13. Pink Batts and Robodebt - lessons not learned

In September 2014, at the very moment DHS invents Robodebt, the APS receives a frank assessment of its limitations in the form of the Final Report Home Insulation Program Royal Commission.In this episode, a review of the 'pink batts' Royal Commission report shows the key failings that recur.Why is it so hard as a public servant to say 'we can't do this in the time allowed?'How should generalists respond when asked to engage in technical subject matter that we don't understand?And once again, ...

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Unpacking lessons for the public service, starting with the Robodebt Royal Commission. In 2019, after three years, Robodebt was found to be unlawful. The Royal Commission process found it was also immoral and wildly inaccurate. Ultimately the Australian Government was forced to pay $1.8bn back to more than 470,000 Australians. In this podcast we dive deep into public policy failures like Robodebt and the British Post Office scandal - how they start, why they're hard to stop, and the public service lessons we shouldn't forget.