Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In 2017, 22-year-old Shannon Moore from East Kurrajong came to me distressed at the threat of legal action over a $2,500 Centrelink debt. She was one of the people stung in the early mail-outs of what has come to be known as robodebt—debts that were often in error and were issued to people without a human being doing any checking of their accuracy. Shannon's was for youth allowance payments while she was studying full-time, and she'd done everything right in alerting the agency to changes in her study and work arrangements.

We now know that this scheme caused terrible harm to hundreds of thousands of Australians like Shannon, and that, in too many cases, a debt notice preceded a suicide or suicide attempt. I have personally spoken to individuals and family members about the serious impact the robodebt process had on their mental health. We learnt in the Senate hearings this week that 2,030 people died after receiving a robodebt notification.

So I don't think an apology that implies 'if hurt was caused' is enough. We know that more than hurt was caused. I don't think an apology that fails to acknowledge the scheme was illegal is enough. We know it was illegal. I don't think an apology that comes five years too late is enough. In that time, up to $1.5 billion has been unlawfully taken from the Australian people by their government. So we need an apology from the Prime Minister that is unqualified. His name was on the media release announcing this policy. We need him to say he is sorry and admit he was wrong.

Deputy Speaker, I'd like to pay tribute in this House to Peter Johnson, a much-loved member of the Blue Mountains community who died last month of mesothelioma. I first met Peter as principal at Winmalee Public School nearly 20 years ago. This was one of many teaching positions Peter held in schools since becoming a teacher in 1978, and he also served as principal of Faulconbridge Public School in my electorate. But in the time I knew Peter, most of his work was in senior leadership roles within the Department of Education and then, following his retirement, as an active community and Labor Party member. I can't speak today of all his interests—they were many—but I will single out two areas where his contributions were considerable.

After retiring, Peter joined the Lower Mountains Neighbourhood Centre, and it was no surprise that he soon became chair of that important local organisation. Under his leadership, the neighbourhood centre merged with others to become Belong Blue Mountains. Peter cared very much about the merged organisation as a way of better supporting the people across many of the mountains communities.

The other issue where I saw the full force of his passion was on Aboriginal education. As Angelo Gavrielatos, New South Wales Teachers Federation President, says, Peter was instrumental in the development of affirmative-action employment programs for Aboriginal teachers. Peter understood the importance of recruiting more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers for Australian schools. As he recently emailed me, the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers educating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children cannot be understated and is supported by a mountain of literature.

Peter led the evaluation of a successful program that was implemented under the previous Labor government, and abandoned by the current coalition government, which he found not only boosted the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers but was on track to help close the gap in preschool participation, educational attainment and aspiration to genuine employment prospects for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Peter wrote: 'If there was one legacy I would like to leave when I eventually take my final breath, it is that there will be bipartisan commitment to a similar program led by experienced and trusted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.' That was his wish, and I will work hard to make that wish come true. In between treatment for worsening health, amongst the jigsaw puzzles and the Lego constructions and the Eels memories, his last message to me ended with: 'I will keep tapping to support you and your colleagues and hopefully will live to see Prime Minister Albo sworn in.' My deepest sympathies to his wife, Janet, and his children, his grandchildren and his many other family members. His many friends and colleagues in the mountains and beyond are mourning his passing. We were better for knowing him and we are worse for his loss.