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

Stuart Robert said ‘we will double down’ after being advised robodebt was unlawful, inquiry told

Renee Leon in 2019
Renee Leon in 2019. The former human service secretary says she was forced to stop the robodebt scheme before the government did. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

The former government services minister, Stuart Robert, told the boss of his department the Coalition would “double down” after he was informed the robodebt scheme was unlawful, a royal commission has been told.

Fronting the high-profile inquiry on Tuesday, Renee Leon, the former human services secretary, revealed she was forced to stop the scheme before the government agreed, amid the cascading personal legal risks of continuing to administer the program.

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