'I'm fearful': NDIS battle heats up over kids with autism amid cost blowout 'Autism affects the whole family unit, not just the child.' Newcastle Herald · Nov 22, 2023
Disability advocate hits back at ‘misleading’ claims that NDIS funding is incentivising autism diagnoses Chief of Children and Young People with Disability Australia says families are simply seeking help for their children, with the NDIS ‘the only place to turn’ The Guardian - AU · Nov 22, 2023
Australia's rates of autism should be celebrated – but real-life impact, not diagnosis, should determine NDIS support Ahead of the release of the government’s review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the topic taking centre stage is the diagnosis of autism. Over one third of people accessing the scheme list it as a primary disability. The Conversation · Nov 21, 2023
Marie had cancer and needed to reach Centrelink. Like millions of Australians, she couldn’t get through More unanswered calls, growing delays for payments to be processed, all while staff head for the exit. Is Centrelink facing a new crisis? The Guardian - AU · Nov 18, 2023
Robodebt royal commission: Labor accepts all 56 recommendations in full or in principle Albanese government releases formal response to Catherine Holmes’s inquiry into Centrelink debt recovery scheme The Guardian - AU · Nov 13, 2023
Centrelink Is In A Crisis With No End In Sight As Almost 20% Of Staff Are Ready To Resign Staff morale is at an all time low, with almost 200 resignations a month. Pedestrian.tv · Nov 9, 2023
MyGov to use face or fingerprint recognition instead of passwords in bid to fight scams Announcement of change to Australians’ accounts from 2024 comes amid concern over ‘scam-in-a-box kits’ being sold on dark web The Guardian - AU · Nov 8, 2023
Morrison’s Israel trip was ‘showboating’ and PM should focus on domestic affairs, Turnbull says Former PM dismisses suggestions Anthony Albanese should visit Israel and says he must advance interests of Australians The Guardian - AU · Nov 7, 2023
Staffing boost returns humans to Centrelink services Thousands more frontline workers are being hired to improve Centrelink and Medicare services, in line with recommendations from the robodebt royal commission. AAP · Nov 5, 2023
‘Scam-in-a-box’: MyGov suspends thousands of accounts linked to dark web fraud kits Exclusive: Scams utilise phishing attacks on Centrelink, ATO and Medicare accounts using obtained login details The Guardian - AU · Nov 5, 2023
Services Australia targets call wait times with 3000 extra staff About 500 staff will be in Canberra. The Canberra Times · Nov 5, 2023
Centrelink officials recalled to Senate estimates after failing to answer ‘basic questions’ Request for welfare agency to return on 7 November follows ‘unnaceptable’ October hearing about growing call and payment wait times The Guardian - AU · Nov 2, 2023
Centrelink issues 2.8m busy messages to callers in only two months as wait times blow out Crossbench MPs raise alarm with minister as Services Australia data shows only 23% of calls were answered in July and August The Guardian - AU · Oct 25, 2023
Security to be stepped up after public servant stabbing Government Services Minister Bill Shorten has unveiled a security overhaul following a May attack on a frontline welfare staffer. AAP · Oct 13, 2023
AAP · Oct 12, 2023 Independent MP pushes for action on robodebt repairs MP Kate Chaney will push for a parliamentary committee to be established to ensure recommendations from the robodebt royal commission are delivered.
AAP · Oct 1, 2023 Shorten urges united approach to commission findings Bill Shorten has urged jurisdictions to work together to determine the best way to implement findings from the disability royal commission.
The Guardian - AU · Oct 1, 2023 Midnight Oil launch ad targeting voice ‘scare campaigns’ – as it happened This blog is now closed.
AAP · Sep 26, 2023 Shorten wants answers on 'confronting' footage of kids Bill Shorten wants answers after "shocking and confronting" footage of children with autism being pinned to the ground by NDIS workers was broadcast.
The Guardian - AU · Sep 10, 2023 NDIS providers should be forced to fund ombudsman to address complaints, disability advocates say NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission accused of failing to address price-gouging and unscrupulous service providers
Newcastle Herald · Sep 8, 2023 'Unfair toll on you': Services Australia boss says sorry to staff for robodebt 'You deserve an apology from your agency,' Ms Skinner told staff.
The Guardian - AU · Aug 23, 2023 Federal government paid Infosys $191m for abandoned Centrelink calculator that only processed 784 claims Automated welfare ‘engine’ was part of effort to overhaul payments system but then abandoned, with Bill Shorten saying it ‘wasn’t fit for purpose’
The Guardian - AU · Aug 2, 2023 Up to 100,000 Centrelink debts or potential debts miscalculated over two decades, ombudsman finds ‘Unlawfully apportioning’ income could cause incorrect calculations on welfare payments but practice unrelated to robodebt, report says
The Guardian - AU · Aug 1, 2023 Scott Morrison a ‘bottomless well of self-pity’ with no ‘mercy’ for robodebt’s real victims, Bill Shorten says Minister for government services says ‘real victims are all those Australians who lost trust in government’ due to scheme
Newcastle Herald · Jul 26, 2023 Terriers on the train: why do we discriminate against dogs? Australia is a land of dog lovers.
Newcastle Herald · Jul 14, 2023 How both sides of politics inched us towards the miseries of robodebt 'Who should pay for that?'