Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to take note of the question I asked Senator Ruston today, a question that Senator McDonald has just referred to as not a 'real issue'—not a 'real issue' that people in Townsville are receiving debt notices despite not having yet recovered from the unprecedented flooding that took place in February. This is an important issue, and I want to do it justice by going through the chronology and making it clear that this is something that needs to be dealt with it and not minced around with.

On 17 July, The Guardian reported that Centrelink had recommenced robo-debt in Townsville despite a quarantine being in place. On 18 July, I met with the Townsville legal centre and confirmed with them that robo-debt had recommenced in Townsville. It's that easy: there was an article, I went to Townsville, I asked if it was happening and I found out it was happening. On 23 July, I asked the minister in the Senate why robo-debt had recommenced in Townsville, and she said that there had been no commencement of debt recovery in Townsville. That was her answer. The same day, though, her department, the Department of Human Services, told the Townsville Bulletin that compliance activities had resumed. I want to make that clear: the department said, on 23 July, that compliance activity had resumed. So, the day after that, I came in again and I gave the minister a chance to explain why, according to reports and firsthand discussions with the Townsville legal centre, people were getting debt letters in Townsville. Again, she assured the Senate that debt recovery had not resumed.

Yesterday I tabled a debt notice from a recipient in—would you believe it?—Townsville who had received a debt letter from Centrelink on 8 July. When we brought that letter to the minister's attention, didn't things start to get a little bit shaky! So today I again asked the minister why a person in Townsville affected by the floods had received a debt notice letter—a demand to pay money now. Again, instead of getting a straight answer, we got weasel words and split hairs. Frankly, it is hard to believe some of the answers that are coming up. The department says one thing and the minister says another, so either of two things is happening here. Either there's gross incompetence happening or there's just complete disregard for the people of Townsville. When faced with this uncomfortable truth, what does the government do? True to form, they deny and they play the person. The minister tried to say that she was extremely disappointed in me.

Minister Ruston and Minister Robert in the other place have unsuccessfully tried to split hairs over what constitutes debt collection. The minister wants people in Townsville to accept that a letter telling a recipient that they owe over $2,000 does not constitute debt recovery. If I get a letter demanding that I pay a debt in four weeks, that sounds like debt recovery to me. Nobody is suggesting that a legitimate debt should not be paid back, but we've got to let this community get back on its feet before sending around debt collectors, particularly when we know that these so-called robo-debts are often incorrectly calculated in the first place.

When we have a look at this chronology, another very important question that is yet to be answered is: where in all of this is the new member for Herbert? Where is he? He's gone missing. This was one of the first tests of his leadership, and he has gone missing when the most vulnerable members of his community need him most. Townsville residents are hurting, and they shouldn't be harassed by the government for debts that they may not even owe. The pursuit of vulnerable, traumatised people receiving Centrelink benefits is, at best, ill-conceived and, at worst, callous. The minister said yesterday that she was extremely disappointed in me. Well, I say this: I am extremely disappointed in the minister and, on behalf of the people of Townsville, I am extremely disappointed in the member for Herbert.

Question agreed to.