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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Paul Karp Chief political correspondent

Penny Wong gives qualified defence of robodebt official’s $900,000 Aukus role

Foreign minister Penny Wong
Foreign minister Penny Wong has been questioned about the appointment of a former robodebt public servant to a plum Aukus adviser role. Photograph: Lisa Marie David/AP

Penny Wong has given a qualified defence of a decision to appoint a public servant who held the top jobs at the two departments responsible for robodebt to a plum role as an adviser on Aukus.

The foreign minister told Senate estimates that the decision had been made before the royal commission began and evidence that has since come out went “beyond what [she] would’ve anticipated”.

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