Good afternoon. The much-anticipated findings of the robodebt royal commission were as unforgiving as the scheme it investigated.
“Crude and cruel” were words used to describe the former Coalition government’s automated scheme that reversed the onus on welfare recipients to prove they did not owe a debt. Some took their own lives while being pursued by Centrelink. The report was particularly scathing of former ministers Scott Morrison and Stuart Robert and the top public servant in charge of the scheme, Kathryn Campbell.
In more uplifting Friday news, deforestation in the Amazon is on the decline.
Top news
What’s next on robodebt? | The report – three volumes over 1,000 pages – includes 57 recommendations. The commission revealed it contained a “sealed chapter” that recommended referrals of unnamed individuals for civil and criminal prosecutions. The referrals could take months to investigate and the public likely won’t know who’s targeted until individuals are charged – should prosecutions occur – or they disclose their referral. Stuart Robert, the former government services minister, said he had “not received a notice of inclusion in the ‘sealed section’”. Read this analysis by reporter Luke Henriques-Gomes, who has covered robodebt since 2019.
Government no longer has CCTV from night of Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape | The federal government claims it no longer holds the footage, telling the federal court it cannot supply it for use in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation proceedings. Lawyers for broadcaster Lisa Wilkinson have described the failure to produce the footage as “very concerning” and flagged they intend to question officials from the Department of Parliamentary Services about their position. Lehrmann has consistently denied the rape allegation.
Bulldozing of NT woodlands paused | Bulldozers clearing savanna woodlands near Darwin for a Defence housing project have stopped work while the federal environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, considers an emergency application by traditional owners claiming the forest could be protected on cultural heritage grounds. Ten people were arrested at a protest against the project, approved by Plibersek last month, on Thursday. A decision is expected next week.
Another Sydney shooting | Shots were fired in a business on the busy main street of Marrickville, an inner west suburb, injuring two men, one critically. Ten days ago a drug kingpin was killed in an underground car park in Bondi Junction and earlier this week human remains were found in two burnt-out cars in separate areas of Sydney.
NSW rental reforms | The Minns Labor government is considering a raft of changes to “give renters more protections”, including creating a public database of rent increases, closing a loophole allowing multiple rent hikes a year and forcing landlords to offer tenants a free way to pay electronically. The Greens, who have been pushing for an immediate rent freeze, said any action should include a clear limit on what a rent increase can be.
Amazon deforestation drops 34% | After four years of increasing destruction in Brazil’s Amazon, deforestation has dropped during the first six months of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s term. The data is an encouraging sign for Lula, who campaigned last year with pledges to rein in illegal logging and undo the environmental devastation during the term of his predecessor, far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro.
Climate change ‘out of control’ | The UN says “we are moving into a catastrophic situation”, as an unofficial analysis of data showed that average world temperatures in the seven days to Wednesday were the hottest week on record.
UN condemns Israel | The UN has denounced Israel’s excessive use of force in its largest military operation in two decades earlier this week, which targeted the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. “The use of airstrikes is inconsistent with the conduct of law enforcement operations,” the UN secretary general, António Guterres, said.
Kevin Spacey trial | The actor came out as gay to “disguise” his behaviour, an alleged victim has told a UK court. Spacey, 63, has been described by the prosecution as a “sexual bully” as he stands trial accused of sex offences against four men between 2001 and 2013. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Full Story
What’s the furore over the cricket really about?
The Ashes furore this week was not missed inside the Guardian newsroom. Listen to our editors – including one Brit – discuss the controversy that sparked diplomatic jostling.
What they said …
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“Mr Morrison allowed Cabinet to be misled because he did not make that obvious inquiry … He failed to meet his ministerial responsibility to ensure that cabinet was properly informed about what the [robodebt] proposal actually entailed and to ensure that it was lawful.” – Robodebt royal commission report
In numbers
With almost half a million spent on Scott Morrison alone.
Before bed read
One is a refugee who identifies as non-binary, the other labels himself “extreme right”. Could they find common ground? Robert, 59, and Joel, 25, exchange world views in the UK series, Dining across the divide.
‘Robert said: “I’m not using [non-binary] pronouns, sorry.” You can call yourself what you like, but I have the right to call you what I like. He had no problem with that.’
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: CORN. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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