Saturday Magazine

21 Mar 2026

Sat, 21st March, 2026: Prof the Hon Bill Shorten, Vice -Chancellor & President Uni of Canberra, Robodebt, NACC Investigations and Findings

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Sat, 21st March, 2026: Prof the Hon Bill Shorten, Vice -Chancellor & President Uni of Canberra, Robodebt, NACC Investigations and Findings

Nevena and John are joined live on air by Bill Shorten, the current Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra (UC). He assumed the role on 14 February 2025, following a 17-year career in federal politics.

The Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, reporting in July 2023, delivered a damning assessment of the former Coalition government’s automated debt recovery program, describing it as a “shameful,” “crude and cruel” mechanism that was neither fair nor legal. As Minister for Government Services, Shorten played a central role in driving the inquiry and pursuing accountability, labelling it a “war on the poor” and a massive failure in public administration.

Bill Shorten was a leading figure in the push for the Royal Commission, promising the investigation while in opposition and subsequently managing the government’s response to the findings.

In August 2023, Shorten moved a motion in the House of Representatives to accept the report’s findings, expressing deep regret and apologizing to victims and frontline Centrelink staff.

Shorten accused the previous government of “gaslighting” victims and the public by defending the scheme even after its illegality became known.

Shorten has consistently criticised opposition leader Peter Dutton for a “deafening” lack of remorse and for defending former colleagues involved in the scheme.

Following the report, Shorten announced the government’s acceptance of all 57 recommendations, focusing on ending the use of external debt collectors and strengthening the public service.

Shorten has continued to urge for the “sealed section” of the report to be unsealed to ensure transparency, arguing it is not sustainable for it to remain secret forever.

Legal and Financial Fallout

In 2021, the Federal Court approved a final settlement of $1.8 billion, which involved dropping debt claims and refunding unlawful debts. As of 2025, a new settlement, deemed the largest in Australian legal history at $548.5 million, is under consideration to provide further compensation, with NACC investigations into the referrals ongoing.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-11/anti-corruption-investigation-into-robodebt-findings/106440278