By David Ayliffe
Bigger Than ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’
I have just watched Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, a fantastic four part series about the ineptitude of the British Post Office and a corrupt computer accounting system that caused deaths, ill health, huge financial stress, and loss of employment to many 100s of ordinary British citizens. Watching it is like seeing a war of Government against the People.
We had our own version of War against The People only a few years ago but I wonder how many of us still remember – particularly those who are conservative voters. My late parents were, and I think they would be so ashamed of what was done in their name by their people.
Now, I’d love to see “Aunty Doris vs Australia” produced by Netflix, another streaming service or the ABC. I can’t see Murdoch’s Media being interested.
Aunty Doris would be a fictitious Aboriginal woman whose disabled son suicided over a debt of $25,000 that, even though he knew he didn’t owe and couldn’t raise, left him beside himself and unable to even think about fighting the Government. Yes, all of this through the wonderful Robodebt, that Peter Dutton refuses to denounce because his Party and his mates did it.
These days I call Robodebt a computer ‘virus’ implemented by the LNP to win them brownie points and gazillions of dollars. Finding enemies, blaming dole bludgers, just like looking for reds under the beds always works with some and all at the expense of the Auntry Doris’s of this world and their children.
Of course, Netflix might be considering the series but I don’t know because at this stage they haven’t asked me, although my phone is never far away waiting for the call.
Just imagine the list of our great actors who could make this such a sensation: Jessica Mauboy, Hunter Page-Lochard, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Cate Blanchett, and so many others. Max Gillies could have made quite a sensation as a Prime Minister or two, as he has done in the past.
Indeed, who would be best to play one of the architects of the system former Prime Minister, and man-of-faith Scott Morrison although I’m not sure who they would be. Perhaps he could come back from his role with
It was way back in April 2015, 10 years ago, and the Government of Tony Abbott – (remember him? sorry to bring trauma) – Abbott, the red budgie smuggler wearing ultra conservative who wanted to shirtfront Putin, is famously remembered best for knighting Prince Philip, but thankfully he never tried to make a Lady of the late Queen.
Then Minister for Social Services Scott Morrison and then Minister for Human Services Marise Payne, formally announced measures to create budgetary savings by increasing the pursuit of outstanding debts and investigation of cases of fraud in the Australian welfare system using a failed computer system. They didn’t know it was failed, I guess, but with some decency they might have known the system was illegal.
Despite questions being raised and reports of the damage being caused Robodebt was started and continued under the Liberal-National Coalition governments of Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, and Scott Morrison.
Initial estimates projected that the scheme would recoup A$1.5 billion for the government. In reality it resulted in:
- The government settling a class action for $1.872 billion, including $751 million in repayments, $8.4 million in legal costs, and the wiping of all remaining debts.
- The government paying $112 million in compensation to around 400,000 people.
- The cost of mental health issues, suicides and the damage to community trust is immeasurable.
No wonder at 70 I’m still working. Who wants to trust the system to look after you in your advancing years?
And so we now await the outcome of the independent investigator’s review of the National Anti-Corruption Commission decision not to investigate the six key figures involved in implementing the scheme.
As former NSW Supreme Court judge, Anthony Whealy, stated the NACC’s refusal to investigate the individuals meant that it had “betrayed its core obligation and failed to carry out its primary statutory duty”.
With over 1200 complaints, an independent inquiry was commenced where the Inspector found that Commissioner Paul Brereton had a perceived conflict on interest due to a “close association” with one of the individuals involved (hmmm), and should have recused himself from the decision. TAt the time most of us thought “so much for the The National Anti-Corruption Commission” but thankfully the NACC appointed an independent person to reconsider the decision not to investigate.
My mind wanders to Mr Bates vs The Post Office. So glad ‘something like that couldn’t happen here’ we might have thought … once.
The Post Office Horizon Scandal, is one of the most significant miscarriages of justice in British history which through the faulty Horizon IT system used by the Post Office, led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses for theft, fraud, and false accounting.
Horizon, developed by ICL/Fujitsu, managed accounts and transactions. The system was error-prone, and while men and women in the small agencies they managed struggled to balance the books they could see figures turning over and producing massive debts not of their own making.
The Post Office, led by inept if not corrupt leaders continually denied any wrongdoing and refused to acknowledge what they knew – that technicians in ICL/Fujitsu could access and manipulate the system without the Sub-Postmasters knowledge or permission.
Between 2000 and 2014, over 700 individuals were prosecuted, leading to severe consequences, including imprisonment, financial ruin, and reputational damage.
Alan Bates, a former sub-postmaster himself, was courageous and invincible in his fight to get justice for the many 100s of innocent people involved against the megolith of the Post Office.
The series is worth watching if you want to be heartened to see David stone Goliath despite terrible harm and wounds for so many.
Finally, reluctantly, the Post Office settled with claimants for £58 million in 2019 but much of this went to legal fees, and so the battle continues.
Thank someone that justice can prevail. But not always.
I suggest both cases here are a cautionary tale about the misuse of technology, unchecked authority, and the need for robust systems of accountability.
Each of the six in the Robodebt case have moved on, as you do. I even note a photograph in The Guardian of Mr and Mrs Scott Morrison and Mr and Mrs Donald Trump enjoying New Years Eve together at Mar-a-Lago. Such a lovely photo.
* * * * *
I’m trying to get children, families, schools and societies everywhere to recognise and value Kindness in daily life and community. It applies also to electing kind leaders. You can sign The Kindness Pledge here and read more about it and The Zorzles refugees who transform a village.
Also by David Ayliffe: The Party That Killed Democracy (Part 1)
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Sadly, the ABC is Murdoch lite these days.
Netflix would do a great job, with good cast and storyline, exposing our falsely named Liberal Party to the world.
I believe there were about 200 deaths attributed to the robodebt scandal.
Remember the Pink Batts saga, where I think two young men were electrocuted installing insulation when the PM Kevin Rudd threw money at ensuring that Australia did not suffer the plight of other nations as a result of the Global Financial Crisis. Those young men died because of inadequate training or supervision, but the noise made by the then opposition, one would think that several hundred young people had died. It is almost a surprise that Kevin Rudd was not charged with murder, or at least manslaughter over the deaths ….. but what do we hear about those Robodebt suicides, those hounded to their deaths by the uncaring, unfeeling, unempathetic press, including the ABC and the LNP?
NOTHING.
2,300 is more like it, Bert.
Compare that to the few deaths during the Home Insulation Program which sent the Libs into a manic frenzy.
But 2,300 RoboDebt deaths? Move along. Nothing to see here.
Albanese should be hammering the Libs. Absolutely hammering.
The Lib/Nat coalition party do not contribute to anything useful or of benefit to the greater majority of our nation’s people.
Why such a troubling political party is able to continue to mislead, and to ruin the lives of many of Australia’s people,
one must cast their mind back to 1996 to the entry of Howard as PM, soon to become the treasonous PM, John Winston Howard.
Howard is fortunate not to have been removed from the land of the living.
Continuing Public appearances by this anti-the-people-of-Australia rodent, provides nothing at all to the well-being of our nation’s honest and upright citizens, along with the great many of our worthy immigrant citizens.
Howard is fortunate not to have a price placed on his diseased head, or better still, a bounty that could rapidly shorten his time on our planet.
I still have no tolerance toward Howard, in times past his mere voice was enough to have me go into an implacable age.
@Williambtm. I could run a house if I hooked Mum up to a dynamo and mentioned the lying rodent. He and pig-iron bob made her ears steam with fury.
The liarbral/National coalition. A pox on all of their houses. (That’s a shiteload of pox.)
WorkChoices.
Home ownership taxation reforms
War on Terror.
Bugging Timor L’Este
The Pink Batts farce.
“Ditch the Witch”
Robodebt.
Banking RC failures.
Covid vaccine purchase and rollout.
fAUwKUSall
Have I missed anything?
More importantly, since the beginning of the “new millenium” have they achieved one single thing that is a positive for Australians in toto?
Yeah, NAH
Thank you for the correction Michael. I am blushing since I got it wrong by a factor of greater than 10 times!
That’s the trouble with not fact checking but going by fading memory.
Thanks, New Bruce, I have suddenly found another like-minded person similar to myself. I refer of course to your beloved mother.
T’is a fact that many people don’t realize, is the utter hatred held by that treasonous bastard individual.(To which I referred to in my earlier comment) toward the Australian people.
Never before has there been such a high proportion of the Australian people that continue even now to detest that former mate, buddy, pal, of George W Bush, yep, John Winston Howard.
Thanks everyone for the great comments. 2,300 Michael, I couldn’t find the number, but that’s bloody awful. All under the carpet now. And I agree re Albo. Was a deal done NOT to push it? Surely not. Are they afraid of the precedent into the future? Probably. But, FFS (For F. Sake!) something should be done. I’m afraid that’s why I’ve given on Party Politics and believe the only hope is for genuine independents, not all of whom will be worthy of the role. Got to love that smiling photo of the Trumpster and our Dumpster and wives. Slimy…. New Bruce, made me laugh with ” I could run a house if I hooked Mum up to a dynamo and mentioned the lying rodent. He and pig-iron bob made her ears steam with fury.” My daughter and son went to infants school with John Coward’s son. Can’t blight him by his father but I nice memory is when she sat on him after school when I think he taunted her or something.