Australian Public Service Commissioner Dr Gordon de Brouwer has released the final report of the Code of Conduct Inquiry Taskforce on the Robodebt scheme.
The Centralised Code of Conduct Inquiry has concluded the investigation into whether Australian public servants (APS) associated with the design and delivery of the Robodebt scheme breached the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct.
The Taskforce supported the Independent Reviewer and Supplementary Reviewer to complete inquiries into 16 individuals. These respondents had different roles and accountabilities with respect to the design, implementation and ongoing monitoring of the Scheme.
Of the 16 referred matters, 12 individuals were issued with a determination that they breached one or more elements of the APS Code of Conduct. Of these, four current APS employees were subject to sanction.
The sanctions imposed ranged from reprimands and fines to demotions. A number of respondents resigned or retired from APS employment prior to or in the course of these inquiries and were therefore not subject to sanctions.
Of the 12 individuals, two former Secretaries, Ms Kathryn Campbell and Ms Renée Leon, have been found to have breached the Code of Conduct during their tenure at the Department of Human Services.
Because they are former Agency Heads, no sanction can be applied. However, if they seek employment or engagement as a consultant or contractor with the Australian Public Service in the next 5 years they are required to disclose when asked that they have been found to have breached the APS Code of Conduct.
In a statement, Dr Gordon de Brouwer also apologised as Public Service Commissioner to those affected by the Scheme and to the Australian public for the part played by public servants in this failure.
“The Robodebt Scheme was a failure of government in both policy design and implementation.”
“The Australian Public Service acknowledges its role and takes responsibility for its actions, and is intent on learning from these failures to serve the Government, Parliament and Australian public better.”
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