therapy sessions in a 

human-sized cooler. 

In a report to creditors, the liquidators said the company, which 

collapsed earlier this year owing more than $1.4 million, appeared to 

have traded while insolvent while under De Silva’s control and that 

“the directors may have breached their duties” to it, which can be a 

crime. De Silva was the company’s only director at the time it went 

into liquidation. 

Cryo Australia owes a company linked to Robert and his business 

partner and friend John Margerison at least $410,000. 

The chances of recovering the money appear remote as the 

company had assets of just $16,000 when it collapsed. 

Robert, who as minister for government services is responsible for 

the controversial ROBODEBT program, has been dogged by 

controversy over his short stint as a director of Cryo Australia. 

The company welcomed Robert to its board in August last year, but 

he quit two and a half weeks later when he became a minister. 

At the time, his fellow director De Silva was appealing against a 

conviction for rape to the Queensland court of appeal. That appeal 

failed and De Silva is now appealing to the high court, which is to 

hear the case on Wednesday. 

A spokeswoman for Robert did not respond to detailed questions 

about Cryo Australia. 

192



“To comply with the ministerial standards and to meet community 

expectations, minister Robert’s assets are managed by the trustees 

of a blind trust,” she said. 

“The trustees are responsible for all holdings and make all decisions 

regarding the management and structure of those holdings.” 

De Silva is believed to be in immigration detention. He could not be 

reached through his solicitor, Emma Higgins of the Brisbane law firm 

Robertson O’Gorman, or by email at another company with which he 

is associated, Global Health and Wellness Group. 

The Queensland supreme court appointed Clout and Talty to 

liquidate Cryo Australia in early March on the application of another 

company connected to Robert, JM National Property. 

Robert was a director of JM National Property between March and 

August last year and has previously told parliament he owned a 

stake in a property investment trust run by the company. 

In October last year, after controversy about his business interests, 

Robert put his assets into a “blind trust”, over which he has no 

control. 

On his most recent declaration to parliament, he listed as assets only 

the trust, vehicles including a vintage Austin 7 and a collection of 

Australian coins. 

Company documents show that JM National Property’s sole director 

and shareholder is Margerison, a Gold Coast businessman and a 

close friend of Robert. Margerison could not be reached for 

comment. 

193



A former business associate of De Silva’s, Paul Treloar, told the 

Guardian that Margerison and Robert invested as much as 

$700,000 in Cryo Australia by lending the company money and 

buying shares in it. 

Company documents show JM National Property owned half of Cryo 

Australia and was owed more than $410,000 as a creditor. 

“Those guys were just bent over, unfortunately,” Treloar said. 

Treloar said he was being charged $8,000 a month by finance 

company PMFA after guaranteeing a loan for equipment a Cryo 

Australia franchisee ordered from the company that was never 

delivered. 

In a 5 June report to creditors, the liquidators said a number of 

issues needed further investigation, including allegations that De 

Silva “misappropriated” company stock and traded the company 

while it was insolvent, which can be a crime. 

They said $2.37 million from sales dating as far back as August 2016 

“have been paid to a bank account which is not operated by the 

company” but instead by a related company, which they did not 

name. 

Cryo Australia’s “directors may have breached their duties, and in 

doing so, caused the company to have suffered a loss”, they told 

creditors. 

“If proven, it may be found the directors have committed offences 

and are liable to compensate the company for any losses caused.” 

It is not clear to which of Cryo Australia’s former directors the 

liquidators were referring, and Clout declined to provide further 

details of the investigation. 

194



He said he was hopeful an application to the Australian Securities 

and Investments Commission for funding to further investigate the 

company would succeed. 

“It looks like all the attributes are there,” he said. 

An ASIC spokeswoman declined to comment. 

Robert’s business ventures have long caused him political difficulty. 

In 2016, when Malcolm Turnbull was prime minister, he dumped 

Robert from the ministry after it emerged he had taken a “private” 

trip to Beijing to celebrate a mining deal struck by a company in 

which he had an indirect interest. 

Robert also came under scrutiny after he and other Liberal 

frontbenchers, including Tony Abbott, accepted Rolexes that they 

thought were fake from a visiting Chinese billionaire. 

In October last year Robert got into fresh strife after he failed to 

declare his interest in a bodybuilding supplements business to 

parliament for four months. 

The department of finance has also repeatedly asked Robert about 

the $2,000 a month he charged taxpayers for his home internet 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/03/ministerstuart-ROBERT-lose-huge-sum-investment-company-rapist 

195



Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert said he had 

seen no evidence the Liberal Party was 

homophobic, anti-women or stacked with 

climate-change deniers 

196



Stuart Robert said he had seen no evidence the Liberal Party 

was homophobic, anti-women or stacked with climate-change 

deniers 

Federal Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer launched an 

extraordinary spray against "Homophobic, Anti-Women, 

Climate-Change Deniers" in her Party – 27 November 2018 

Cabinet Minister Kelly O'Dwyer has told colleagues the Liberals are 

widely regarded as "homophobic, anti-women, climate-change 

deniers" during a crisis meeting of federal Victorian MPs. 

Ms O'Dwyer has launched an extraordinary spray against Liberal 

officials and "ideological warriors" for hijacking the party's positions 

on social issues during a post-mortem of the disastrous Victorian 

state election result. 

The Herald Sun reports Ms O'Dwyer, the federal industrial relations 

minister, told colleagues in Canberra the "crusades" of some 

conservative religious MPs had dragged the party away from "who 

we are as Liberals". 

Senior Victorian Liberal Senator Scott Ryan has also argued people 

are sick and tired of having right-wing views shoved down their 

throats. 

Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert, a Queensland Liberal MP, said he 

had seen no evidence the Liberal Party was homophobic, antiwomen 

or stacked with climate-change deniers. 

"I think those who know the Liberal Party ... will attest to that quite 

strongly," he told Sky News. 

Source: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/minister-kelly-o-dwyer-lasheshomophobic-anti-women-liberals-in-her-party 

197



Stuart Robert 

“We will not be lectured [to] by a 

NSW Minister … “ 

198



Stuart Robert said “We will not be lectured [to] by a NSW 

Minister … “ 

Liberals at war: 

Federal and State Disability Ministers in bitter feud 

Ray Hadley 2GB on 21 February 2020 

NSW Disability Services Minister Gareth Ward and Stuart Robert 

Stuart Robert, The Minister for the National Disability Insurance 

Scheme (NDIS) has come out firing at his State counterpart, 

accusing his fellow Liberal of leaking against him. 

NSW Disability Services Minister Gareth Ward has penned a 

letter to the Commonwealth, accusing them of withholding 

funding to protect a proposed budget surplus. 

199



But federal minister Stuart Robert tells Ray Hadley it’s reserve 

funding that can only be released with the agreement of all states 

and territories, describing the claims as “a complete and utter load 

of rubbish”. 

Mr Ward’s letter was leaked to the Sydney Morning Herald with 

Minister Robert telling Ray he has no doubts about who is 

responsible. 

“Quite clearly he [Gareth Ward] was the one who leaked to the 

Sydney Morning Herald. He doesn’t deny it. 

“This is not the way we operate as a Commonwealth, this is not the 

way we operate together. If you’re going to leak something, how 

about you just leak the truth. 

“We will not be lectured [to] by a NSW Minister … I’m going to stand 

up for the smaller states against the bigger state bullies.” 

“This is not the way we operate as a Commonwealth, this is not the 

way we operate together. If you’re going to leak something, how 

about you just leak the truth. 

“We will not be lectured [to] by a NSW Minister… I’m going to stand 

up for the smaller states against the bigger state bullies.” 

It’s just the latest in a line of government in-fighting plaguing the 

Liberals. 

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro is in the middle of a very public 

battle with Energy Minister Matt Kean. 

Mr Kean is also at odds with federal Liberal after criticising them 

over the government’s response to climate change. 

Source: 

https://www.2gb.com/liberals-at-war-federal-and-state-disabilityministers-in-bitter-feud/ 

200



Stuart Robert handed $9,725 novelty cheque 

to Paradise Point bowls club in his electorate 

in the lead-up to 2019 election. 

Robert was honorary patron to the Paradise 

Point bowls club and held the position at the 

time the government deliberated on the grant 

and awarded it. 

201



Stuart Robert handed $9,725 novelty cheque to Paradise Point 

bowls club in his electorate in the lead-up to 2019 election 

Stuart Robert corrects Interests Register over $10,000 Bowls 

Club Grant 

by Christopher Knaus and Nick Evershed for The Guardian 

on 4 March 2020 

NDIS and government services minister handed $9,725 novelty 

cheque to Paradise Point bowls club in his electorate in the lead-up 

to 2019 election 

NDIS and government services minister Stuart Robert has failed to declare since at 

least July 2019 his ongoing patronage of a bowls club in his electorate to which he 

gave a $9,725 grant. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP 

Stuart Robert has failed to declare ongoing links to a Gold Coast 

bowls club that he previously handed a $9,725 novelty cheque to in 

the lead-up to the election. 

202



The NDIS and government services minister filmed himself handing 

over the giant cheque to the Paradise Point bowls club in his 

electorate of Fadden in February and distributed the video on social 

media. 

The money was awarded for new maintenance equipment through 

the Stronger Communities program, a scheme that gives local MPs 

some influence over the process. 

Robert has formal links to the Paradise Point men’s bowls club. He is 

its honorary patron and held the position at the time the 

government deliberated on the grant and awarded it. 

At the time the grant was awarded, Robert had properly and 

appropriately declared his patronage of the club to parliament. 

But Stuart Robert has failed to disclose his ongoing patronage since 

at least July last year. 

Robert promised to update the register after questions from the 

Guardian, saying he had “now updated the honorary patronage” on 

his register of interests. 

A spokesman said Robert had disclosed his links properly as 

required at the time the “grant was independently assessed and 

recommended by a community committee”. The Guardian is not 

suggesting otherwise. 

The spokesman also denied suggestions of a conflict between 

Robert’s role as club patron, his handing over of the $9,725 novelty 

cheque, and the role the Stronger Communities program gives him 

in inviting eligible organisations within his electorate to apply. 

The spokesman said Robert had invited all community organisations 

in his electorate to apply for a Stronger Communities grant but had 

no role in assessing applications. 

203



Robert said he simply acted on the recommendations of an 

independent community committee that conducted the 

assessments. 

Robert did, however, confirm he had established that committee. 

“As per the program guidelines, Mr Robert established an 

independent community committee of Fadden community 

representatives who assess and make recommendations for grants 

under the program,” the spokesman said. 

“Mr Robert is not involved in the assessment process and acts on 

recommendations of the independent community committee.” 

The spokesman said committee members adhered to conflict of 

interest guidelines and recused themselves when necessary. 

He also sought to distinguish Robert’s role as patron of the Paradise 

Point men’s bowls club and the grant application by a separate 

entity, the Paradise Point bowls club, for which he “does not have a 

financial or honorary membership”. 

It is not the first time Robert has courted controversy for failing to 

declare interests to parliament. 

In October last year Robert got into strife after he failed to declare 

his interest in a bodybuilding supplements business for four months. 

The Stronger Communities grant program works by giving each of 

the 151 federal electorates $150,000 to fund small capital projects 

worth up to $20,000. 

Applicants must be invited to apply by their local MP. All others are 

shut out of the process. 

The local MP Stuart Robert also establishes the committee that then 

considers the applications. 

204



Recommendations are then made to the department about who 

should receive money. Guidelines urge both applicants and MPs to 

take steps to declare and avoid conflicts of interest, including any 

“professional, commercial or personal relationship with a party who 

is able to influence the application selection process”. 

The Paradise Point bowls club did not respond to an email request 

for comment. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/04/stuart- 

ROBERT-declared-link-to-local-bowls-club-in-2018-but-not-hiscontinuing-patronage-after-grant 

205



From fanning national anxiety with claims of a 

cyber-attack on MyGov, to a lack of empathy 

for the jobless, the government services 

minister Stuart Robert has no grasp of the 

gravity of our times. 

“I probably should have waited for the 

investigation before jumping the gun,” the 

minister said 

Robert Stuart told Alan (Jones) … 

”I prepared over the weekend for traffic on 

the site to increase from 6,000 to 55,000 visits. 

I didn’t think I’d have to prepare for 100,000 

concurrent users,” 

206



From fanning national anxiety with claims of a cyber-attack on 

MyGov, to a lack of empathy for the jobless, the government 

services minister Stuart Robert has no grasp of the gravity of 

our times 

'Incompetence Attack': MyGov Website did not crash because of 

DDoS Cyber-Attack, as Stuart Robert claimed 

by Josh Taylor for The Guardian on 23 March 2020 

Stuart Robert backtracks only hours after saying the Australian 

government website had suffered a distributed denial of service as 

use surged amid the coronavirus outbreak 

Stuart Robert said on Monday that Australia’s MyGov website had been 

subject to a cyber-attack but later backtracked on the claim as the site was 

inundated with users due to the coronavirus crisis. 

Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP 

The government services minister, Stuart Robert, has had to walk 

back a claim that the MyGov website suffered a distributed denial of 

service (DDoS) attack on Monday just as people were logging on to 

register for welfare services. 

207



As Australians suddenly out of work across the country attempted to 

log on to MyGov, the government’s digital platform 

where Centrelink services are hosted, the website was slow and 

inaccessible for most of the morning. 

Robert claimed in a press conference on Monday shortly after 1pm 

that it was not due to the large number of people who are 

unemployed and trying to log into MyGov to register for Centrelink, 

but was due to a DDoS attack – where a service is targeted and 

attempted to be overwhelmed in traffic until it becomes inaccessible 

to regular users. 

“MyGov has not been offline, it’s simply suffered from a distributed 

denial of service attack this morning,” he told reporters, but refused 

to provide more detail on whether it was an attack from overseas or 

not. 

But by question time, at 2.55pm, Robert was forced to take back his 

statement, telling parliament that it wasn’t an attack but just the 

alarms that are designed to detect and stop DDoS attacks triggering 

due to the large volume of people trying to log in. 

“The DDoS alarms showed no evidence of a specific attack today,” 

he said. 

MyGov had last week been able to cope with about 6,000 users 

logging on at once, but Robert said this was upgraded to 55,000 

over the weekend in expectation that many more Australians would 

have been logging on after the increase in business shutdowns as a 

result of the coronavirus pandemic forcing more people into 

unemployment. 

Robert told the parliament that about 95,000 people were trying to 

access MyGov at once, causing the DDoS alarms to trigger. 

208



The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, said it wasn’t a cyber-attack, “it 

was an incompetence attack”. 

The shadow minister for government services, Bill Shorten, went 

further and accused Robert on Twitter of lying about the attack, and 

suggested the minister should lose his job. 

Before Robert’s reversal, Labor was already showing scepticism over 

his claim of a DDoS attack. 

“This is the most pathetic excuse imaginable for the failure of the 

Morrison government to plan for an entirely foreseeable surge in 

user demand,” Labor MP Tim Watts tweeted. 

“Crying DDoS in this situation will rightly be laughed at by everyone 

with the most BASIC technical competence.” 

Guardian Australia has sought comment from Services Australia and 

the Australian Cyber Security Centre. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australianews/2020/mar/23/incompetence-attack-mygov-website-did-not-crashbecause-of-ddos-cyber-assault-as-stuart-ROBERT-claimed 

209




MyGov, to a lack of empathy for the jobless, the Government 

Services Minister Stuart Robert has no grasp of the gravity of 

our times 

Stuart Robert’s incompetence on MYGOV should accelerate his 

own social isolation 

by Katharine Murphy, Political Editor for The Guardian 

on 24 March 2020 


MyGov, to a lack of empathy for the jobless, the Government 

Services Minister has no grasp of the gravity of our times 

Minister for government services Stuart Robert had to reverse a claim 

that the MyGov website suffered a cyber-attack on Monday just as 

people whose jobs were affected by coronavirus were logging on to 

register for welfare. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP 

“It was heartbreaking stuff yesterday Alan (Jones).” 

210



“Alan”, naturally, is Alan Jones and our heartbreak town crier is 

Stuart Robert – the minister charged with rolling out government 

support to Australians knocked sideways courtesy of the coronavirus 

pandemic. 

“Decent people,” Robert informed “Alan” on Tuesday morning (as if 

this might be news to anyone), had found themselves “very quickly 

in very difficult circumstances” because governments had imposed 

lockdowns on venues that employ many thousands of people to try 

and contain community transmissions of Covid-19. 

It’s unusual for the opening sentence of a radio interview by a 

government minister to serve as giant billboard for why the minister 

in question should be cleaning out his desk to spend more time with 

his family – but we, as everyone says 24/7, are in unusual times. 

So here was the first clue, at least in this particular interview, that 

Australia’s minister for government services is a bloody idiot. 

If you are in the middle of a pandemic that threatens lives and 

potentially puts millions of people out of work, now is not the time 

to indulge yourself with a reflection (that no one asked for) on the 

deserving and undeserving poor. 

Yet the opening gambit of the conversation on Tuesday morning 

was a clear inference that the people who normally turn up at 

government offices looking for help are not decent people. 

Service delivery at all times requires empathy, and empathy is 

particularly necessary during a crisis of the scale Australia and the 

world is currently facing. 

211



If you can’t keep your prejudices to yourself, if you can’t curb your 

own colossal ignorance, if you can’t avoid the temptation of winking 

knowingly to Alan Jones (who took up the decency cue with alacrity, 

noting the current visitors to Centrelink were first-timers, 

“independent all their lives”), you really need to do Australia a favour 

and accelerate your own social isolation and disconnect all 

communications devices. 

After the gratuitous touchdown on the deserving and the nondeserving 

poor, the hapless minister for (allegedly) helping 

(deserving) people then set about demonstrating his monumental 

managerial incompetence to the country. 

Robert told “Alan” the MyGov website normally had 6,000 visits on a 

typical Monday morning. But at 9.40am there were massive spikes in 

traffic, with 98,000 concurrent requests. 

People queue along Crown Street in Sydney’s Darlinghurst on Monday to 

get into the Centrelink office. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian 

212



Given lockdowns had just cost people their jobs, a run on the 

MyGov website could have been predicted. But the surge on the 

system set off alarms, so officials set about investigating. 

While the officials were seeking facts, Robert thought it was a good 

idea to keep talking. 

He told reporters early on Monday there had been a cyber-attack on 

the government website, promptly fanning the national anxiety that 

had been spreading since the chaos of Sunday night, where the 

levels of the government struggled to be clear about whether 

schools would be operating, and precisely which services would be 

shut down to contain the spread of the virus. 

But by question time on Monday, Robert had a completely different 

story. There was no cyber-attack. The website just got overwhelmed 

by the terrified people who governments, state and federal, had just 

put out of work to try and save lives. 

Robert told “Alan” on Tuesday morning that perhaps, on reflection, 

possibly, (it wasn’t entirely clear), he should have conducted himself 

differently. 

“I probably should have waited for the investigation before jumping 

the gun,” the minister said. 

“Well, yes, you fool,” would have been a reasonable riposte from a 

shock jock who normally doesn’t bother to count to 10 before 

ripping a guest’s head off for a bit of breakfast sport. But “Alan”, 

saint that he is, bestowed his forgiveness on Stuart, who apparently 

has a very tough gig. 

One could observe somewhat caustically that at least Robert still has 

a gig, although based on his present performance, it is entirely 

unclear why. 

213



But we need to press on with this story, because the minister 

persisted in being bewildered at taxpayer expense. 

Robert told “Alan” he’d prepared over the weekend for traffic on the 

site to increase from 6,000 to 55,000 visits. “I didn’t think I’d have to 

prepare for 100,000 concurrent users,” Robert said. 

“My bad for not realising the sheer scale of the decision on Sunday 

night by the national leaders that literally saw hundreds and 

hundreds of thousands, maybe a million people, unemployed 

overnight.” 

My bad? My bad? Really? That’s all you’ve got? 

My bad suggests this minister has no grasp of the gravity of the 

current circumstances. He seems to have little grasp of how the 

systems he administers actually work. The facts he recounted to 

Jones are strongly suggestive of arms of government not talking to 

other arms of government. How do you impose a lockdown on 

Sunday night that puts (as Robert acknowledged) a million people 

out of work and then estimate only 50-odd thousand will flood 

MyGov on Monday morning? How do you not comprehend 

that many Australian workers, particularly in casual gigs, are living 

hand-to-mouth and need help now, not in a month? 

I mean there are no words that can capture this gormlessness 

adequately, as many of the desperate people currently queueing 

outside Centrelink offices can certainly tell you. 

People who have no work and who are struggling to access the 

Centrelink system can tell you from lived experience over the past 48 

hours that governments seem to be efficient at imposing lockdowns, 

but so far, the efficiency doesn’t extend to a rapid rollout of safety 

nets. 

214



Yes, this is hard. Yes, things moved with rapid speed on Sunday 

night. Yes, everyone is doing their best. But let’s be blunt. Ministers 

with important jobs do not have the luxury of being idiots right now. 

No one has that luxury. 

Just a bit of free advice: if you happen to be an idiot periodically, 

because you are human, and you are overrun in extraordinary 

circumstances, then contrition is best. It’s best to say, I’m terribly 

sorry, I was an idiot, and I intend to work day and night to not be an 

idiot again. 

Just in case it is not already clear, Australians right now are looking 

for clear messages and a way to sustain themselves in deeply 

uncertain times. They are looking for people in authority to remain 

calm and not spout the first bit of random nonsense that comes into 

their head. 

Our latest polling suggests a substantial proportion of people don’t 

trust the government or the media to tell them the truth about this 

virus. Given there is a substantial trust deficit, making sure what 

comes out of your mouth is accurate is extremely important. We all 

bear that responsibility. 

If you can’t be accurate, then do us a favour and hand over to 

someone who can. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/24/stuart-Robertsincompetence-on-mygov-should-accelerate-his-own-social-isolation 

215



The CovidSafe tracing app was officially the 

responsibility of the Digital Transformation 

Agency, which comes under the portfolio of 

Government Services Minister Stuart Robert. 

CovidFail 

– the Australian coronavirus tracing app that 

can’t find anyone 

Government Services Minister Stuart Robert 

told 9News "the app is performing 

exceptionally well". 

216



CovidFail – the Australian coronavirus tracing app that can’t 

find anyone 

Covid-19 Tracking App: to download, or not to download? 

by Sonia Hickey & Ugur Nedim For Sydney Criminal Lawyers 

on 30 April 2020 

The tracing app is now officially the responsibility of the Digital 

Transformation Agency, which comes under the portfolio of 


Data collection and use 

While most understand the app’s stated purpose: to help health 

authorities trace and prevent COVID-19’s spread by contacting 

people who may have been in proximity (to a distance of about 1.5 

metres) with a confirmed case, for 15 minutes or more. 

The majority also understand – in general terms – how Bluetooth 

technology is used to record users’ contact with other app users. 

The app says collected data is encrypted and can’t be accessed by 

other apps or users without a decryption mechanism. It also says the 

data is stored locally on users’ phones and isn’t sent to the 

government (remote server storage). 

There is a privacy policy and users register by entering their name, 

age range, postcode and mobile number. Location permissions must 

be enabled for the app to do its job, and it must be turned on and 

running on your phone, all of the time. 

217



Hoax messages 

But already there have been problems. Federal police have been 

called in to investigate a text message that some users have 

received when they are more than 20km from home. The message 

says they have breached lockdown and must contact the 

government within 15 minutes of receiving the message. 

The government says this is a hoax, and that whoever is found to be 

responsible for it, will be charged with a serious criminal offence. 

The second area of concern is the news this week that COVIDSafe 

data will be hosted not in Australia, but by US by tech giant, 

Amazon. 

Managed by Amazon 

Amazon secured the contract after an ‘invitation only’ tender 

process run by the Department of Home Affairs. 

And there are fears that potentially, this could mean that Australian 

data is obtainable by US law enforcement, under national security 

legislation introduced in 2018, which compels US-based technology 

companies to provide data to federal law enforcement under 

warrant, regardless of whether the data is held in the US or overseas. 

The tracing app is now officially the responsibility of the Digital 

Transformation Agency, which comes under the portfolio of 


Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Stuart Robert have both given 

assurances to Australians that the US law would apply, saying that 

the data – which includes contact information – will be stored in 

Australia in highly secure servers and protected by additional laws to 

restrict access to health professionals only. 

218



Further assurances given by the government include the fact that 

because the data is Australian and being kept in Australia it’s 

protection is guaranteed through a determination through the 

Biosecurity Act and other legislation, under which it will be a criminal 

offence to transfer data to any country other than Australia, 

punishable by five years in prison, or a $63,000 fine. 

Commonwealth officials and law enforcement are also not able to 

access the stored data and at the end of the pandemic, the 

information storage system would be destroyed. 

Distrust in the US company 

Irrespective of assurances, a lot of Australians will be put off 

downloading and activating the app simply by the fact that the data 

is hosted by a US-based company rather than a perfectly capable 

local one, bound by Australian laws only. It’s understood that some 

of the privacy laws in relation to the app will be introduced in 

Parliament next month, although the app is already up and running. 

Several senior government officials are dismayed that the contract 

has been awarded overseas, given that there are several wholly 

Australian-owned cloud storage services who have already been 

security vetted for high-level contracts such as this. 

Broader concerns 

Despite assurances, many Australians are concerned the Federal 

Government isn’t providing the full story about the app, and that the 

potential benefits of downloading the app fail to outweigh the risks 

and intrusions associated with providing the state with such 

unprecedented access to personal information. 

219



The distrust stems, at least in part, from the Federal Government’s 

appalling track record of adhering to its promises when it comes to 

using technology for stated purposes and of protecting the data 

that is accessed. 

An example of failing to adhere to promises is the meta data 

retention laws, which the Government assured would be used to 

‘catch terrorists and organised criminals’ but have in fact been used 

for such ‘unintended’ purposes as hunting down whistleblowers who 

have exposed corruption in state departments, 

targeting doctors and journalists who have been critical of the 

Government and its policies, detecting those suspected of evading 

tax, catching rubbish dumpers and even monitoring police cadets to 

determine whether they were sleeping with one another. 

In just a year, over 60 governmental agencies accessed the scheme 

for purposes very different from ‘catching terrorists and organised 

criminals’, and the Australian Federal Police recently admitted 

accessing the metadata of Australians more than 20,000 times over 

a 12 month period. 

As to failing to protect data, the Government assured the populace 

that the data stored through its My Health Record scheme would be 

safe and secure, but as widely reported in the media it has been 

anything but – with dozens of data breaches being recorded within 

its first few months of operation alone. 

At the end of the day, residents have a choice as to whether or not 

to download the Government’s app – for now at least. 

Source: 

https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/covid19-tracking-appto-download-or-not-to-download/ 

220




find anyone 

By Laurie Patton for The New Daily on July 8. 2020 

You might think that if a government spent millions of dollars on an 

app designed to help identify people exposed to the coronavirus 

they’d make sure it actually worked. 

What has emerged is that our COVIDSafe tracing app was launched 

before it had been properly tested. 

Worse still, the people charged with building the app apparently 

knew it wasn’t compatible with an iPhone, which is the single most 

popular mobile device. 

It also became obvious that it doesn’t much like iPhones talking to 

Android devices, either. 

With at least one state seemingly on the verge of a second wave, 

borders being closed, the state capital sealed off, and the economy 

collapsing, it would be nice to have a tracing up that actually works. 

It could even save lives. 

We don’t know what the prime minister was told, but not only did 

Scott Morrison tell people to download the app, he initially indicated 

that if we didn’t, we’d face continuing restrictions in our daily lives. 

Long after they knew that COVIDSafe is a dud, the government was 

running television ads that clearly implied we’d be safer if we 

downloaded it – adding to the cost of this flawed IT project. 

So far, Boston Consulting Group is said to have been paid $885,000 

and Amazon Web Services (Amazon) $710,000 for hosting the data 

collected. 

221



Add to that the staff time for bureaucrats in the health departments 

(federal and state) and the Digital Transformation Agency. 

So far, Victoria is the only state we know to have used the app. 

That is, the only state to have downloaded data from an infected 

person. However, they have not been able to identify anyone not 

found through manual tracing. 

In other words, the app has failed in its mission to maintain a record 

of casual contacts who were within a 1.5 metre radius for at least 15 

minutes. 

An Oxford University report suggests around 60 percent of the 

population needs to be involved for a tracing app to be effective. 

The federal government initially said it wanted 40 percent take-up, 

but take-up has stalled at roughly 25 percent. 

According to a policy paper from the Auckland University of 

Technology, the University of Queensland, the University of 

Auckland and Massey University, COVIDSafe is unlikely to help 

prevent the spread of the virus. 

The Australian Government’s voluntary coronavirus tracing app 

‘COVIDSafe’ is seen on a mobile phone. 

Boris Johnson’s UK government has dumped its tracing app, which 

had the same basic design faults as ours. 

A review of the COVIDSafe app by a Senate committee highlighted a 

failure to consult with the right technology experts to ensure the 

app was fit-for-purpose from day one. 

Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick says the government was 

dishonest when it launched the COVIDSafe app knowing it wasn’t 

working. Senator Patrick has an IT background and knows what he’s 

talking about. 

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This exercise is yet another example of a recent tendency for illdesigned 

IT schemes to be foisted upon us. Remember the 2016 

Census and the problematic introduction of My Health Record. 

People are wondering about the security of their personal and 

private information once it is downloaded and available for scrutiny 

by how many public servants. 

The attorney-general’s department declined to give the Senate 

hearing a guarantee that their legislation would override the 

US Cloud Act, which requires companies to hand over data if 

requested to do so by American security agencies. 

This is important given that our data is stored with Amazon, a US 

company. 

At the heart of the problem with COVIDSafe is peoples’ sense that 

they cannot trust their governments when it comes to technology. 

You can hardly wonder why. 

The COVIDSafe app is a dud and the government needs to fix it or 

flick it. 

Source: 

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2020/07/08/covidfail-app/ 

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find anyone 

Coronavirus: Government's COVIDSafe app could have cost 

'tens of millions' for zero tracing results 

by Jonathan Kearsley and Luke Cooper for Channel 9 News 

on July 20, 2020 

New questions have been raised about the Federal 

Government's COVIDSafe mobile app, which is meant to help trace 

contacts of people who have been infected with coronavirus. 

9News can reveal government spending on the app has cost 

millions more than previously thought and one of the companies 

involved in working on it has links to the Liberal Party. 

Technology company DELV was paid to work on COVIDSafe and 

paid more than $3.8 million to help develop the government's 

coronavirus information app and around $6 million has been paid 

for work also including the COVIDSafe program. 

DELV's CEO Masseh Haidary is the husband of Liberal Party Canberra 

candidate Mina Zaki and has in a previous role his company hosted 

MP Angus Taylor in the past at business events. 

DELV says it has had a long history of working with governments 

before Mr Haidary was appointed CEO of the company last year. 

A spokesman for Health Minister Greg Hunt, said: "The entire 

procurement process for the both the COVIDSafe app and the 

Coronavirus information app has been undertaken under Australian 

Government procurement rules. 

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An additional $64 million has been spent on advertising, but the 

government has not confirmed how much of the promotional 

material landed on the app itself. 

"What we thought was a $2 million dud now looks like it's a $70 

million dud," Labor's Bill Shorten said today. 

While Prime Minister Scott Morrison originally told Australians it 

would offer them protection from COVID-19 cases, the app is yet to 

find a single contact not already picked up by tracers. 

More than 4600 cases have been diagnosed in Victoria since it was 

launched, with the app only being accessed just 325 times for zero 

results. 

In NSW, 586 cases have been identified but the app was used just 12 

times and no cases found solely from its operation. 

One of the app's big issues has been the 15 minutes people need to 

be close to each other for COVIDSafe to register a close contact. 

That feature is now the subject of discussions by state governments 

to see if the Coalition can change that aspect of the program. 

Source: 

https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-covidsafe-app-couldhave-cost-contact-tracing-millions-in-advertising-government-healthnews/bd69cbbe-ad14-4547-baf9-eb81aead1198 

225




find anyone 

COVIDSafe app detected just 17 contacts not found by manual 

tracers after $7 million spent on advertising 

by Jonathan Kearsley, Political Reporter for Channel 9 News 


Government Services Minister Stuart Robert told 9News "the 

app is performing exceptionally well". 

The Prime Minister said the COVIDSafe app was protection, urging 

us to "download the app, put your sunscreen on equivalent". But it 

has been revealed almost $7 million has been spent on advertising 

and it has identified 17 contacts. 

The app has been labelled "a failure" by Shadow Health Minister 

Chris Bowen, "useless" by Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles. 

"It hasn't delivered as much as we would've liked," Victoria's Chief 

Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said. 

It was revealed during a Senate estimates hearing the app has only 

led to 17 contacts being identified who weren't picked up by manual 

tracers. 

When the app was launched in April, Prime Minister Scott Morrison 

said it was "your ticket, Australia's ticket to a COVIDSafe Australia". 

Our televisions and social media lit up with glossy advertisements 

urging us to download the app, "so we can get back to the things 

we love". 

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Today, Caroline Edwards, the Associate Secretary of the Department 

of Health, revealed "the cost of COVIDSafe app-specific advertising 

in 2019-2020 was $6.95 million". 

The app was launched in April, and the funding continued until the 

end of June, so the money was spent over two months. 

The government had previously refused to release how much was 

specifically spent advertising the app. 

More than seven million Australians have downloaded and 

registered the app, which cost about $5 million to develop and 

improve, taking the price tag to June to about $12 million. 

"I've seen better value land deals at Badgery's Creek Airport than 

this contact tracing app," Mr Bowen said. 

The government has no way of knowing how many Australians 

actively have the app on their devices right now, but it has fiercely 

defended it. 

Government Services Minister Stuart Robert told 9News "the app is 

performing exceptionally well". 

With Melburnians no longer in lockdown, the government says the 

app will be more beneficial. 

Victorian authorities are still urging Victorians to download it, but 

they're not so certain. 

"It's made bluetooth connections for people across a wall, that's not 

a close contact for contact tracing purposes. It will identify someone 

who you end up realising wasn't a close contact," Professor Sutton 

told journalists today. 

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Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly told a Senate 

hearing: "My professional opinion is that the app is a very useful tool 

when used correctly and integrated into a well-functioning system 

of contact tracing." 

The federal government says that wasn't happening in Victoria. 

"They had a paper based system largely, and I think Victoria had 

come from not a large position in public health," Health Secretary 

Professor Brendan Murphy said to the parliamentary hearing. 

He said its much-talked-about contact tracing system has since 

improved. 

"They now have a really good, mature contact tracing system where 

the app is now integrated into it," he said. 

But the federal government says Victoria also stopped using the app 

for two weeks from July 16, as their case numbers soared. 

"During that time, 6600-odd people were infected with COVID19," 

Mr Robert said. 

There have been criticism of the app's functions, from bluetooth 

connectivity to the 1.5 metre distance and 15-minute timeframe 

required to register a "ping", or close contact. 

The app has gone through various updates, and Mr Robert told 

journalists COVIDSafe will stay and the government will not follow 

others by moving to the Apple/Google model. 

"We're not going to outsource public health to large tech 

companies," he said 

Source: 

https://www.9news.com.au/national/covid-safe-app-millions-spent-onadvertising/fd3456ce-0954-4f6f-a364-6f1f7d9923cb 

228




find anyone 

Australia's COVIDSafe app costs AU$100,000 per month 

to keep running 

by Asha Barbaschow | ZD Net on March 25, 2021 

So-called digital sunscreen app has only found 17 cases. 

Australia's coronavirus contact tracing app, COVIDSafe, was sold as 

"digital sunscreen" with people encouraged by the Prime Minister to 

download the app in order to have life return to some form of 

normal. 

There have been over 7 million downloads of the app, but that 

doesn't necessarily mean it's logged into, or being used by 

individuals that have the app taking up real estate on their phone. 

The app has received scrutiny from the country's security 

community from day one, and it has only accounted for a total of 17 

cases found, with 81 close contacts of those 17 identified through 

the app, too. The Senate Select Committee on COVID-19 also 

previously said the app significantly under-delivered on Scott 

Morrison's promise that the app would enable an opening up of the 

economy in a COVID safe manner. 

As previously disclosed by the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA), 

the app cost in excess of AU$5 million. 

DTA CEO Randall Brugeaud told senators on Thursday night that the 

cost to keep the app's lights on, so far, has been around 

AU$900,000. 

"The spend to date on the app is AU$6,745,322.31, that's to 

31 January 2021," he said. 

229



"That includes a combination of development, which is the actual 

build of the app, and the hosting of the app. So the breakdown is, 

for the development of the app, AU$5,844,182.51 and the hosting is 

AU$901,139.80." 

"It costs about AU$100,000 per month to run the infrastructure and 

we've made a provision for about AU$200,000 per month to allow us 

to make future changes," he said. "Now, that isn't money that must 

be spent, but we've estimated about AU$200,000 a month for future 

feature changes that may be required by the Department of Health 

who is the business owner of the app." 

Labor Senator Nita Green asked why there was a need to continue 

sinking funds into an app that has barely been used. 

"COVIDSafe was developed based on the health need and it will 

continue to be supported until we're advised that capability is no 

longer required," Brugeaud said. 

"I know it seems like a small number, 17 … I think it was 774 

detections that have occurred, but just think through 17 people 

going undetected, and what that might look like in terms of 

shutdowns," Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston 

added. 

"Even though it may seem like a small number, that could have had 

a very significant impact on the health outcomes or the economic 

outcomes for our country." 

Ruston said the app was designed at a time when it was thought 

Australia would have a lot more cases than it did. 

Source: 

https://www.zdnet.com/article/australias-covidsafe-costs-au100000-permonth-to-keep-running/ 

230



After announcing the reshuffle, Mr Morrison 

was asked by ABC journalist Andrew Probyn 

about Stuart Robert’s new role in cabinet. 

“How does this bloke get more responsibility 

in your reshuffle?” he asked, listing some of 

the past controversies surrounding Stuart 


Mr Morrison replied: “Because he's done an 

outstanding job in the one that he's been 

doing.” 

“And you know when someone does a good 

job like that, then they show that they can 

take on responsibility, they can get things 

done.” 

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“Because he (Stuart Robert) has done an outstanding job in the 

one that he's been doing. And you know when someone does a 

good job like that, then they show that they can take on 

responsibility, they can get things done.” Morrison said 

'A Clearing House for Duds': Labor questions Appointments to 

Government Services and NDIS Portfolios 

by Evan Young for SBS News on 30 March 2021 

The under-fire Linda Reynolds has been appointed the new 

Government Services and NDIS minister. 

Labor has accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of using the 

Government Services and National Disability Insurance Scheme 

portfolios as a “clearing house for duds of his cabinet”. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a cabinet reshuffle which 

included moving Stuart Robert from the Government Services and 

NDIS portfolios to the Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and 

Family Business portfolios. 

Linda Reynolds, the outgoing defence minister who called her 

former staffer Brittany Higgins “a lying cow” after her alleged rape in 

Parliament House, is set to replace Mr Robert, who had been 

embroiled in controversy himself before taking the Government 

Services and NDIS portfolios. 

Prior to his appointment in 2019, Stuart Robert resigned from 

Malcolm Turnbull’s cabinet after being found to have breached 

ministerial standards. In 2018, he was also forced to repay almost 

$38,000 in home internet bills that he charged taxpayers for. 

232



While in charge of the portfolios Stuart Robert hit the headlines 

for his handling of the government’s unlawful robodebt scheme and 

costly COVIDSafe app, incorrectly blaming a cyberattack for a 

Centrelink outage, pushing ahead with hugely contentious NDIS 

reforms amid widespread criticism, and comments about scheme 

participants accessing sex therapy services. 

On Tuesday, Labor’s government services and NDIS spokesperson 

Bill Shorten said it appeared Senator Reynolds had been “punished” 

for her “lying cow” comments by being handed the Government 

Services and NDIS portfolios. 

“The Morrison government cannot shuffle its way out of its 

horrendous record on giving a stuff about working people and 

caring for Australians who are most at risk and need the most 

support,” he said in a statement. 

“When will the Morrison government stop treating the critical 

portfolios of Government Services and the NDIS as the clearing 

house for duds of [the] cabinet?” 

After announcing the reshuffle, Mr Morrison was asked by ABC 

journalist Andrew Probyn about Stuart Robert’s new role in cabinet. 

“How does this bloke get more responsibility in your reshuffle?” he 

asked, listing some of the past controversies surrounding Stuart 


Mr Morrison replied: “Because he's done an outstanding job in 

the one that he's been doing.” 

“And you know when someone does a good job like that, then they 

show that they can take on responsibility, they can get things done.” 

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In a statement following the reshuffle announcement, Stuart Robert 

said his time in the Government Services and NDIS portfolios “has 

been both rewarding and challenging”. 

“The NDIS is now available everywhere across Australia. There are 

now over 430,000 Australians in the Scheme,” he said. 

“I am incredibly proud of transformation in Services Australia 

towards delivering a simple, helpful, respectful and transparent 

service for all Australians.” 

He said access decisions to the NDIS are now being made faster, 

and the average time it takes to speak to someone from Centrelink 

on the phone has also sped up. 

He also congratulated Senator Reynolds on her new appointment. 

“I am confident Senator Reynolds will continue to deliver on the 

Morrison government's priority to guarantee the essential services 

Australians rely on,” he said. 

Senator Reynolds is on health leave and is expected back on 2 April. 

Mr Morrison on Monday conceded Senator Reynolds’ “lying cow” 

slur was an “intemperate remark made at the wrong time” but said 

she “will do an outstanding job” in her new role. 

“She has previously served on the committee for the NDIS and 

knows those issues extremely well. She's a very good operational 

minister,” he said. 

“Taking responsibility for government services and the continued 

rollout of programs I think will fit her skills and talents well.” 

Source: 

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/a-clearing-house-for-duds-laborquestions-appointments-to-government-services-and-ndis-portfolios 

234



STUART ROBERT AND NDIS 

The seven-year plot to undermine the NDIS 

Scott Morrison - Minister for Social Services 

from 23.12.2014 to 21.9.2015 

Christian Porter - Minister for Social Services 

from 21.9.2015 to 20.12.2017 

Dan Tehan - Minister for Social Services 

from 20.12.2017 to 28.8.2018 

Paul Fletcher - Minister for Families and Social Services 

from 28.8.2018 to 29.5.2019 

Stuart Robert - Minister for the National Disability Insurance 

Scheme from 29.5.2019 to 30.3.2021 

The Disability Royal Commission was 

established in April 2019 in response to 

community concern about widespread reports of 

violence against, and the neglect, abuse and 

exploitation of, people with disability. 

235



Stuart Robert and NDIS 

ROYAL COMMISSION INTO VIOLENCE, ABUSE, NEGLECT AND 

EXPLOITATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY 

Disability royal commission begins today, a long overdue 

reckoning into the violence against us 

By El Gibbs for ABC News on 16 September 2019 

Today is the first public sitting of the disability royal commission, or 

to give it its full name, the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, 

Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. 

This isn't just another royal commission. It is the culmination of 

many years of work by disabled people to get recognition of the 

scale of violence against us. 

Disabled Peoples Organisations Australia put together some of the 

known data and statistics about violence against us. What we know is 

shocking: 

People with intellectual disability are 10 times more likely to 

experience violence than people without disability, 

People with intellectual disability are three times more likely to be 

victims of assault, sexual assault and robbery compared with people 

who do not have an intellectual disability 

20 per cent of women with a disability report a history of unwanted 

sex compared with 8.2 per cent of women without disability. 

The ABC's commitment to accessibility 

We live in group homes, boarding houses and aged care homes, go 

to special schools and work in sheltered workshops. 

236



Only 53 per cent of us have a job, compared with 82 per cent of 

non-disabled Australians, and many of us live in poverty. We often 

don't have access to the internet, and can be socially isolated. 

But these statistics only tell part of the story. They can't tell the story 

of what it is like to not be able to choose who you live with, or to 

not be paid properly for your work. To not be able to access the 

same services and facilities as everyone else, and to have little choice 

about what you do every day. 

Statistics don't tell the story of being ignored or treated as less than 

human because you are disabled. 

Unearthing hidden violence 

Violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability is 

rampant, and yet remains mostly hidden. 

Disabled people routinely find that violence against them is covered 

up, not treated seriously or just ignored. This violence happens not 

just in the disability support system but also at school, at work, at 

home, in hospital and in the justice system. 

This violence is everywhere in our lives, yet largely hidden from the 

view of non-disabled people, until this royal commission. 

In 2014, a Four Corners episode focused on the abuse that people 

with disability experienced, and featured the bravery of Jules Anderson. 

Ms Anderson told Four Corners about the person, the monster, who 

hurt her. 

She said: "I couldn't speak to anyone because of fear of not being 

believed or the monster might take his threats... seriously, the 

threats he gave me." 

A major Senate inquiry in 2015 heard from disabled people all over 

Australia that they had been neglected and exploited. 

237



The inquiry report was clear and unambiguous when it reported 

back that the scale and extent of the violence against disabled 

people needed an urgent royal commission. 

Another Four Corners episode in 2017 again heard courageous 

people with disability speaking out about the violence they had 

been living with. 

This year, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission 

reported more than 1,500 cases of abuse, just for those disabled 

people who are eligible for the NDIS, in only two states. 

Why does this abuse happen? 

The 2015 Senate inquiry said that "a root cause of violence, abuse 

and neglect of people with disability begins with the de-valuing of 

people with disability." How people with disability are treated at 

work, at home, at school and in the community matters. 

One in three disabled people have experienced discrimination in the 

last year, and 47 per cent of adults with disability have experienced 

violence, compared with 37 per cent of non-disabled people, 

according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and 

Welfare. 

Witnesses are especially vulnerable 

A royal commission has the power to investigate, to ask questions in 

a way that other inquiries don't. This is particularly important for 

disabled people, as we often live in segregated environments, away 

from the public gaze. 

The people with disability who will be telling the disability royal 

commission their stories will be taking risks that previous royal 

commissions haven't had to deal with. 

238



Many disabled people will want to share what has happened to 

them in their home, or with people who provide the essential 

supports they need. 

This royal commission will have to make sure they can do this safely, 

without repercussions just for sharing their story. 

Because we must share our stories, or we will never confront the 

reality of the violence we live with every day. 

A long overdue reckoning 

The royal commission must also look at the different lives of 

disabled people, and how the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender 

and sexuality can all contribute to the violence against us, across 

multiple systems and services. 

Damian Griffis, from First Peoples Disability Network told ABC RN that 

"we're seeing an increasing criminalisation of disability … and there's 

a number of examples that are showing that Aboriginal people with 

cognitive impairments being imprisoned, sometimes often 

indefinitely". 

This royal commission is a long overdue reckoning with how 

disabled people are treated in Australia, and with what needs to 

change. 

This will be a time to listen to us tell our stories, and to we know 

needs to change to end the violence. 

Source 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-16/royal-commission-disabilityshocking-statistics/11514546 

239




NDIS minister Stuart Robert defends governance of disability 

agency after series of controversies 

By Paul Karp for The Guardian on 14 November 2019 

Stuart Robert says he has ‘absolute confidence’ in NDIA chief 

executive Martin Hoffman after social media posts 

Minister for the NDIS and government services Stuart Robert has come 

to the defence of the governance of the National Disability Insurance 

Agency. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP 

Stuart Robert has defended the governance of the 

National Disability Insurance Agency, but refused to sign up to more 

ambitious targets to get younger people out of aged care in an 

outing at the National Press Club on Thursday. 

The minister for the NDIS and government services declared 

“absolute confidence” in the agency’s chief executive, Martin 

Hoffman, despite controversial social media posts, and revealed the 

global law firm Ashurst had conducted an investigation and found 

“no clear privacy breaches” in NDIA chair Helen Nugent’s reported 

use of her Macquarie Bank email for NDIS business. 

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The Australian reported that when Hoffman was a New South Wales 

and federal public servant he had praised Scott Morrison on Twitter, 

and retweeted Donald Trump and comments attacking the militant 

construction union. Hoffman has denied being an “anti-union Trump 

supporter” and deleted his account. 

Robert said Hoffman had posted the material before he became 

chief executive and “he enjoys the freedom of speech that everyone 

else here enjoys”. 

“I absolutely and utterly reject any assertion that he is not a public 

servant of the highest calibre,” Robert said. “He enjoys my absolute 

confidence.” 

Robert appeared at the press club to launch the latest NDIS 

quarterly report, but was grilled on topics ranging from the 

extensive redactions of NDIS data from freedom of information 

responses to the legality of the robodebt program. 

The report paints a picture of an improving system, with 114,000 

participants added to the scheme and a total of 310,000 now 

receiving support. 

Stuart Robert told reporters the disability workforce would have to 

add an extra 90,000 workers to cope with projected increased 

demand. 

He foreshadowed future reforms including the national rollout of 

independent functional assessment, greater flexibility of funded 

support and greater data-sharing with disability and research 

groups. 

Robert said between March 2017 and June 2019 the number of 

younger people in residential aged care had decreased by 11%, 

from 6,287 to 5,606. 

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“The number of younger people entering residential aged care has 

also decreased by 22%, from 536 new entries in the June quarter of 

2017 to 416 in the June quarter of 2019,” he said. 

The aged care royal commission’s interim report recommended the 

government commit that no more younger people should enter 

aged care by 2022 and all younger people in care should be out by 

2025, subject to limited exemptions. 

Robert said, “I want to do a lot more” but he was still 

considering if it was “appropriate and possible to do more”. 

“It requires a huge number of houses to be built, providers to be 

identified and to be able to provide the support so lots of things 

have to work together … but we are absolutely committed to 

looking at it.” 

In response to a question about the Saturday Paper’s report that for 

two years Nugent conducted business relating to the $22 billion 

NDIS from an email server belonging to Macquarie Bank, Robert 

revealed that he had asked for an independent review. 

The Ashurst review found “no clear breaches of privacy” but 

recommended that the disability agency demonstrate that no 

further emails would be sent to personal addresses. 

Robert said board minutes had been sent to the personal emails of 

nonexecutive directors “since the inception of the scheme” under 

Labor in July 2013. 

“I’m not satisfied with [the practice] … [and] to ensure the highest 

level of probity concerning NDIS emails, the [departmental] 

secretary will get to me by mid-November to assure me those 

actions have been undertaken.” 

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Asked about extensive redactions from an ABC freedom of 

information request about waiting times for NDIS plans, Robert 

responded by claiming material from his incoming ministerial brief 

had been excluded by the terms of the reporter’s own request. 

Robert then produced a printed copy of the quarterly report, 

claiming it has “every bit of data you could possibly want”. 

Robert was asked about former senior administrative appeals 

tribunal member Terry Carney’s contention that robodebts are 

unlawful, and two-high profile cases in May and September when 

Centrelink waived the debt rather then drop the case. 

At first, Robert refused to answer because the question did not 

relate to the NDIS, but then defended the legality of robodebt by 

arguing the system of “averaging as the basis to say to a citizen 

‘there may be a debt, please engage with us’ was entirely 

appropriate”. 

“As Australians engage with us and provide information to us, many 

times they can actually prove that they haven’t earned too much, 

and in fact in 19.9% of cases, Australians when they engage with us 

actually demonstrate through their bank account records or salary 

payslips that they don’t have a debt.” 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/14/ndisminister-stuart-robert-defends-governance-of-disability-agency-afterseries-of-controversies 

243




The Interim Report of the Royal Commission into Violence, 

Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability was 

released on October 30, 2020. 

At a lengthy 530 pages, the document is based on the Royal 

Commission’s work from 5 April 2019 to 31 July 2020. Unfortunately, 

we will have to wait until the Royal Commission’s next Progress 

Report to read about findings from Hearing 6 (September 21, 2020 

Psychotropic medication, behaviour support and behaviours of 

concern). 

The Interim Report neglects to make any recommendations at this 

stage, meaning we will have to wait until April 2022 when the final 

report is released to find out what is in store for Australians living 

with disability. This will most probably be pushed back even further 

as a formal request has been made for a 17-month extension of 

time to present the Royal Commission's final report to September 

29, 2023. 

VMIAC’s recommendations 

For the Disability Royal Commission to: 

1. maintain a human rights lens and approach, and for this to 

be synthesised into effective final recommendations which 

uphold rights as set out in the United Nation’s Convention on 

the Rights of People with Disability (CRPD). 

- to end the inappropriate use of psychotropic medication, and 

to eliminate all restrictive practices in all settings. 

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From the outset of the Interim Report, the Royal Commission 

purports to adopt a human-rights informed approach, as set out by 

the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with 

Disabilities (CRPD) to which Australia is a signatory. 

While this remains to be seen in the stark absence of any 

recommendations that commit to this approach, it is hoped that any 

and all future recommendations from this will translate the human 

rights recognised in the CRPD into policies and practices that 

actively promote the right of people with disability to live free from 

violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. 

VMIAC joins the CRPD Committee in urging Australia to create a 

legislative and administrative framework that protects people with 

disability from the inappropriate use of psychotropic medication, 

and to eliminate all restrictive practices in all settings. 

2. extend a trauma-informed approach to carry through and be 

applied to all recommendations in its final report. 

Additionally, the Royal Commission is committed to adopting a 

trauma-informed approach to all aspects of their work. A traumainformed 

approach requires an organisation to ensure its staff 

understand the impacts of trauma and put in place strategies that 

minimise, as far as possible, the risk that people may be retraumatised. 

VMIAC expects that a trauma-informed approach will 

be carried through and applied to the recommendations of the final 

report. 

3. establish a rigorous complaints process with an effective 

oversight mechanism in place. 

245



The Royal Commission acknowledges that often complaints made 

by people with disability, particularly those with psychosocial or 

intellectual disabilities, are not always taken seriously or are 

dismissed as unimportant. VMIAC is aware and concerned to hear 

that reporting and investigation processes are often insufficiently 

independent and are inaccessible or re-traumatising for the 

complainant. 

Nationally, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is 

responsible for the regulation and oversight of services and 

supports provided for people with disability under the NDIS. 

VMIAC is aware of NDIS participants’ difficulties in reporting and 

complaining in a range of contexts, and that incidents are 

sometimes minimised, ignored or go unreported. VMIAC is deeply 

concerned that the Interim Report finds people receiving NDIS 

support have been punished for making complaints and fear 

retribution when not being able to access confidential complaints 

procedures. 

4. end the use of seclusion and restraints to control the 

‘behaviour’ of people with disability. 

The Interim Report finds that people with cognitive or psychosocial 

disability are disproportionately subject to indefinite detention 

orders, which can mean they are held for a longer period than if they 

had been convicted. VMIAC understands through this report that 

repeated incarceration and indefinite detention are linked to 

inadequate support for people with complex needs when they are 

outside custodial settings. VMIAC will be keen to find out what the 

recommendation on this critical issue will be. 

246



VMIAC already has well-established concerns about people with 

psychosocial disability being held against their will in psychiatric 

centres and continues to support the call for an end to the use of 

seclusion and restraints to control the ‘behaviour’ of people with 

disability. 

5. actively promote the human rights of people with 

psychosocial disability to live free from violence, abuse, 

neglect and exploitation. 

Alarmingly, around 42 per cent of submissions were from or about a 

person with psychosocial disability - people with intellectual 

disability and/or psychosocial disability experience violence at 

higher rates than others in the community. Furthermore, the Royal 

Commission’s findings show that adults aged 18–64 with intellectual 

or psychosocial disability experience higher rates of all types of 

violence than adults in that age group with other disability types. 

The Royal Commission has found that one-half of women aged 18– 

64 with psychosocial (50 per cent) or cognitive (46 per cent) 

disability have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. That is 

334,000 women in total. 

Compared with men with other disability types, men aged 18–64 

with psychosocial disability experience higher rates of emotional 

abuse and intimate partner violence. One-third of men in this age 

group with psychosocial disability experience emotional abuse in 

their lifetime, and one-quarter experience partner violence. 

Those who gave submissions, participated in forums and presented 

at hearings called for the following: 

• The provision of a redress scheme for those subjected to 

violence, abuse, neglect and/or exploitation within the disability 

sector 

247



• The Royal Commission to have the power to investigate and 

prosecute perpetrators of violence, abuse, neglect and 

exploitation, including the quality and safety of services 

provided by the NDIS under the NDIS Quality and 

Safeguarding Framework 

• Improved data and research on violence and abuse towards 

people with disability to address knowledge and service gaps, 

and examining the adequacy of the NDIS Quality and 

Safeguards Commission’s data collection, monitoring and 

reporting systems for upholding the rights and promoting the 

health, safety and wellbeing of people with disability 

6. ensure that people living with psychosocial disability can 

have and maintain control over their own lives 

Overall, the strongest theme to come out of the Interim Report is the 

significant challenges people living with disability face in having and 

maintaining control over their own lives, and the deep feelings of 

disempowerment and discrimination associated with this effort. 

Examples include: 

• ‘restrictive practices’ (physical, mechanical, chemical, 

environmental and psychosocial restraints, and seclusion), their 

use and oversight 

• labelling and criminalisation of behaviours that may be seen as 

aggressive or confrontational to authority figures such as police 

or security guards 

• inappropriate prescription and overuse of drugs, including 

treating people against their will 

248



7. improve inclusivity of LGBTIQ+ and gender diverse people 

living with disability in data collection and respond to these 

specific and unique experiences with sensitivity and acceptance 

that goes beyond ‘tolerance’. 

Conclusion: 

It is difficult to comment on an Interim Report that provides nothing 

in the form of real recommendations, and it is unclear as to what 

direction the Royal Commission will take between now and the final 

report due in 2022. VMIAC hopes that the Royal Commission into 

Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability will 

honour its commitment to the human rights of people living with 

disability through the elimination of seclusion, restraint, 

inappropriate psychotropic drug use and through the bolstering of 

effective complaints procedures, accountability and oversight, and 

the upholding of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of 

People with Disability. 

We are willing to be patient but please don’t make people wait for 

further disappointment. 

Source: 

https://www.vmiac.org.au/our-summary-of-the-interim-report-of-theroyal-commission-into-violence-abuse-neglect-and-exploitation-of- 

people-with-disability/ 

249




Disability royal commission finds Federal Government 

responsible for 'serious failures' during COVID-19 

by National Disability Affairs Nas Campaella and the Specialist 

Reporting Team's Celina Edmonds on 30 November 2020 

Key points: 

• The disability royal commission makes 22 recommendations to 

government over its response to COVID-19 

• The chair of the commission said failures had led to people 

with disability "deprived of essential supports" 

• Recommendations include priority access to PPE, increased 

funding and improved standards 

People with disability have been "forgotten and ignored" during the 

pandemic, leaving them "stressed and frightened," a Commonwealth 

report has found. 

Disability royal commission Chair Ronald Sackville said the 

Government was responsible for a "serious failure" in its 

communications with people living with disability. 

The disability royal commission held a hearing with 36 witnesses in 

August into the impact of the pandemic on the disability community 

and on Monday its COVID-19 report was tabled in Parliament. 

In it, the commission made 22 recommendations and Mr Sackville 

called on the Federal Government to consider them "very swiftly". 

"The recommendations are designed to ensure that for the future, 

people with disability are consulted from the very outset," he said. 

250



"It was the absence of that consultation that led to significant 

failures in the responses of the Australian Government." 

Mr Sackville said there was no plan in place at the time the 

pandemic commenced that addressed the specific issues of people 

with disability. 

"People were deprived of essential supports without warning and 

left without support and therefore bewildered, frightened and 

sometimes even without food or medication," he said. 

Mr Sackville said one of the "most disturbing" features of the 

commission's inquiry was the lack of data on the number of people 

with disability who contracted COVID-19. 

"Our recommendations include requiring the Commonwealth to 

make sure that data is collected and disseminated so that we know 

exactly what is happening within the disability community in this 

and any other emergency." 

Welcoming the disability royal commission's report, the Federal 

Government acknowledged the "unique factors" that needed to be 

considered for the health needs of people with disability. 

It said it would respond to the commission's recommendations "as a 

matter of priority." 

In a statement, the Government pointed to the low rate of infection 

and deaths amongst NDIS participants. 

Up until the end of September, there were 179 positive COVID-19 

cases and nine deaths among the 400,000 NDIS participants. 

In the about 200,000 NDIS workers, there were 215 positive tests 

and one death. 

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Recommendations on PPE, standards 

The disability royal commission's report has recommended the NDIS 

Commission should review its practice standards. 

It also recommended disability support workers receive priority 

access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 testing 

if there was a resurgence in the pandemic. 

The first recommendation in the report has called on the 

Commonwealth to consider the findings and recommendations as a 

"matter of urgency." 

"This pandemic is not over... it may revive," Mr Sackville said. 

"We want the Government to respond very swiftly so that the 

pandemic is dealt with in a way that protects and safeguards the 

well-being, the safety, the health of people with disability, and we 

would expect a prompt response." 

The commission also found disability representative organisations 

(DROs) did not have enough funding during the pandemic to cope 

with increased demand for their services. 

It recommended supplementary funding be immediately committed 

if there was a resurgence in infections. 

Other recommendations from the report include that the 

Commonwealth Department of Health should establish a unit for 

developing plans to protect the health and well-being of people 

with disability during emergencies like the pandemic. 

Source: 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-30/disability-royal-commissionreleases-report-into-covid-19-impact/12922918 

252




The seven-year plot to undermine the NDIS 

By Rick Morton for The Saturday Paper on December 5 – 11, 2020 

After years of careful manoeuvring, the Coalition government is 

readying to make radical changes to the National Disability 

Insurance Scheme. The revised system will force new assessments 

and tighten eligibility. 

The minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Stuart Robert. 

CREDIT: AAP IMAGE / MICK TSIKAS 

Stuart Robert was not happy about the sex. 

It was May and the minister for the National Disability Insurance 

Scheme was concerned that the government had lost its appeal, in 

the Federal Court of Australia, on the question of whether the 

disability program should fund sex workers for therapy. 

The court’s decision was a vindication of a fundamental human 

desire for touch and sexual contact. Politically and personally, Stuart 

Robert, an evangelical Christian, was uneasy with it. 

Three months later, in August, Robert announced the “most 

substantial package of reforms” to affect the NDIS since it began. 

253



Late last month, the Department of Social Services released its 

information paper about the proposed changes. 

The changes include the controversial introduction of mandatory 

“independent assessments”. These assessments are currently done 

by health professionals who are already treating an NDIS participant 

– the new system will sever this link, and the assessments will be 

done by a third party without direct knowledge of the case. The 

agency responsible for the scheme has explicitly linked this to 

containing costs. 

As well as the independent assessments, the list of conditions that 

granted people “automatic access” to the scheme will be torn up. 

Every single person in the scheme will have their support reassessed 

from the end of next year if they seek a plan review or have a 

change in circumstances. The fear is this will leave them vulnerable 

to a reduction in care. 

There are also several measures in the information paper aimed at 

soothing the concerns of Robert and some of his conservative 

colleagues. 

“Changes to the legislation will also make it clear that NDIS funds 

should not be used to purchase the services of a sex worker or 

devices solely intended for sexual stimulation and arousal,” the 

paper read. 

To do this, and to bring in outsourced independent functional 

assessments that will govern who gets into the NDIS and what 

support they receive, the Coalition has been playing a years-long 

game of policy chess. All the key pieces are now in position to 

fundamentally reshape the nation’s disability scheme. 

The story of how they were moved into place is one of frustration, 

political ransom and long horizons. 

254



In mid-2017, the Commonwealth forecast that it owed states and 

territories more than $6 billion in NDIS revenue, which had been 

held under lock and key for three years. It was designed to be this 

way. 

When Julia Gillard legislated the disability scheme in 2013, she also 

won support for a 0.5-percentage-point rise to the Medicare levy. All 

that money was stashed away in the DisabilityCare Australia Fund 

(DCAF), which is administered by the Future Fund. Annual payments 

are made to jurisdictions based on their population share of the 

NDIS. 

Once key transition criteria were met by states and territories – such 

as phasing in existing disability service participants to the NDIS – all 

they had to do to be reimbursed from the fund was to sign an 

agreement for the full rollout of the scheme. 

In all, more than $10 billion in receipts up to 2024 was held until the 

states signed up. Currently, every state and territory, except Western 

Australia, has done so. A spokesperson for WA’s Disability Services 

minister, Stephen Dawson, said the minister “strongly supports and 

is committed to co-governance of the NDIS”. 

Under Gillard’s scheme, it was intended that the states would remain 

jointly in control of the NDIS. The staged release of money was 

designed to ensure all states signed up and remained committed. 

“I worry that there is a faction within the government who just 

simply want to reduce costs and make it hard to claim.” 

Once the Coalition was in power, however, they introduced a 

catch: every agreement for the full scheme included a clause 

that handed back significant control to the Commonwealth. 

255



It is hard to understate the seismic nature of this shift for the NDIS – 

and the decision-making power it has concentrated in the hands of 

the federal government. 

“I worry,” says Bill Shorten, the opposition’s spokesman on the NDIS, 

“that there is a faction within the Morrison government who 

just simply want to reduce costs and make it hard to claim.” 

Shorten was one of the earliest official voices to back the idea of the 

scheme. At the time, he was a parliamentary secretary in the Rudd 

and Gillard governments. 

“They [the Coalition] are at risk of losing the confidence of the 

people in the system,” he says. “And that would be a disaster.” 

Reports from NDIS participants who have had funding slashed or 

low-balled are not new. In some cases, participant plans have gone 

from $55,000 a year to more than $460,000 in secret legal 

settlements with the agency. 

But people with disabilities, and their advocates, are concerned the 

proposed model of outsourced “independent assessments” will 

build chronic underinsurance into the system. 

“What is the motivation for it all? People are suspicious,” Shorten 

says. “This is a government that does a lot of things very slowly but 

on this one they have been rushing. And it is perplexing, and it 

creates anxiety.” 

In theory at least, functional capacity assessments are the backbone 

of the NDIS – a scheme designed to ensure support is provided 

based on a person’s needs, not their diagnosis. 

256



While both Stuart Robert and the National Disability Insurance 

Agency, which administers the scheme, claim the introduction of 

independent assessors will ensure consistency in decision-making 

and equity for participants of the NDIS, experts and advocates 

disagree. 

Late last month, the Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with 

Disability (VALID) published an open letter from its chief executive, 

Kevin Stone, in which he said the league had withdrawn from “any 

further consultation processes” around the independent assessors 

measure. These measures are due to begin in the middle of next 

year. 

“The Productivity Commission said in 2011 that independent 

assessments should only be used when the right assessment tools 

become available. Those tools still do not exist,” Stone wrote. 

“The 2019 Tune Review also said that independent assessments 

should be optional. We agree. We believe that the unintended 

consequences of the current proposal will be potentially devastating 

for people with intellectual disabilities and their families.” 

VALID is not alone in this view. In a statement, the spokesperson for 

WA Disability Services Minister Stephen Dawson said: “The Minister 

has expressed concern regarding the implementation of 

Independent Assessments and their alignment with the original 

intent in the Tune Review and has been advocating for ongoing 

consultation with people with disability. How they could be 

implemented in regional and remote areas, what impact they will 

have on existing participants and new applicants will continue to be 

discussed through Ministerial forums.” 

257



For his part, Stuart Robert says the introduction of independent 

assessors is not a measure designed to push scores of people off the 

NDIS, nor to reduce their support payments. 

“Independent assessments and legislative changes to provide more 

guidance and clarity on the boundaries of the NDIS are not 

designed to reduce people’s budgets, rather it delivers consistency 

with the original intent of the scheme to ensure equitable access to 

the NDIS and to allow more flexible use of plans,” he tells The 

Saturday Paper. 

The minister says program boundaries – for example, whether the 

health or education systems should pay for certain support – will be 

further clarified, as will detail about “what should and should not be 

charged to NDIS plan budgets”. 

Robert notes that independent assessments will be paid for by the 

government, as opposed to what happens in the current system, in 

which NDIS applicants are required to pay for their own assessments 

from their treating physician. 

Despite sector opposition to the change, independent assessments 

are in essence a fait accompli. But in order to carry out the proposal, 

the Commonwealth needs to amend the NDIS Act. At the moment, 

the system they are proposing does not have legal grounding. 

“Draft legislation to give effect to the reforms will be released for 

consultation in 2021, ahead of introduction to parliament,” Robert 

says, “with a view to it coming into effect by mid-2021.” 

While the government has not revealed what elements of the 

legislation will need to change – or what new rules will need to be 

passed – it is clear that rules relating to section 35 of the NDIS Act 

are among them. 

258



It seems more likely that the government will also seek to amend 

section 209 of the law now that it has agreement to do so from 

states and territories. 

This would give the federal minister almost unfettered power to 

make decisions under the “exclusionary power” of section 35. 

Rules that can be made under this section are a crucial piece of the 

puzzle – part of the powers handed back to the Commonwealth 

through the bilateral agreements signed with each state and 

territory, except for WA. 

Section 35 allows rules to be made by the federal government that 

may prescribe “methods or criteria” or other matters that the NDIA 

chief executive must consider when determining “reasonable and 

necessary supports or general supports that will be funded or 

provided under the National Disability Insurance Scheme”. 

It also allows the government to decide what “reasonable and 

necessary supports will or will not be funded or provided”. 

In the sex worker case, both the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and 

the Federal Court confirmed that the Commonwealth could create a 

power to ban certain supports from the scheme – it just hasn’t 

chosen to do so yet because, until now, such a rule could have been 

vetoed by any state. 

“The Tribunal correctly identified s.35 as a mechanism available to 

the executive … to take a policy position on particular kinds of 

supports,” the Federal Court judgement read. 

“The Tribunal otherwise correctly distanced itself from decisionmaking 

based on ‘political’ considerations. To this might be added 

‘moral’ considerations.” 

259



The Federal Court judgement said that what drove the NDIA’s 

blanket ban on support for sex work “was never clearly revealed in 

its explanations to the respondent, its media release, or in its 

submissions to the Tribunal or to this Court”. 

“It is difficult to tell whether an accurate descriptor of the Agency’s 

position is ‘political’, or ‘moral’ or another adjective,” the court said. 

If the government rewrites the legislation governing how rules are 

made – section 209 of the act – by moving the section 35 power to 

“Category D”, then this will require only that each state and territory 

be “consulted in relation to the making of the rules” regarding this 

section. In theory, once this is done, any Commonwealth minister 

will be able to ban whatever they like under the scheme. 

This will be the final step in giving all significant control of the NDIS 

to the federal minister. 

Almost since the scheme began, the government has worried about 

its cost. 

Former arrangements for collective governance worried bean 

counters at the scheme’s governing agency, as well as 

Commonwealth ministers. This is because, in almost every case, it is 

the Australian government on the hook for 100 per cent of cost 

overruns in the NDIS. 

If the scheme goes over budget, the Commonwealth pays. Not the 

states. 

It is notable, then, that since the NDIS was established, every 

quarterly or annual report from the NDIA has identified “emerging” 

cost pressures. 

260



Rather than soften over time, the language in these reports has 

become more alarmist. The latest annual report from the agency 

refers to a litany of “sustainability” and “cost pressures”. 

“In the early years of the scheme … inflation [of costs] reflected the 

dynamic and rapidly changing environment of a newly established 

scheme,” it read. “However, these high levels of inflation have 

persisted over time, despite the increasing maturity of the scheme.” 

The report noted that the entry of new participants into the scheme 

had been expected to slow over the 2019-20 financial year. 

“However, this has not occurred,” it read, “and there are few signs 

that the scheme’s rapid growth is abating.” 

For the NDIA, the cost pressures are sprawling: more eligible 

children than forecast; more people remaining as full-scheme 

participants even after early intervention requirements have been 

met; a 39.5 per cent increase between 2018 and 2020 in average 

support package costs for participants with supported independent 

living, to $325,000 per annum. Even for those who are not in the 

intensive supported independent living program, funding per 

person per year has risen 39.6 per cent to $34,900. 

The agency’s own annual report explicitly links the forced rollout of 

independent assessments to cost-saving measures. 

“The immediate and effective implementation of these management 

responses is required to both improve participant outcomes and 

ensure the scheme is financially sustainable into the future,” it said. 

That is: it is hoped the independent assessors will bring down costs. 

Fewer people will be eligible for the scheme, and those in it may get 

fewer services. 

261



In the NDIA’s latest corporate plan, covering 2020 to 2024 and 

released earlier this year, the agency goes further in its ambition for 

reform. 

“We are proactively addressing pressures, including support costs 

for Supported Independent Living where costs have been increasing 

significantly above normal inflation,” agency chair Helen Nugent 

wrote in her introduction. 

“In addition, we are managing the pressures in entry and funding 

decisions, particularly in relation to how the Scheme interfaces with 

mainstream services, and community and informal supports.” 

Under the heading “strategic risks”, the agency notes that “costs, 

scope, eligibility or funding approvals deviate significantly from 

funding expectations”. 

“We must safeguard the financial sustainability of the Scheme in a 

risk-aware manner, providing reasonable and necessary supports 

based on independent assessments of a participant’s needs and the 

impact of disability on daily life,” the corporate plan says, noting that 

through to the end of next year the agency must “strengthen 

policies, procedures and controls to ensure financial sustainability, 

particularly [on] reasonable and necessary [supports]”. 

From the beginning of 2018, the NDIA has been working on what 

was then a secret plan – given the internal moniker Operation Green 

Light – to deliver functional assessments as a gatekeeper to the 

NDIS itself. 

The plan was revealed during a senate estimates hearing on June 1 

that year in response to questions from Labor senator Carol Brown 

directed at surprised agency bosses. The agency leaders scrambled 

to explain the concept and in so doing ended up speaking plainly. 

262



“This is about making sure that the right people get into the scheme 

who are eligible for the scheme,” Rob De Luca, then chief executive 

at the NDIA, told the hearing. 

“It’s about an access decision, ensuring that the scheme is set up to 

service those who should be in the scheme.” 

In the same hearing, agency staff were peppered with questions 

about an apparently “accidental” change made to an access list of 

conditions that automatically qualify people for entry to the NDIS. 

In the unannounced revision, autism with a severity level of two – 

there are three levels – was removed from the list. If this were 

carried through, potential participants would all have to be tested 

before their NDIS access was agreed. 

“I think the key focus for us from a sustainability perspective is a 

number of things we need to continue to monitor, including making 

sure we’ve got the right people in the scheme with the right 

packages,” De Luca told senate estimates. 

“That’s really core to what we need to focus our attention on. 

Whether it’s autism or other disabilities, we monitor that in line with 

the expectations.” 

Now, under Stuart Robert’s proposed reforms, not only will the 

automatic access list be deleted entirely, but these functional 

assessments will apply to everyone whether they are seeking access 

to the scheme or already in it. 

Just five months after that senate estimates hearing, in November 

2018, the NDIA launched an independent assessment pilot in eight 

metropolitan NSW locations. 

263



The pilot was tendered to a West Australian company, Advanced 

Personnel Management (APM), which The Saturday 

Paper understands is now one of the frontrunners for the open 

tender to deliver the full national rollout. 

APM, which donated $100,000 to the Liberal Party during the 2018- 

19 financial year, when the assessment pilot began, was founded by 

Megan Wynne. 

It has since become the largest provider of government-funded 

disability employment services and made about half a billion dollars 

in revenue from other outsourced government programs, including 

Jobactive, home care assessments in the aged sector, and training 

through its subsidiary company, Management Consultancy 

International (MCI). The Saturday Paper is not suggesting any 

impropriety in the awarding of these contracts, or any others, to 

APM or MCI. 

MCI has testimonials from major corporations such as Nestlé and 

British American Tobacco Australasia. 

Wynne, whose estimated personal fortune rose to more than $300 

million earlier this year when American private equity firm Madison 

Dearborn Partners bought a controlling stake of APM, is now one of 

just two investors in an NDIS housing supply company named Sana 

Living. 

Sana Living’s chief executive is former Human Services minister and 

WA Coalition MP Michael Keenan. 

The APM assessment pilot had only 500 volunteers. Of those, just 

140 surveys were returned about its effectiveness, according to Bill 

Shorten. 

264



“And only 100 of the returned surveys said they found the process 

satisfactory,” he says. 

“So, it’s just poor evidence-based work and reform, on the basis of 

100 surveys, to change the system for 400,000 people. And they 

haven’t come clean with their facts and figures, the actuarial 

modelling. Who are the winners and who are the losers?” 

The government has made clear to potential and current NDIS 

participants that independent assessments will not “replace the 

relationship a person has with their treating medical or allied health 

professionals”. And they will still be required to pay for their own 

health experts to “provide evidence of disability to support their 

request to access the NDIS”. 

“This includes information and clinical judgement that an 

impairment is permanent, or likely to be permanent,” the NDIS 

reform information paper says. 

Many fear a model proposed to end inequity in assessments will 

instead just duplicate unfairness with more layers of bureaucracy. 

Former prime minister Julia Gillard wrote the NDIS into law. This 

week, she told The Saturday Paper that people “campaigned for the 

NDIS because they wanted to be able to make decisions about their 

lives and to customise the best mix of services for their unique 

circumstances, needs and life plans”. 

“Any reforms to the NDIS must remain true to these aims.” 

Both the federal government and the NDIA claim the reform 

intentions are pure. Yet trust in the system has been brittle for years. 

Thousands have had support stripped or reduced only to have the 

decisions reversed by competent tribunals. At every turn the agency 

has briefed expensive silks to crush people in court before 

265



conceding, mostly during secret settlements, that its support 

allocation was too little. In other cases it has fought until the bitter 

end and lost anyway. 

Since the beginning, people with disabilities have learnt that 

promises have a habit of turning sour unless they fight. That is 

where they are now. 

Source: 

https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/12/05/exclusi 

ve-the-seven-year-plot-undermine-the-ndis/160708680010805 

266




25 disability groups sign joint statement calling for rebuild of 

controversial NDIS reforms 


The signatories say the consultation offered on the reforms has been 

centered on how to implement the policy, not the development of 

the policy itself. 

A group of 25 disability advocacy groups has signed a joint 

statement urging a halt to controversial NDIS reforms and for them 

to be rebuilt with an end-to-end co-design process directly 

involving people with disability. 

The signatory organisations say their clients “are overwhelmingly 

expressing acute fears regarding the risks to their health, wellbeing 

and access to reasonable and necessary supports” raised by the 

mandatory independent assessment reforms set to come into effect 

later this year. 

The signatories say the consultation offered on the reforms has been 

centered on how to implement the policy, not the development of 

the policy itself. 

Naomi Anderson, a lawyer at Villamanta Disability Rights Legal 

Service, one of the 25 signatory bodies, said the statement reflects a 

high prevalence of concern about the reforms. 

“It's the result of a number of advocates who saw the issues 

proposed and have had different experiences with different client 

bases, but all coming to the same conclusion that the proposals in 

question are simply not going to be in the best interest of our 

clients,” she told SBS News. 

267



The 25-body statement came in response to consultation papers 

released in November. The three-month consultation period closed 

last week. 

Under the independent assessment reforms, current and prospective 

participants will be referred to an independent healthcare specialist 

for free assessments to determine their eligibility for the scheme. 

They were announced last year after a version was recommended in 

an independent review of the NDIS Act in 2019 and by the 

Productivity Commission at the scheme's inception. 

Currently, participants need to acquire reports from multiple 

therapists of their choosing, which then forms evidence for their 

eligibility. 

The government has said the reforms will make access to the NDIS 

more consistent and transparent. But there has 

been concern assessments could be too brief to properly determine 

an applicant's true eligibility for the scheme and force vulnerable 

people to be assessed by practitioners they don't know or trust. 

Mary Mallet, CEO of Disability Advocacy Network Australia, another 

of the 25 signatory groups, said while there is lots of material 

available explaining the reforms, not much has been “sufficiently 

reassuring” for people with disability. 

“There is still a concern there's an intent behind it which is more to 

do with protecting the financial sustainability of the NDIS than it is 

about making sure that people with disability get an individualised 

plan that meets their needs,” she said. 

A spokesperson for NDIS Minister Stuart Robert said there had been 

extensive consultation on the reforms and that they will help set up 

“an NDIS that works for everyone”. 

268



“The reforms to the NDIS deliver on the final elements of the 

Productivity Commission’s original design for the Scheme and are 

based on recommendations from reviews and inquiries,” the 

spokesperson said. 

“The reforms will deliver greater flexibility for participants to spend 

their plan funding on disability-related supports. More guidance 

about the boundaries of the NDIS will also be provided, including 

what should and should not be charged to NDIS plan budgets. 

"The reforms will improve information gathering required for 

decision making, notably at no cost for participants and those 

applying to become participants.” 

In December, it was announced a cross-parliamentary 

committee would conduct an inquiry into independent 

assessments. 

The Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance 

Scheme inquiry will focus on the rationale and evidence supporting 

the reforms, the assessment process and its impacts, and their 

appropriateness for particular cohorts of people with disability. 

The closing date for submissions to the inquiry is 31 March. 

Federal senators last year also called into question the integrity of 

feedback from an independent assessment pilot program. 

Last week, the organisations chosen via an open tender process to 

provide the assessors were announced. Most applicants are 

expected to be able to choose between two or more of the 

organisations. 

Source: 

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/25-disability-groups-sign-jointstatement-calling-for-rebuild-of-controversial-ndis-reforms 

269




Stuart Robert hits back after disability advocates sound alarm 

over NDIS speculation 


It comes amid ongoing anxiety about the controversial independent 

assessment reforms set to come into effect later this year. 

Stuart Robert leaves after Question Time in the House of Representatives 

at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP 

NDIS Minister Stuart Robert has sought to downplay a report about 

leaked proposed changes to the scheme that sparked anger and 

distress from disability advocates. 

Nine newspapers on Friday morning, citing leaked draft 

legislation, reported the government has been considering “radical 

reforms” to the disability scheme, including denying funding to 

people with acquired brain injuries and fetal alcohol spectrum 

disorder, cutting out co-design initiatives, and recouping debts for 

items redefined as an everyday living expense. 

270



Nine also reported there had been discussions to cull ‘reasonable 

and necessary’ terminology, a contentious but crucial definition used 

to test eligibility for support, and that disability advocates who had 

seen the draft feared it would reduce avenue of appeal for 

participants. 

The total number of appeals against NDIS decisions blew out by 

more than 700 per cent between 2016 and 2020. 

The Nine papers' report immediately prompted an outpouring of 

concern from advocacy groups, and comes amid ongoing backlash 

from the sector about the controversial independent assessment 

reforms set to come into effect later this year. 

Later on Friday, Mr Robert moved to mitigate the report and the 

concerns it raised. 

“We are introducing reforms to the NDIS because we believe access 

to the Scheme and a participant’s plan should not be determined by 

your postcode or how much someone can pay for a report. This 

does not extend to removing the term ‘reasonable and necessary’ 

from NDIS legislation,” he said in a statement to SBS News on Friday 

afternoon. 

Mr Robert said he had not seen the draft legislation cited by the 

Nine papers, which he said he had been told was only “one of 78”. 

“The only draft legislation the government intends to introduce is 

the one I will release shortly,” he said. 

In a later tweet, Mr Robert said he found it “abhorrent people are 

using [the leaked paper] to unleash unnecessary concern on NDIS 

participants”. 

271



Labor’s NDIS spokesman Bill Shorten uploaded what he said was the 

draft legislation in question, calling it “the Morrison government's 

secret plan to cut the NDIS”. 

People with Disability Australia president Samantha Connor said the 

matters raised by the report were “deeply concerning”. 

“To discover that there are significant changes proposed that will 

disadvantage people with disability, along with a proposal to cut out 

co-design with participants and disabled persons organisations, is 

deeply concerning,” she said. 

National Ethnic Disability Alliance CEO Dwayne Cranfield said the 

leaked draft law made it look like particular groups were being 

“targeted” and it would make their access to the NDIS more difficult. 

“Today’s distressing news and recent concerns regarding 

independent assessments sadly reflect that this is not the NDIS we 

fought for. We demand answers,” he said. 

The administrators of the NDIS were grilled by federal senators on 

Thursday about independent assessments and a contract to conduct 

them that was awarded to a company controlled by the agency’s 

former boss. 

The National Disability Insurance Agency on Friday also released 

reports on three consultation papers, one of which regarded “access 

and eligibility" with independent assessments. 

The NDIA said it would use the feedback “to inform draft changes to 

legislation, policy, implementation approaches and guidance for 

participants, staff and partners”. 

272



Disability advocates have previously said consultation on the 

independent assessment reforms – a form of which was first 

recommended by the Productivity Commission at the NDIS’ 

inception and later in an independent review - has been centred on 

how to implement the policy, not on the development of the policy 

itself. 

Source: 

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/stuart-robert-hits-back-after-disabilityadvocates-sound-alarm-over-ndis-speculation 

273




WhatsApp leak: ministers shut out of NDIS redraft 

by Rick Morton for The Saturday Paper on 3 – 9 April 2021 

State and territory disability ministers have been sidelined from 

plans to strip back the NDIS. The legislation will hand the federal 

minister ‘God powers’ over the scheme. 

The minister formerly in charge of the National Disability Insurance 

Scheme, Stuart Robert. CREDIT: AAP / MICK TSIKAS 

Last Saturday, shortly after lunchtime, it all exploded. The WhatsApp 

group – set up between state and territory disability ministers and 

the then Commonwealth minister, Stuart Robert – had been 

seething with anger for a while. Then suddenly it was too much. 

“I may actually self-combust with incendiary rage before this thing is 

over,” the ACT minister for Disability, Emma Davidson, messaged her 

colleagues. 

274



It had been more than 24 hours since a leaked proposal for changes 

to the National Disability Insurance Scheme was reported in Nine 

newspapers. But state and territory ministers, who share half the 

oversight of the $25 billion scheme, had still not been given a copy 

of the legislation. None of them had seen even a briefing note. 

At no point since has the federal government – or Stuart Robert, 

who was moved from the NDIS portfolio earlier this week in a 

cabinet reshuffle – made the document available to the states and 

territories. 

The Saturday Paper has spoken with several members of the 

WhatsApp group and the Disability Reform Council, both of which 

include Robert. 

“He thinks it is okay to have state ministers begging to see a copy of 

the draft legislation,” one minister for Disability says. 

“Robert says he is up to draft 80 on this and no one outside of the 

federal government has seen it. Not state ministers and certainly not 

people with disability.” 

“Stuart Robert is taking all of the King Henry VIII powers,” one legal 

source said. “You cannot get a more pure power grab. That is a God 

power.” 

After Davidson’s message, New South Wales Liberal minister Gareth 

Ward offered her a thumbs-up. Within moments, he phoned to 

express his support. 

In the Northern Territory and Western Australia, ministers called for 

Robert to release the official draft. Until that happens, state and 

territory ministers are working from a leaked document that outlines 

an alarming future for the NDIS, including a “God power” for the 

federal minister to remake the scheme at will. 

275



Robert offered no reply to his fellow ministers at the weekend. It was 

only after Scott Morrison’s Monday cabinet reshuffle – which saw 

Robert transferred to the Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and 

Family Business portfolio – that the Queensland MP popped back up 

in the chat. 

Robert told the other ministers he was removing himself from the 

group and adding in the new minister for the NDIS, Linda Reynolds. 

Reynolds, who remains on paid medical leave following revelations 

about her handling of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins’ rape 

allegation, politely said hello to the ministers with whom she soon 

would be working. 

Sensing an opportunity, they again requested the draft NDIS 

legislation. Reynolds did not reply, and has not been in the chat 

since. 

The Saturday Paper has obtained a leaked copy of the proposed 

changes to the NDIS Act, dated December 2020. 

The documents signal plans for a broad, sweeping and potentially 

irrevocable consolidation of power within the scheme to a single 

person: the federal NDIS minister. 

In its 323 pages, bureaucrats have taken the current NDIS Act and 

tracked changes throughout. They have added entirely new sections 

to the legislation and deleted key clauses that have underpinned the 

very nature of the scheme. 

Central to the seismic shift is a new ability of the Commonwealth 

minister to make so-called “rules” at any time, which the chief 

executive of the National Disability Insurance Agency must follow 

when interpreting the legislation. 

276



As first revealed by The Saturday Paper in December, critical rules 

that used to require either unanimous or majority agreement from 

states and territories would, under the proposed changes, become 

the sole prerogative of the Commonwealth. 

The Commonwealth minister would be given unilateral power to rule 

on general supports that will be provided under the scheme, and to 

dictate the criteria for “determining the total amount of funding 

allocated for the purposes of a plan”. 

This change will strip the states or territories of the veto power they 

now hold. 

But this is not the only significant proposal. The draft legislation 

includes an expanded debt recovery power, which would allow the 

NDIA to claw back money from participants who breach the new 

rules, sparking concern about its similarity to the controversial robodebt 

scheme. 

In effect, the agency could raise a debt on an individual if they spent 

their NDIS funding on “ordinary living expenses” or on a service or 

support the Commonwealth minister decides should have been 

funded by a state or territory government. These decisions could be 

entirely arbitrary. 

Moreover, as one sector source pointed out, the government is 

“building a capability to surveil” NDIS participants in order to watch 

what they spend and where, in close to real time. Using technology 

solutions such as blockchain – already trialled in the scheme – the 

government wants to see what people are spending and will launch 

a new NDIS app in coming months to consolidate these features. 

A new section of the act, 46C, would hand the Commonwealth 

minister the extraordinary power to ban any kind of support and to 

force states and territories to potentially fund others. 

277



“A participant who receives an NDIS amount, or a person who 

receives an NDIS amount on behalf of a participant, must not spend 

the money to acquire goods or services prescribed by the National 

Disability Insurance Scheme rules for the purposes of this subsection 

as goods or services acquired as part of ordinary living expenses,” 

the documents read. 

These banned “goods or services” – note, the scheme’s common 

language of “supports” is not used here – may be things the minister 

decides ought to be funded by “other general systems of service 

delivery or support services, whether or not they are currently being 

so funded or provided”. 

The states and territories are concerned this will shift responsibility 

back to them – as, prior to the introduction of the NDIS, they were 

the major providers of disability services. 

This particular clause, 46C, appears designed in response to a 

number of Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) findings made 

against the NDIA, including an October 2019 case wherein a man in 

north Queensland with multiple sclerosis won a long battle to have 

an air conditioner provided through the disability scheme. 

The NDIA had argued it was a “day-to-day living expense” but lost 

because the tribunal said it was a reasonable and necessary support 

based on evidence people with MS experience worsening of their 

condition when their core temperature rises. 

Similarly, the NDIA lost another matter in 2018 regarding a woman 

who sought, and won, funding for a personal trainer and gym 

membership because it allowed her to maintain her physical 

function. 

Legal experts who spoke with The Saturday Paper were astonished at 

the breadth of this section in the proposed changes. 

278



“He [Stuart Robert] is taking all of the King Henry VIII powers,” one 

legal source said. “You cannot get a more pure power grab. That is a 

God power.” 

In law, Henry VIII clauses are often described as subordinate pieces 

of a primary legislation – in this case NDIS rules under the NDIS Act 

– that subvert or amend the legislation itself, typically through 

executive power. 

This consolidation of power continues throughout the document. 

Proposed changes to section 27 of the act would give the 

Commonwealth minister unfettered ability to decide, for example, 

whether people are mentally ill to the degree required for NDIS 

support. It could allow the minister to deny early intervention 

funding if they believed the evidence about its “benefit” in the future 

was unclear. 

Most strikingly among the draft changes, though, is the removal of 

the entirety of section 34, which currently declares that participants 

will be given “reasonable and necessary” support funding “to pursue 

[their] goals, objectives and aspirations”. 

Contrary to other media reports, there has been no suggestion from 

the Commonwealth that this is a mistake in the drafting or that it 

will be unwound. 

On March 26, Stuart Robert tweeted, “We are introducing reforms to 

the NDIS because we believe access to the scheme and a 

participant’s plan should not be determined by your postcode or 

how much someone can pay for a report. 

“This does not extend to removing the term ‘reasonable and 

necessary’ from NDIS legislation.” 

279



Robert’s wording is deliberate. The term will likely remain in the 

legislation but not as a descriptor for what participants should 

receive in terms of support. Now, the term “reasonable and 

necessary” will describe a participant budget. The difference is 

subtle, but the latter places more emphasis on the financial metrics 

of the NDIS and, according to legal sources, would allow rationing of 

support without an avenue for legal challenge. 

Where the draft discusses what is currently written as “reasonable 

and necessary supports” for individuals with disability, the reference 

is struck through and replaced only with “funding for supports”. 

No less alarming to disability advocates, but more discreet, is a slew 

of language changes throughout the new document. 

Under this proposal, for example, people with disabilities will no 

longer be entitled to “reviews” of their own funded support package 

but will instead be submitted to a “reassessment”. This language is 

changed throughout, and the word “request” has been changed to 

“requirement” for assessment information. 

Privately, NDIA staff and Stuart Robert’s office believe they do not 

need legislative force to introduce controversial independent 

assessments (IAs) – by government contractors who will examine 

disabled people to determine their functional needs, breaking the 

often years-long relationship between people and their treating 

health professionals – but these are included in draft proposals. 

“A requirement … may specify that the assessment or examination is 

to be conducted by a person included in a class of persons made 

known to the prospective participant,” the draft clause says. 

280



Public Interest Advocacy Centre senior solicitor Chadwick Wong, 

who leads the organisation’s project to institute a fairer NDIS, says 

the combined effect of independent assessments and the leaked 

legislative changes create new “transparency, accountability and 

governance issues”. 

“The government’s cost-cutting overhaul of the NDIS includes a 

number of disturbing changes that will erode the ‘choice and 

control’ promised by the scheme to people with disability,” Wong 

says. 

“The removal of the word ‘co-design’, as seen in documents leaked 

to the media … also points to a concerning step away from 

meaningful engagement with the disability sector. 

“We urge the government to stop the implementation of these 

changes immediately, and to properly consult with the community 

so that improvements to the NDIS may be co-designed with people 

with disability.” 

Taking all of the proposed and planned changes together, the 

impact on people with a disability is significant. Here’s how 

independent assessments will work with the government’s desired 

legislative overhaul. 

The eight-year-long experience of people turning up to a planning 

meeting, expressing their goals and ambitions to live life in the 

community and having each of those goals funded through a 

“reasonable and necessary” support to achieve them are over. 

Instead, a person’s first experience of the NDIS will be a functional 

assessment carried out by a team of strangers for a few hours. This 

assessment will automatically generate a “draft budget” based on 

software that splits them into categories. 

281



These categories will be informed by the functional need score, their 

age and, according to the agency itself in a submission to a 

parliamentary inquiry, “the impact of their environment, such as the 

informal supports available to the participant and other contextual 

factors such as locality or circumstance”. 

Rather than building a support package from scratch, participants 

will arrive at their first planning meeting with a generic draft budget 

and then have limited opportunity to argue for individual changes. 

Advocates are calling it “robo-planning”. If the NDIS was the 

greatest policy achievement in a generation, these changes 

represent the greatest disfiguring of its original intention. They lay 

the groundwork for an NDIS that is less generous, less fair and less 

accessible – all under the caprice of a single minister. And he just left 

the chat 

Source: 

https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2021/04/03/whatsa 

pp-leak-ministers-shut-out-ndisredraft/161736840011391?cb=1618130759 

282



MISUSE OF TAXPAYER MONEY 

283



Misuse of Taxpayer Money to attend Liberal Wedding 

- October 2011 

Steve Irons federal Liberal MP charged taxpayers more than $2000 

for flights to his own Melbourne wedding, it has been revealed. 

West Australian Liberal Steve Irons claimed $1346 to fly from Perth 

to Melbourne on October 18, 2011, according to Department of 

Finance records. 

An investigation by The West Australian newspaper has revealed the 

MP for Swan married his partner Cheryle the same week. 

The records show a further $911.80 was billed to taxpayers for a 

return flight a week later, on October 25. 

THE wedding expenses scandal embroiling the Abbott government 

has widened, with another two ministers being forced to repay 

hundreds of dollars in expense claims to attend the nuptials of a 

colleague. 

Bringing the tally to five frontbenchers including Prime Minister 

Tony Abbott, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and Assistant 

Defence Minister Stuart Robert admitted they had wrongly slugged 

taxpayers for travel allowance claims of $354 each for October 21, 

2011. 

Scott Morrison declined to comment on his erroneous claim, with 

his office directing inquiries to Sydney shock jock Ray Hadley who 

read out his statement for him. 

Hadley said that Mr Morrison was sorry for denying that he had 

claimed for a wedding on his radio program earlier this week. 

284



Scott Morrison said he had been staying in Melbourne in October 

2011 during the week but remained at the hotel for the Friday night 

after the wedding earlier that day, according to Hadley. 

He did not make a travel allowance claim for that night as he 

thought the hotel was provided free by Crown and it was declared 

on his interests' register, the radio host quoted Scott Morrison as 

saying. 

However, Scott Morrison’s office later received a bill from Crown, 

and paid it with Morrison’s credit card, including the extra day for 

the wedding. Morrison paid the $350 back. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/sep/26/liberal-mp-steveirons-repays-travel-claim-for-flights-to-his-own-wedding 

https://www.news.com.au/national/scott-morrison-and-stuart-ROBERT-thelatest-mps-forced-to-pay-back-money-claimed/newsstory/6926abb5d6b77e1f935798dc89bc4044 

285



1. IMAGE: Something borrowed? Liberal MP forced to pay back $2000 for charging taxpayers for flights to his OWN wedding. 

2. IMAGE: Liberal MP Steve Irons Travel Expenses 

Department of Finance records (above) show Steve Irons charged 

$1346.14 to the taxpayer on flights to Melbourne and 

$911.80 to return to Perth. He has since paid the funds back. 

286



More misuse of Taxpayer Money 

… Mount Carlton Mine Townsville 

Stuart Robert says he will pay back costs of trip to Mine in 

which he had financial interest 

By Daniel Hurst and Shalailah Medhora for The Guardian 


The former minister has pledged to pay back the $1,091 he charged 

the taxpayer in flights to attend the opening of the Mount Carlton 

mine 

Dumped federal minister Stuart Robert has reportedly pledged to 

pay back the costs of taxpayer-funded trip to attend the opening of 

a mine in which he owned “minor shares”. 

Paul Marks was a Non-Executive Director of the company. 

DEPARTMENT of Finance documents show Mr Robert claimed for 

return flights from Brisbane to Townsville on April 10, 2013, the day 

he visited the $200 million Mt Carlton mine of gold producer 

Evolution Mining. 

Robert was quoted in the Gold Coast Bulletin saying he would repay 

the $1,091 he spent on return flights between Brisbane and 

Townsville on April 2013. 

“To ensure there can be no conflict I wish to voluntarily repay the 

costs in question in addition to any such penalty the Department [of 

Finance] may wish to apply,” Robert said. 

Attempts by Guardian Australia to contact Robert or his office have 

been unsuccessful. 

287



Before Stuart’s announcement on Tuesday the prime 

minister, Malcolm Turnbull, suggested the finance department might 

look into claims. 

The department’s entitlement records show Robert spent $1,091.49 

on return flights from Brisbane to Townsville on 10 April 2013, the 

day the then Queensland premier, Campbell Newman, officially 

opened the Mount Carlton gold, silver and copper mine south-east 

of Townsville. 

Robert and his family members held shares in the mine’s proponent, 

Evolution, according to an update to the parliamentary interests 

register that he filed on 6 February 2012. 

The Australian newspaper reported that a state government itinerary 

of the official opening showed the event was also attended by 

Robert – then the federal opposition’s spokesman on defence 

science, technology and personnel – and the Queensland Liberal 

National party’s then president, Bruce McIver. 

Guardian Australia has sought comment from Robert, who 

was forced to quit from the ministry last week after he came under 

scrutiny over a “private” trip to China in August 2014 when he 

attended a mining cooperation deal involving a Liberal donor. 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia- 

news/2016/feb/16/stuart-robert-may-be-investigated-over- 

trip-to-mine-in-which-he-had-financial-interest 

288



More misuse of Taxpayer Money … 

PRAISE THE TAXPAYER! Stuart Robert attends Hillsong Mega 

Church Conference with his wife - March 2019 

The government claims he was asked to represent the 

government at the five-day Hillsong conference 

It isn't the first time Mr Robert has come under fire for his religion. 

In March, it was revealed he charged taxpayers more than $2,300 so 

he could attend a Hillsong mega church conference with his wife. 

Mr Robert was a guest speaker at the Pentecostal church's Hillsong 

Conference Nights event in Sydney, in July 2015. 

The Liberal minister delivered a 'Pillars of Influence Masterclass' 

lecture on how 'innovative individuals' are 'influencing their pillar 

with the message of Jesus'. 

Taxpayers stumped up $2,326 for Mr Robert's travel and 

accommodation, including $672 for his wife Chantelle, who has since 

become a Pentecostal pastor on the Gold Coast, Department of 

Finance records showed. 

Mr Robert claimed the travel as 'official business'. 

Ministers usually meet bureaucrats or stakeholder groups related to 

their portfolio during such visits. 

In this case, however, he was asked to represent the government at 

the five-day Hillsong conference. 

Last year he was also caught ripping off taxpayers for racking up 

$2,000 per month internet bills and was forced to pay back almost 

$38,000. 

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7769987/Calls-Stuart- 

Robert-resign-footage-emerges-showing-BAPTISING-tourists-Israel.html 

289



Praise the taxpayer! 

How a federal minister charged the public purse $2,300 to attend a 

celebrity church Hillsong conference to deliver a 'masterclass' on being a 

'pillar of Jesus' - and claimed it as official duties 

290



More misuse of Taxpayer Money … 

Cabinet Ministers charge Taxpayers for trip involving 

Liberal Party Fundraiser 

by Christopher Knaus and William Summers for The Guardian 

on 15 June 2020 

Exclusive: Stuart Robert, Dan Tehan and Simon Birmingham say 

they were in Sydney for parliamentary business when they 

attended the lucrative Channel Nine event 

Trade minister Simon Birmingham, education minister Dan Tehan and 

social services minister Stuart Robert. Composite: AAP 

Three cabinet ministers charged taxpayers more than $4,500 for an 

overnight trip to Sydney during which they mingled with mining and 

banking donors at a lucrative Liberal party fundraiser hosted by 

Channel Nine. 

Stuart Robert, Dan Tehan and Simon Birmingham flew into Sydney 

on the day of the $10,000-a-head fundraising dinner last year before 

flying out again the following day, charging their flights and 

overnight accommodation costs to their parliamentary allowances. 

291



The rules for expenses bar MPs from claiming travel where the 

dominant purpose is to raise funds for political parties, but all three 

claim they were within the rules because they were in Sydney for 

other parliamentary business in the hours either side of the 

fundraiser. 

All three have repeatedly refused to say whether they were invited 

to the fundraiser before booking the parliamentary business that 

coincided. 

The Channel Nine event, organised by the Liberal party’s Australian 

Business Network, is estimated to have raised $700,000 for the 

Liberal party, and drew widespread condemnation from Nine’s print 

journalists at the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age who warned it 

threatened their independence. 

Among other attendees were the Minerals Council chair, Helen 

Coonan, and the Australian Banking Association head, Anna Bligh, as 

well as the prime minister, Scott Morrison. 

A spokesman for Stuart Robert, the government services minister, 

said while in Sydney he met with the National Disability Insurance 

Agency and its board, and held a briefing with the human services 

department, with consultants McKinsey and KPMG, on the 

department’s transition to Services Australia. 

“It’s an age-old problem, going back beyond Bronwyn Bishop,” 

Charles said, speaking generally. “There are people in parliament 

who think they are masters of the political universe and I’m 

afraid until there is proper oversight and something that acts as a 

general deterrent against doing this, it is going to continue to 

happen.” 

292



“All of the states have now got integrity commissions; plainly the 

commonwealth should have one too,” he said. “And the only party 

that’s opposing it is the Coalition.” 

Source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/15/cabinetministers-charge-taxpayers-for-trip-involving-party-fundraiser 

Reporters condemn Nine bosses for hosting Liberal Party fundraiser 

Provided by Australian Broadcasting Corporation 

Former federal treasurer Tim Costello. (ABC News) 

293

Stuart Robert Minister for Employment Workforce Skills Small and Family Business

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