Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Cat Walker

Michael Klapdor @mklapdor.bsky.social · 1d

While the Bill affects millions of debts + DSS expects close to a million people to access the resolution scheme - there were no submissions to this inquiry from affected individuals other than a message from someone imprisoned with an affected debt that @antipovertycentre.org included

Michael Klapdor @mklapdor.bsky.social · 1d

Senate Community Affairs Committee has tabled its report into the Social Security + Other Leg Amndt (Technical Changes No. 2) Bill 2025. Bill includes validation of income apportionment, establishes a resolution scheme and makes changes to debt waiver provisions www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentar...

Tabled documents

Documents presented (tabled) in the Senate and the House of Representatives since 2022 (the 47th Parliament). Documents presented prior to this and information for government departments can be access...

www.aph.gov.au

8 13

Cat Walker @kelpieunicorns.bsky.social · 1d

I got on my soapbox about this at a reference group meeting two weeks ago. I know the LinkedIn post would have been seen by NDIA staff.

Yet, this misleading claim is still published and lulling participants into a false sense of security twenty days later.

That's a choice.

#NDIS #Auspol

Cat Walker @kelpieunicorns.bsky.social · 20d

If the NDIA are going to start raising debts against confusing, unworkable in/out lists, they can at least be honest about the lack of formal review rights they defended throughout 2024.

Creating a false sense of security isn't fair on participants.

#Auspol #NDIS

Dear National Disability Insurance Agency: This is false and misleading information. There is NO formal right to review whether a debt should exist. This messaging is dangerous and unfair. It… | Cat...

Dear National Disability Insurance Agency: This is false and misleading information. There is NO formal right to review whether a debt should exist. This messaging is dangerous and unfair. It create...

www.linkedin.com

5

Cat Walker @kelpieunicorns.bsky.social · 1d

Still waiting 🧐

Cat Walker @kelpieunicorns.bsky.social · 20d

This overdue request for full NDIA + #NDIS Review emails has been delayed AGAIN after an ETA for this week.

Topic: 'Cost Drivers' presentation + feedback from May 2023.

Right after the States raised concerns re 'complexity' of patients unable to access disability support.

My reaction: 👀

#Auspol

Unredacted copy of FOI 24/25-0761 (NDIS Review correspondence) - a Freedom of Information request to National Disability Insurance Agency

I am writing to request an unredacted copy of the documents released under FOI 24/25-0761 for the purposes of the FOI Act, along with the presentation materials referred to in the documents released. ...

www.righttoknow.org.au

4 3

Reposted by Cat Walker

Pookleblinky @pookleblinky.bsky.social · 3d

"The aim was to induce personal crises in victims, leaving them too unnerved and psychologically distressed to have the time and energy for anti-government activism"

1 36 210

Reposted by Cat Walker

Tom Studans @maximumwelfare.bsky.social · 6d

Yeah no it's not law or policy it's a secret third thing that totally determines how the law is applied in a very legal way that also very conveniently means it can't be appealed legally, at law.

[Excerpt from FOI of Targeted Compliance Framework mutual obligations rules]

12.2.7 Participants cannot appeal Demerit decisions under Social Security Law

All Participants have the right to ask for a review of a decision made under Social Security Law and, in most cases, to appeal the decision to a tribunal or court. This includes decisions to suspend a Participant’s Income Support Payment as a result of non‑compliance and decisions made by Services Australia to reduce or cancel their Income Support Payment.

Demerit decisions are not decisions under Social Security Law and so Participants cannot appeal or ask for a formal review of any decision to confirm a Demerit using the same processes as those that apply for decisions under Social Security Law. However, Participants may dispute Demerit decisions.

5 31 70

Reposted by Cat Walker

Tom Studans @maximumwelfare.bsky.social · 6d

If you're in the way of a particular budget outcome they will directly attack the rights and lives of your community whatever the situation.

1 7

Reposted by Cat Walker

MJ O’Neill 🏳️‍⚧️ @mjoneillchw.bsky.social · 6d

Basically, the Australian political class as a whole is aligned on one central belief - that poor people should be subject to worse laws and treatment than rich people. That’s Centrelink, robodebt, mutual obligations, ndis, all of it.

Tom Studans @maximumwelfare.bsky.social · 6d

A lot of very talented lawyers and legal academics/analysts are easily absorbed trying to understand 'mutual obligations' on its own terms. But the aim is, as in Robodebt, simply to construct a vaguely-deniable parallel rule of law for recipients.

6 30 55

Reposted by Cat Walker

Jeremy Poxon @jeremypoxon.bsky.social · 4d

Huge story here. Daniel had his payments illegally cancelled by the Mutual Obligations system. After years of bravely fighting, he exposed the error and won the backpay he was always legally entitled to

Guardian Australia @australia.theguardian.com · 5d

Centrelink illegally cancelled Daniel’s jobseeker payment. He fought back against the system – and won

After taking his case to the administrative review tribunal, Daniel’s complaint then went to the commonwealth ombudsman, which is now investigating Centrelink * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Daniel’s chest tightened, his stomach dropped. The Centrelink worker at the end of the line told him his jobseeker payment had been cancelled. But he knew it wasn’t right. Daniel is one of an estimated 310,000 Centrelink recipients who had their payments unlawfully cancelled between 2020 and 2024 because they were incorrectly told they had not met their mutual obligations under the scheme. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

4 76 140

Reposted by Cat Walker

Jeremy Poxon @jeremypoxon.bsky.social · 4d

This has massive ramifications, and hopefully inspires many other victims of unlawful mutual obligations decisions to demand justice from the government.

If you're in this cohort, and would like support, please get in touch: [email protected]

3 30 73

Reposted by Cat Walker

Asher Wolf @asherwolf.bsky.social · 5d

We could start with a Human Rights Charter

Wendy Harmer @wendyharmer.bsky.social · 5d

My good God, reading about USA politics is both exhausting and scary.
Here in Australia, we should be both alert and alarmed.
Protect our precious and fragile democracy - with its checks and balances- to stop the contagion.

6 15 74

Reposted by Cat Walker

A Little Thought @alittlethought.bsky.social · 12d

The NDIA justified the lower support worker hours by saying “you have the capacity to partake in leisure activities of your choosing at home independently such as watching TV, using your phone or reading.”

“My existence doesn’t revolve around sitting in four walls and looking at a TV,” D’Netto says

El Gibbs @bluntshovels.bsky.social · 12d

“It makes you feel like, ‘am I even a human to you guys?’. What’s the point of being here? Will that save your budget?” Kieron D’Netto

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Kieron relies on NDIS after surviving a catastrophic diving accident – but new rules could put his life at risk

Brisbane man is one of hundreds reporting devastating cuts to NDIS plans after rule changes last year

www.theguardian.com

1 1

Reposted by Cat Walker

Asher Wolf @asherwolf.bsky.social · 9d

NAAC defends the decision not to hold robodebt public hearings. Pathetic www.canberratimes.com.au/story/908769...

National watchdog defends no robodebt public hearings

The national anti-corruption commission is investigating six public officials tied to the illegal robodebt scheme that resulted in...

www.canberratimes.com.au

11 37 98

Reposted by Cat Walker

Asher Wolf @asherwolf.bsky.social · 9d

We’ve been saying this forever. The social media ban will harm kids

ABC News Bot (unofficial) @abcnewsbot.bsky.social · 9d

LGBTIQA+ advocates are concerned the social media ban will have a significant impact on queer youth in regional and remote areas of Australia. They say there are not enough offline, physical supports for these teens to access when the ban comes into effect.

LGBTQIA+ advocates say social media ban will 'cut off' regional queer teens

LGBTIQA+ advocates are concerned the social media ban will have a significant impact on queer youth in regional and remote areas of Australia. They say there are not enough offline, physical supports for these teens to access when the ban comes into effect.

www.abc.net.au

8 100 280

Reposted by Cat Walker

Powerd Media @powerdmedia.bsky.social · 9d

Powerd Media sat down with Jordan Steele-John to discuss how his upbringing shaped his passion for implementing social and political change.

Read more: https://loom.ly/nTSeN3c

Alt text is available on all images.

#Disability #Accessibility #Inclusion #AusPol

Text reading: Powerd Media sat down with Jordon Steele-John to discuss how his upbringing shaped his passion for implementing social and political change. And a photo of Jordon Steele-John in a dark shirt and white pants sits smiling at the camera.

Text reading: In 2017, Mr Steele-John became the youngest Senator in the history of Australian politics as well as the first person with a physical disability to be elected at the ripe age of 23. As a result of his position, Parliament House was renovated to include a fully accessible office for Mr Steele-John and a wheelchair accessible space within the Parliamentary Chamber. And a photo of Jordon Steele-John in a dark shirt and white pants sits smiling at the camera.

Text reading: The Senator argues that climate change is a specific threat to the disability community. “We will all continue to live through climate…in a context where our emergency service systems so often let us down, so often think of us last and therefore put us at higher risk.” And a photo of Jordon Steele-John in a dark shirt smiling at the camera.

Text on a grey background reading: He went on to claim that the Australian government needs to improve the collaboration process with the disability community, specifically regarding the NDIS and the Thriving Kids initiative. “There should be services and supports that are in place beyond the NDIS, but they must actually meet community need rather than political expediency.”

6 8

Reposted by Cat Walker

Mx. Fee - FREE LINK @mxfee.bsky.social · 12d

This is the NDIS the ALP and @albomp.bsky.social want. They truly do not believe that disabled people are human, or should ever be seen in public.

#AusPol

Excerpt from the article that reads as below.

In it, the NDIA planner justified the lower support worker hours by saying: “The evidence demonstrates that you have the capacity to partake in leisure activities of your choosing at home independently such as watching TV, using your phone or reading.”

5 8

Reposted by Cat Walker

Jeremy Poxon @jeremypoxon.bsky.social · 13d

Now that the Deloitte report, about the government's unlawful administration of mutual obligations, is making international headlines, it's worth looking at what's actually in it (apart from AI slop) and WHY it was actually commissioned

A thread👇

2 76 120

Reposted by Cat Walker

Jeremy Poxon @jeremypoxon.bsky.social · 13d

Labor's employment minister rep admits that payment suspensions "cause harm", but they're "an important part" of the (unlawful) mutual obligations system, because

"At the end of the day we want ppl to get off payments and find a job"

gross 'best form of welfare is a job' stuff from the ALP here

6 36 88

Reposted by Cat Walker

Asher Wolf @asherwolf.bsky.social · 13d

Frankly I want them to be as odd as possible. Make your change agents extra weird

4 6 78

Reposted by Cat Walker

Asher Wolf @asherwolf.bsky.social · 13d

Pre-print: Complex Genetics and Regulatory Drivers of Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Insights from Genome-Wide Association Study Meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41001447/

Complex Genetics and Regulatory Drivers of Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Insights from Genome-Wide Association Study Meta-analysis - PubMed

These results establish the first evidence of common variant contributions to hEDS, supporting a complex, multisystem model involving neuroimmune-stromal dysregulation. Our findings add novel indicati...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

1 4 10

Cat Walker @kelpieunicorns.bsky.social · 13d

Wait, is OpenAI going to see the mythical NDIS financial sustainability framework before Parliament/anyone outside National Cabinet?!

This is Treasury's standard for good ideas?

Yikes.

Crikey @crikey.com.au · 14d

Exclusive | OpenAI's first Australian government contract was handed over with no public tender.

OpenAI signs first ever Australian government contract

www.crikey.com.au

1 2

Reposted by Cat Walker

Asher Wolf @asherwolf.bsky.social · 15d

There is no democracy without transparency

The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 15d

Proposed changes to Australia’s FOI laws would make a repeat of the disastrous Robodebt coverup more likely, rather than less, our new research shows.

The PM described Robodebt as a “gross betrayal and human tragedy”, yet his government plans to make cabinet documents harder to access. #auspol

Government’s FOI changes could cover up the next Robodebt - new research

Proposed changes to Australia’s Freedom of Information (FOI) laws would make a repeat of the disastrous Robodebt coverup more likely, rather than less, according to new research by The Australia Insti...

australiainstitute.org.au

2 51 85

Reposted by Cat Walker

Tqft @tqft.bsky.social · 16d

You are probably well aware that this is illegal under the public records/archives Act(s) etc

First day aps orientation includes meaning of record and keeping them.

Sack and prosecute them if they don't comply

1 6

Reposted by Cat Walker

Rick Morton @squigglyrick.bsky.social · 16d

De Brouwer made the exact same argument two years ago after the Robodebt Royal Commission report was delivered. This is how I treated it in Mean Streak: "Grow up."

Screenshot of the book Mean Streak by Rick Morton. The text reads:

for the past decade and half, when conclusive certificates were
discontinued, is counterproductive to the Parliament’s intent.
‘When it comes to deliberative material, FoI does not ensure
transparency (because advice is not being written) and it
undermines integrity (because advice is not being written).’
So officials don’t put things in writing because they might get
released under Freedom of Information laws, therefore the FoI
laws aren’t working?
Grow up.
De Brouwer is not alone in his views. Former secretaries have
been doing the rounds making exactly these kinds of noises, as if
the outcome of poor professional behaviour is the result of some
law and not … poor professional behaviour.

3 79 140

Reposted by Cat Walker

Asher Wolf @asherwolf.bsky.social · 16d

In an extraordinary pitch for a public servant scrutiny void, senior public servants have blamed Robodebt on transparency. Former Senator Rex Patrick reports on a leadership failure michaelwest.com.au/too-much-tra...

Fat Cats say what? Too much transparency caused Robodebt scandal - Michael West

In an extraordinary pitch for a public servant scrutiny void, senior public servants have blamed Robodebt on transparency.

michaelwest.com.au

4 34 95