Labor is set to push for a Senate inquiry looking into the Centrelink debacle that has left thousands of Tasmanians feeling anxious.
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Discrepancies between Centrelink and Australian Taxation Office information have led to almost 170,000 debt recovery letters being sent out to Australians.
Labor will call for a Senate inquiry looking into the system to be established in February.
Tasmanian Labor Senator Helen Polley said she was outraged that the letters were hurting some of Tasmania’s most vulnerable people.
“We all want people who have done the wrong thing to be caught and for that money to be paid back,” she said.
“But the system has failed.”
TasCOSS chief executive Kym Goodes said the first priority of the federal government should be to suspend the process until major issues could be identified and addressed.
Ms Goodes said she would support a Senate inquiry into the ongoing issue.
“There is a duty of care and we have a situation where many Tasmanians are either are unaware of their options for support and advice when they receive a letter, or struggle to get through to Centrelink on the phone or online,” Ms Goodes said.
“A Senate inquiry, in conjunction with the immediate work of the Ombudsman which is now underway, will ensure that people have their voices heard and the full impact can be measured.
“It is critical that this level of scrutiny occurs as so many Tasmanians, and Australians, have been impacted.”
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam said the debt recovery process had caused unnecessary angst for people.
“With reports that some system-generated calculations have been significantly inaccurate there must be an improvement on this new process,” Senator Duniam said.
“Rather than another talk fest by politicians, we just need to get the problems fixed.
“I understand that [Human Services Minister Alan Tudge] has instituted improved internal review processes and altered the way debt recovery actions are undertaken.”