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The Latest Breaking News from Department of Social Services

‘Small and underwhelming’: Albanese’s gambling reforms won’t do much to reduce harm

More than 1,000 days after the release of the Murphy report, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has finally announced decisive action on tackling gambling advertising in Australia.

The Conversation

‘Do something about it before it gets worse’: young people want government action on gambling reform

Do something about it before it gets worse.

The Conversation

The gambling industry has women in its sights. Why aren’t policymakers paying attention?

Whatever the code, whatever the season, Australian sports fans are bombarded with gambling ads.

The Conversation

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Redress 'got it wrong' for people who experienced abuse

Australians seeking compensation over institutional childhood abuse have found the national redress process re-traumatising, patronising and 'incredibly awful'.

AAP

Child abuse survivor thought she was 'going mad' after dept 'gaslighting'

'If it happened in my office, people would be sacked on the spot'.

The Canberra Times

'There will rightly be criticism', DSS secretary told staff after robodebt hearings

Inside the Department of Social Services' reactions to the royal commission.

The Canberra Times

Drinking water at 1 in 4 California child-care centers tests dangerously high for lead

In test results that suggest thousands of California infants, toddlers and children continue to be exposed to brain-damaging lead, data released by the state Department of Social Services has revealed that 1 in 4 of the state's child-care centers has dangerously high levels of the metal in their drinking water.

Los Angeles Times

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Did Treasurer Jim Chalmers keep his facts straight in this week's budget speech?

Treasurer Jim Chalmers used his budget speech this week to spruik the government's credentials and programs. But did he keep his facts straight?

ABC News

Top bureaucrat who oversaw Robodebt rollout says document to ministers was potentially misleading

Kathryn Campbell tells the Robodebt royal commission that a document put to Cabinet failed to mention the need for legislative change.

ABC News

Robodebt inquiry: evidence contradicts witness’s claim he didn’t know unlawful method was being used

Former Department of Human Services official tells inquiry he can’t explain emails and other documents he saw referring to use of income averaging

The Guardian - AU

Partner income tests are preventing some Australians with disabilities from getting married

Julie relies on the Disability Support Pension. She says if she takes the next step in her relationship with Simon, she will lose the pension, and therefore her independence.

ABC News

Public servants may have ‘colluded’ to launch robodebt despite knowing it was unlawful, inquiry hears

Former deputy secretary Serena Wilson denies ‘reconstructing events’ in her evidence to the royal commission to protect her own interests

The Guardian - AU

Coalition government lacked 'empathy' for welfare recipients, focused on cost savings, Serena Wilson tells Robodebt royal commission

A former department head described the office of then-social services minister Scott Morrison as having "limited interest in advice" between 2014 and 2018.

ABC News

Former top Department of Social Services lawyer failed to share advice Robodebt was illegal, royal commission hears

Ex-government lawyer says he was "not sure if I turned my mind to that" when asked if he worried about people who received debt letters while a Centrelink worker reveals how the program was administered.

ABC News

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The Canberra Times

Cricket ACT facing precarious financial position over redress scheme

Cricket Australia has not committed to offering monetary assistance

The Guardian - AU

Alan Tudge denies he was responsible for department’s failure to check legality of robodebt, royal commission hears

Former human services minister says he was away on leave when an article casting doubt on legality of robodebt was sent to him

The Guardian - AU

Inaccuracy of robodebt scheme ‘known issue’ but was ‘only way’ to do more reviews, commission told

Former top lawyer for the Department of Human Services said she relied on another department’s position that income averaging scheme was lawful

The Guardian - AU

Robodebt inquiry hears claim social services official ‘sat on’ damning external legal advice about scheme

Former mid-level official Kristin Lumley says she believed there was ‘inaction’ from her boss and it would ‘end up in federal court’

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AAP

Robodebt advice would cause damage: lawyer

A senior government lawyer has told a royal commission into robodebt that independent legal advice could have led to the scheme being stopped entirely.

The Guardian - AU

Former Social Services official denies trying to conceal evidence during robodebt investigation

Robert Hurman tells royal commission it was ‘not my intention’ to be anything other than full and frank with the watchdog

ABC News

Witness Robert Hurman admits his department made 'false' statements about Robodebt to ombudsman

A senior bureaucrat who approved a letter to the ombudsman investigating Robodebt has conceded his department made "false" statements about the unlawful scheme.

AAP

'Horror budget' paved way for robodebt

Successive Liberal government crackdowns on welfare fraud led many on social services to feel like criminals and paved the way for robodebt, an inquiry heard.

The Guardian - AU

Scott Morrison leaned on his faith in his department to explain the ‘critical failure’ of robodebt

Former PM’s verbose approach in stand meant it took an eternity to establish his position that he didn’t see vital legal advice on the scheme and can’t say why

The Guardian - AU

Senior official denies ‘manipulating the truth’ to ombudsman over legality of robodebt scheme

DSS witness faces scrutiny at royal commission over involvement in robodebt plans and evidence given to watchdog’s 2017 investigation

The Canberra Times

Draft Robodebt proposal to Scott Morrison was a 'watering down' of legal advice

Emails between Department of Human Services and Department of Social Services officials showed the language around the Robodebt scheme had been softened.

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