Centrepay report that found major failings ‘ignored’ by successive Coalition governments, author says

The author of a 2013 report into the Centrepay debt recovery system says her report was ‘mostly buried’ by the incoming Coalition government. Composite: Guardian Design

A government-appointed reviewer who warned the government of serious problems with its Centrepay debit system 11 years ago says her report was “mostly buried” and ignored and has expressed “huge sadness” that people continued to suffer.

Anna Buduls was tasked by the Gillard government in 2012 to review the controversial system. She recommended a significant overhaul of the system to stop the “exploitation of financially vulnerable people by some unscrupulous operators”.