AUWU statement on the Robodebt class action
No justice. No accountability. Not enough compensation. And no guarantee this won't happen again.
The Australian Unemployed Worker’s Union is incredibly disappointed the High Court’s approval of the settlement of the Robodebt class action.
There has been no justice.
This decision does not hold the government accountable for actions that killed people.
Not only is the amount of compensation beyond insulting, there is no compensation for a vast number of victims of this unlawful scheme that targeted the most vulnerable.
Most importantly, it does nothing to stop this or future governments from doing this again.
As one of our members James told us, “All I wanted was some sort of proof that people in power knew they did something wrong. It was one of the worst things our government ever did to me, and all that seemed to happen was positions shuffled. It ruined lives. I do need an apology, and recognition they learned. I don’t think that happened, and probably never will.”
The AUWU backs Senator Siewert’s call for a royal commission into Robodebt.
As we said in a statement last November:
Today’s settlement wasn’t justice; it was hush money. Delivered just prior to scheduled public hearings of the #Robodebt class action, this move denies participants the opportunity to see their government held to account for its illegal actions. That the Commonwealth and Gordon Legal have agreed to a settlement which is highly favourable to the government—allowing them to dodge legal and public scrutiny—is an insult to #Robodebt victims and their families.
While much has been made of the “biggest payout in class action history”, on a per-member basis this equates to a mere $280 in damages. No amount of money can adequately compensate the families of those who took their lives. Nor can it ever repair the lives destroyed by this wanton, illegal racket of a scheme. Those affected deserve so much more.
A key feature of the settlement is that the Commonwealth admits no liability in paying damages. This is unacceptable. Whether by Royal Commission or further civil action, we will make this government answer for the deaths this scheme has caused; for the irreparable harm it has inflicted.
That those responsible have dodged scrutiny at this juncture is detrimental to the very notion of accountability. We are already seeing the government easily avoid media questioning on this basis. Gordon Legal owes the 400,000 class members a thorough explanation of precisely what reasoning they applied in agreeing to this settlement. Instead, the law firm is focusing on the headline-grabbing size of the settlement, rather than the broader injustices inherent to their agreement.
Victims, advocates and a broad coalition of civil society have fought, inch-by-inch, a vanguard action against their government. Their government held out, bitterly, and in the face of all evidence and reason, for years. We want to make it clear that this result, however complicated, does not belong to politicians or political parties. It belongs to all of us. It has been a long march towards justice for #Robodebt, and it will not end until those responsible are compelled to face the public and the law.
Media contact: 0421 283 037 / media at auwu.org.au