Rhys Cauzzo took his life on 26 January 2017 while facing Centrelink debts worth about $17,000. His mother, Jennifer Miller, has since “persisted” to obtain answers from various government agencies about the circumstances surrounding her son’s debt, including writing to the former human services minister Alan Tudge, whose response said his department had acted appropriately in the case with only some “minor” errors.
But, until today, Miller was stonewalled at every turn, she has told in inquiry into the scheme.
“Through the royal commission, I have been able to obtain the truth,” she told a hearing today. (Watch the video.)
This week commences the final round of hearings of the robodebt royal commission, which is investigating the Coalition-era scheme that sent hundreds of thousands of people unlawful demands for money from their own government.
The inquiry has surfaced many other harrowing stories of how government failure impacted the most vulnerable in our society.
Top news
Australian professor taken hostage in PNG | The professor, along with three other researchers, was captured by an armed group in the country’s remote highlands. It’s understood the group has demanded a ransom payment from the PNG and Australian governments. “We do not encourage ransom, but we’re treating this very diligently and carefully because life is at risk,” PNG’s prime minister James Marape said.
Shark attack kills Australian tourist in New Caledonia | The 59-year-old man was swimming close to a pontoon about 150 metres from the beach in the capital, Nouméa, when the shark attacked, biting him several times. Two people sailing nearby took him back to the beach, where emergency services tried to save him, but he died at the scene.
Cate Blanchett wins best actress at Baftas | The Australian star was named best actress for her role as an imperious conductor in Todd Field’s Tár, a film she described on stage as “a very dangerous and potentially career-ending undertaking”.
Australia’s big polluters | … could cut their emissions in their supply chains by 90% by 2050 without the use of offsets, a new report has found. The report comes amid political debate over the federal government’s proposed revamp to the safeguard mechanism – a policy which, contentiously, allows heavy polluters to buy an unlimited amount of carbon offsets.
Cash for young NSW country drivers | The New South Wales government is trialling a scheme that could see rural drivers under 25 given $5,000 to upgrade unsafe vehicles or cars more than 16 years old.
North Korea launches missiles after US exercises | North Korea fired two ballistic missiles off its east coast, a day after the US held joint air exercises with South Korea and separately with Japan. Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korea’s leader, warned Pyongyang could turn the Pacific into a “firing range”.
Facebook and Instagram paid verification | Meta is following in the footsteps of Twitter by announcing it will charge users to be verified. The company said in Australia it will cost $19.99 on web or $24.99 on iOS and Android. The new measure will be rolled out this week.
Roman dildo found | Archaeologists believe they may have found the only known lifesize Roman dildo, discovered in a ditch in what were the farthest northern fringes of the empire.
London to offer free school meals | The meals will be offered to all primary school pupils across London for a year in a bid to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
What they said …
***
“… of course the oligarchs run Russia. But guess what? Oligarchs run the United States as well. And it’s not just the United States, it’s not just Russia; Europe, the UK, all over the world, we’re seeing a small number of incredibly wealthy people running things in their favour. A global oligarchy.” – Bernie Sanders
ICYMI, read our sit-down with US progressive senator Bernie Sanders.
In pictures
As WorldPride kicks off in Sydney, we look at the city’s underground queer drag scene of old in this photo gallery.
In numbers
The landmark report released by the National Tertiary Education Union found that 22 public universities had allegedly withheld at least $83.4m in wages since 2020. “The sheer scale of wage theft in higher education is staggering,” NTEU national president Alison Barnes said.
Before bed read
“Vakasalewalewa” is a traditional Fijian term that refers to people assigned male at birth who identify as women and whose identities are both recognised and valued.
This concept was almost entirely erased by colonial rule, but Reggie Mcgoon – also known as a “Queen Mother” of Fiji’s transgender community – is trying to revive Fiji’s third gender.
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