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HON LINDA BURNEY MP SHADOW MINISTER FOR HUMAN SERVICES FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BARTON

TUDGE STILL IN DENIAL ABOUT ROBO-DEBT DEBACLE

A Senate inquiry into Alan Tudge’s bungled robo-debt system has today revealed that Probe Group, a major debt collection contractor for Centrelink, is paid a commission on every debt it collects.

Over 40 per cent of Centrelink’s robo-debts are collected by debt collectors like Probe, meaning private institutions are being given a financial incentive worth millions to aggressively pursue the most vulnerable in the community, some for debts they might not even owe.

The contractor declined to disclose the percentage of its commission but conceded that its other contracts with Government agencies do not provide a commission incentive.

Mr Tudge should come clean about how much he is paying debt collectors to chase debts which might not even exist.

Despite claims from the Mr Tudge that his “robo-debt” system is “working well”, not a single witness who isn’t on the Turnbull government’s payroll has spoken in favour of it.

Enough is enough, the robo-debt system is broken - everyone but Mr Tudge and his department can see that.

WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2017

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