Pork

Thank you David Pocock for joining the National Shelter Council meeting today to discuss solutions for the housing crisis and how we need the Parliament to come together to address the crisis.

PSNews: None of the ministers overseeing the creation & vigorous rollout of the illegal debt recovery program Robodebt will ever be held to account over it. None will accept responsibility for this awful tragedy, & no one will insist on forcing accountability on them. ACOSS 1/1.

For some now former ministers, it is not merely a case of out-of-control freewheeling agencies for which they should be taking responsibility. Ministers neck deep forced scheme on poor, enthusiastically pursuing it advice against the program – including that it was illegal. 1/2.

Despite a thorough & deep-probing RC into the scheme, ministerial responsibility remains a fanciful concept. Those referred prosecutions, the NNACC decided not to investigate, & the Australian Federal Police dismissed a perjury allegation. 1/3. ACOSS

That left it up to the APSC to sanction a few public servants. The NACC’s decision attracted more than 900 complaints about its feeble ‘nothing-to-see-here’ outcome and sparked an independent investigation into how such a gobsmackingly pathetic. 1/4. ACOSS

The APSC did its job, but its remit was limited. It could only investigate public servants, with legislative changes needed to allow it to look into conduct of former public servants. Some people investigated by the APSC weren’t even referred to it by the RC, though. 1/5. ACOSS

Some of the people investigated by the APSC weren’t even referred to it by the Royal Commission, though. The Public Service Minister, the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and even the APSC itself added names to the list. 1/6. ACOSS

Fines, demotions &reprimands were as far as the APSC went in d”sanctions to those who breached Code of Conduct – & only to currently employed public servants because, as Commission got the go-ahead to investigate former employees& can only sanction if still employed. 1/7. ACOSS

Still, it did name two former agency heads – Kathryn Campbell & Renée Leon – who breached the code cumulative 25 times while carrying out their duties. 10 others remain unnamed. ACOSS. 1/7.

Ten others remain unnamed. In total, public servants had breached code of conduct 97 The two agency heads were identified by name, according to APS Commissioner Gordon de Brouwer, because of their roles of responsibility in leading a department. 1/8.

A strange notion of responsibility: it might embrace actual ministers. Former PM & Ministers prime ministers appeared before RC, receiving damning rebukes from Commissioner, & ‘ministerial responsibility’ remains a hollow log’. 1/10. ACOSS

On Robodebt – the very scheme that wrongly & illegal, ministerial responsibility is not to be found. While apologies have been made in the parliament and lip service to responsibility played out at times during the Royal Commission, no minister has been brought to account. 1/11.

Much of the blame for 'robodebt' must rest with ministers Canberra Times says. Working thru the weekend papers & find the summary of "robodebt" stops short of fingering both the primary miscreants & the underlying culture enforced in the APS. ("'I acted with integrity',) ACOSS

ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie🌈 at National Press Club to hear Senator Murray Watt speak on employment. Access to secure, decent jobs and lifting the minimum wage is vital to tackling high living costs.

Greg explains the problem with negative gearing in 60 seconds: "It is a tax minimisation scheme disguised as a housing policy, most of the benefits go to the wealthiest and it massively distorts housing prices." Greg Jericho on The Project #auspol

‘Build-to-rent apartments comprise more than half forecast apartment supply in Melbourne in the next three years, despite commanding a *premium of up to 26 per cent* over the higher-end rental properties’ Hmmm….

ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie🌈 spoke to Sunrise this morning about the routine indexation of income support payments which will come into effect this Friday. She explained that even following this indexation Jobseeker "will still be a poverty payment". #raisetherate

Coalition’s plan first home buyers access to super would heavily favour older & wealthier people, Saul Eslake finds “six decades of evidence” that policies “result in more expensive housing to the benefit of those who already own housing. ACOSS

Greg explains the problem with negative gearing in 60 seconds: "It is a tax minimisation scheme disguised as a housing policy, most of the benefits go to the wealthiest and it massively distorts housing prices." Greg Jericho on The Project #auspol