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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Luke Henriques-Gomes Social affairs and inequality editor

Public servant was nominated for Australia Day award for role in designing robodebt, inquiry hears

Scott Britton Scott Morrison Department of Human Services DHS
Centrelink sign
The robodebt royal commission has heard that as early as 2014 ‘income averaging’, which was at the heart of the scheme, was being considered. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Department of Human Services officials nominated a public servant for a 2017 Australia Day achievement award to celebrate his role in designing the robodebt scheme, a royal commission has heard.

On Tuesday the commission investigating the botched Centrelink debt recovery program heard from two mid-level officials directly involved in the design of the scheme – Scott Britton, a former national manager of DHS’s compliance team, and Jason Ryman, a former director of the compliance branch, and who reported to Britton.

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