When Guardian Australia first broke the story in late 2016, the Robodebt scheme was just beginning to unravel. At the time, the Coalition government dismissed concerns, labeling the investigation as left-leaning journalism. Almost a decade later, those early warnings have now been immortalized in a powerful new documentary, The People vs Robodebt, airing on SBS.

The three-part hybrid documentary-drama goes beyond headlines. It highlights not only the illegal nature of the scheme but also the extraordinary people who risked their careers and reputations to expose it.

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A Scheme Built on “Income Averaging”

The Robodebt program, formally introduced in 2015, used automated income averaging to calculate supposed debts owed to Centrelink recipients. Rather than using actual earnings data, the system averaged annual income, leading to incorrect—and often devastating—debt notices.

In July 2023, the Royal Commission condemned the scheme as “crude and cruel,” “neither fair nor legal,” and a “costly failure of public administration.” The fallout was immense: not only did it devastate thousands of welfare recipients, but it also shattered public trust in automated governance.

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The Journalists Who Wouldn’t Let Go

At the center of the exposé was Christopher Knaus, a reporter for Guardian Australia. Branded as a “leftwing journo” by government strategists, Knaus persisted, publishing exclusives that revealed how deeply flawed the system was. His reporting was supported by tips from victims and whistleblowers within Centrelink itself.

Knaus was later joined by Luke Henriques-Gomes, whose sustained coverage helped keep the story in the spotlight. Together, they gave a voice to victims and challenged the government narrative pushed by more compliant media outlets.

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A Media Insider Turns

The documentary also features Rachelle Miller, a former Liberal Party of Australia staffer. Initially responsible for framing Knaus as partisan, Miller later admitted she realized the scheme was unfair. She now acknowledges how government-friendly outlets, including News Corp tabloids and The Australian, were fed selective stories to protect the Coalition’s welfare crackdown.

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Victims Who Refused to Be Silent

Behind the statistics are real human tragedies. Among the most heartbreaking is the story of Rhys Cauzzo, a 28-year-old part-time florist who took his own life after being pursued for $17,000 in alleged debts. His mother, Jenny Miller, has become one of the most powerful voices in the fight against Robodebt.

Shockingly, after Rhys’s death, the Department of Human Services released his personal Centrelink information to the media in an attempt to smear him. The royal commission later confirmed that Cauzzo’s debt was unlawfully calculated—just like the hundreds of thousands of others.

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Activists and Lawyers

Digital activists and welfare advocacy groups amplified victim stories online, sparking grassroots outrage. Lawyers played a critical role too, spearheading a class action that ultimately forced the government to settle. Earlier this month, the government agreed to pay $475 million in additional compensation to around 450,000 victims, marking the largest class action settlement in Australian history.

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The Role of Documentary Storytelling

Executive producer Michael Cordell explains why he felt compelled to revisit the scandal. “It was a morally bankrupt scheme,” he said. “But despite the devastation it caused, it hadn’t caught the wider public imagination. We wanted to change that.”

Using dramatized scenes alongside interviews, The People vs Robodebt ensures the human toll is front and center. It’s not just policy failure—it’s about empathy, or the lack thereof, in the political system.

A Centrelink officer blew the whistle internally on Robodebt in 2017. This was ignored @Richard_D_Boyle went to the press with dodgy tax office practices after being ignored internally

If the Robodebt discloser had gone public, she'd likely be facing prison like Boyle now… pic.twitter.com/99zXnG5qWX

— Paul Gregoire (@PaulrGregoire) September 27, 2024

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Why This Story Still Matters

The Robodebt scandal is more than a cautionary tale about flawed automation. It’s a stark reminder of what happens when governments prioritize cost-cutting over compassion. It also shows the power of journalism, whistleblowing, and persistence in the face of official denial.

For Australians who endured harassment and wrongful debt collection, this documentary isn’t just about the past—it’s about justice, accountability, and preventing future failures.

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Final Word

At its core, The People vs Robodebt is about ordinary people standing against a powerful government apparatus. From journalists like Knaus and Henriques-Gomes, to grieving parents like Jenny Miller, to insiders like Rachelle Miller, their courage collectively dismantled a system described as “neither fair nor legal.”

All three episodes of The People vs Robodebt are now streaming on SBS On Demand, airing weekly at 7.30 pm.

For the latest updates on this and other global stories, visit www.DailyGlobalDiary.com.

In what has been described as the largest class action settlement in Australian history, the federal government has agreed to pay $475 million in additional compensation to victims of the notorious Robodebt scandal. The deal, announced on Thursday, pushes the total financial redress for victims past an astonishing $2.4 billion.

The Robodebt scheme, launched under Australia’s Coalition government between 2015 and 2019, used automated technology to falsely accuse more than 443,000 welfare recipients of underreporting their income. Many were left traumatised, battling debt notices that were later found to be unlawful.

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A Landmark Settlement

The new agreement settles Knox v Commonwealth, an appeal filed after the Royal Commission into Robodebt exposed fresh evidence that government officials knew the system was unlawful yet allowed it to continue.

The $548.5 million total package now includes:

• $475 million in fresh compensation.
• $112 million from the original 2020 settlement.
• $1.76 billion in debts that were forgiven, cancelled, or repaid by the government.
• $60 million allocated for administering the scheme.
• $13.5 million to cover reasonable legal costs.

For the roughly 450,000 Australians affected, the settlement is both financial relief and moral vindication.

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Voices of the Victims

One of the applicants, Felicity Button, described the outcome as a turning point for fairness in Australia.

“For the first time, I think in my whole life, I can say that there was a bit of fairness – not just justice – in our system,” Button said.

Many victims endured years of stress, depression, and even financial ruin because of the automated notices. Some families linked the scheme to tragic outcomes, sparking nationwide outrage.

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Government’s Response

The Attorney General Michelle Rowland, speaking on behalf of the Albanese Labor government, said settling was “the just and fair thing to do.”

She acknowledged that the Royal Commission led by Catherine Holmes had branded Robodebt a “crude and cruel mechanism” and a “costly failure of public administration.”

“Today’s settlement demonstrates the Albanese government’s ongoing commitment to addressing the harms caused to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Australians by the former Liberal government’s disastrous scheme,” Rowland said.

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Legal Victory

Peter Gordon of Gordon Legal, the firm that spearheaded the class action, called the settlement “vindication and validation.”

“Today is also one more vindication of the principle that Australia remains a nation ruled by laws and not by kings. Laws which even hold the government accountable,” Gordon said during a press conference.

He urged victims to register with the firm for updates, promising payments within six months of federal court approval.

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Political Repercussions

The scandal has left deep political scars. The Greens spokesperson for social services, Penny Allman-Payne, welcomed the compensation but argued that the government should go further by abolishing what she described as “cruel compliance targets”.

The settlement comes just as new reforms were announced for Centrelink. Debts smaller than $250 will now be waived, and compensation of up to $600 will be offered to those affected by invalid income apportionment methods.

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Human and Economic Cost

The Robodebt saga has been more than a legal or political scandal; it has been a humanitarian crisis. The Royal Commission’s findings laid bare how thousands of ordinary Australians were unfairly harassed.

Some victims reported that the constant debt letters made them feel like criminals. Others said the ordeal eroded trust in public institutions. The commission’s conclusion—that Robodebt was “neither fair nor legal”—is now permanently etched into Australian history.

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Looking Ahead

The settlement closes one of the darkest chapters in Australia’s welfare policy. Yet for many victims, wounds remain raw. While compensation provides recognition, it cannot undo the stress and trauma caused.

Adding in the $1.7B already paid in #Robodebt compensation, and an earlier class action, today’s $475m class action settlement means Robodebt has cost the Commonwealth $2.4B, says lead plaintiff lawyer Peter Gordon. pic.twitter.com/S5bPXXV98y

— Hugh Riminton (@hughriminton) September 4, 2025

Still, this record-breaking settlement sends a clear message: governments must be held accountable, and automation cannot replace fairness in dealing with society’s most vulnerable.

For now, the victims of Robodebt can finally breathe a sigh of relief knowing their voices have been heard, and their suffering formally acknowledged.

Stay updated with Daily Global Diary for more breaking news and in-depth analysis from Australia and beyond.

Queensland’s Exam Mix-Up Sparks Outrage and Apology

In a major educational blunder, at least eight Queensland state high schools have reportedly taught their Year 12 students the wrong topic for the Ancient History external examination, prompting an urgent investigation ordered by Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek.

Among the affected institutions is Brisbane State High School — one of Queensland’s most reputable schools — where students prepared for an exam on the Roman Emperor Augustus instead of the assigned topic, Julius Caesar. The mix-up has shocked parents, teachers, and students alike just hours before the crucial examination.

The error came to light earlier this week when Brisbane State High School, which boasts over 3,500 students, issued an apology to parents and students after realising the mistake. “We are sincerely sorry for this error,” the school said in an official email, adding that emergency study sessions and additional learning resources had been arranged to cover the correct topic before the exam.

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A “Deeply Regrettable” Mistake, Says Education Department

A spokesperson from the Queensland Department of Education expressed remorse over the error, calling it “deeply regrettable” and assuring that all affected students would receive full support.

“We are deeply sorry for this mistake and are supporting students and families during this time,” the spokesperson said, adding that the department is working closely with the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) to ensure no student is academically disadvantaged.

Minister John-Paul Langbroek echoed this commitment, saying, “This is not good enough, given the impact this could have on students and their families at a time they should be focused on the exams they have to sit.”

He confirmed that students’ grades would be “scaled appropriately” since 75 per cent of their course assessments had already been completed internally.

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How Did the Error Happen?

The Ancient History syllabus topic reportedly changed from Augustus to Julius Caesar for the 2025 academic year. Schools were officially notified of this change as early as August 2023, and the update was reissued in April 2024.

Despite this, a small number of schools continued teaching the outdated topic. According to QCAA CEO Claude Jones, the authority is “proactively checking with all 172 schools” to confirm that the problem is not more widespread.

The QCAA admitted it had become aware that “a small number of schools” had prepared students for the wrong topic. All affected schools will now submit a “misadventure application” to ensure students receive fair consideration during grading.

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Brisbane State High Reacts Swiftly

Following the revelation, Brisbane State High School acted quickly by organising crash courses on Julius Caesar, distributing resources, and arranging last-minute tutorials for students before the Wednesday exam.

The school’s leadership reassured students that while the exam would not be rewritten, the QCAA had confirmed that it is “skills-based” — meaning students could still perform well despite having studied the wrong topic.

I think we know how Augustus and Caesar would have dealt with this type of error … https://t.co/8JvODJutH9

— Shane Wright (@swrighteconomy) October 28, 2025

“Our students will be able to demonstrate their skills and knowledge even though we have deviated from the prescribed topic,” the school said.

In an effort to rectify the damage, the school is filing an Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (AARA) request with QCAA, which allows special consideration for unforeseen circumstances affecting exam performance.

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Students Face Emotional Strain Before Final Exams

The mistake could not have come at a worse time. Year 12 students are currently in the middle of their external exam period, which determines a quarter of their final subject results.

For some, the shock has been overwhelming. “It’s incredibly unfair,” said one Brisbane student, “We worked so hard all year, and now we’re scrambling to learn an entirely new topic overnight.”

Teachers at other affected institutions, including Flagstone State Community College, also reported discovering the error just one day before the exam. The college informed parents late Tuesday and arranged an emergency study tutorial for Wednesday morning.

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QCAA Promises “No Student Will Be Disadvantaged”

In a public statement, QCAA CEO Claude Jones reaffirmed that all affected students would be treated fairly. “Our assessment experts will apply additional quality assurance processes when marking these exam responses,” he said.

He stressed that schools are informed of exam topics well in advance and that QCAA’s systems were in place to prevent such oversights. However, he acknowledged that in this instance, internal communication within schools may have failed.

The Education Minister, John-Paul Langbroek, reassured parents and students that these were not “100 per cent exams” — meaning the external assessment does not determine the entire grade. “If this had been a full-weighted exam, it would’ve been devastating,” he told ABC Radio Brisbane.

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Not the First Exam Disruption

This is not the first challenge faced by Queensland’s education system this week. On Monday, power outages caused by storms led to the cancellation of several exams at Brigidine College, Stuartholme School, and Ambrose Treacy College.

Those exams, which included Accounting, Design, and Aerospace Systems, could not be rescheduled to maintain fairness and security, according to QCAA.

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Government Vows Transparency and Accountability

Minister Langbroek has ordered a full investigation into how this mix-up occurred, promising transparency and accountability. “We must ensure this never happens again,” he said.

Parents and teachers across Queensland are now demanding stricter oversight from education boards and better systems to prevent such administrative errors.

As Queensland’s Year 12s continue their final exams, the state’s education authorities face growing pressure to restore public trust and guarantee that students’ futures are not compromised by bureaucratic mistakes.

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