NACC’s report on Robodebt is cold comfort for impacted families - 11 March 2026

Manisha Gordon-Menon
Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:26:00 +0800

Independent Member for Curtin Kate Chaney welcomes NACC’s corruption finding but calls for stronger regulation of automated decision-making in government.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission’s Investigation Report found that two of the six individuals referred by the Royal Commission engaged in serious corrupt conduct. Serena Wilson, former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Social Services, intentionally misled the Commonwealth Ombudsman during a 2017 investigation. Mark Withnell, former general manager of the Department of Human Services, intentionally misled officers of the Department of Social Services during the preparation of a cabinet submission in 2015.

The commission found there was insufficient admissible evidence to refer either individual to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for criminal charges.

"The NACC’s findings bring a measure of accountability, while laying bare its limits to deliver justice to those impacted by Robodebt, especially in the absence of any public hearings,” Ms Chaney said.

"The lack of criminal referrals are cold comfort for the hundreds of thousands of Australians wrongly pursued by Robodebt, particularly the families who lost loved ones.”

The Commission was satisfied that Catherine Halbert, Annette Musolino, Kathryn Campbell, and former Prime Minister Scott Morrison did not engage in corrupt conduct.

“Robodebt was a shocking low point of unethical behaviour in the Australian Public Service. The Albanese Government must learn from the mistakes of past governments, particularly when alarm bells are ringing on NDIS and Aged Care assessments right now,” Ms Chaney said.

"Robodebt did not happen because of a couple of bad actors. It happened because a culture of compliance replaced a culture of integrity, where ministers and departments prioritised budget outcomes over human lives.

“To restore trust in the Public Service, Australians deserve full transparency of government decision-making when their lives are affected, especially when those decisions are automated.

“To avoid a repeat of Robodebt, we need a legislated framework that governs how the public service uses automated decision-making tools. This framework should include mandatory requirements for transparency, safeguards and oversight. With improvements in AI and opportunities for efficiency gains in the public service, this is becoming increasingly urgent.

"With the NACC process now concluded, there is no justification for withholding the sealed chapter of the Royal Commission report. The Government must table it without delay.

"Today’s report is not the end of the conversation. I will continue to push for stronger accountability and transparency, to ensure the failings of Robodebt are not repeated."

ENDS

Media enquiries Cade Smith | Kate Chaney MP | Media and Communications Adviser cade.smith@aph.gov.au | 0408 997 003