Department secretary asked at inquiry if she stands by earlier statement she did not ‘accept people have died’ over programRobodebt official challenged by mothers of two young men who took their own livesThe mothers of two young men who took their own lives after receiving Centrelink debts have challenged a top bureaucrat who said she did not “accept that people have died” over the Coalition’s income compliance – or robodebt – program. She said: “We know that suicide is a very difficult subject, we know mental health issues are very difficult. Both acknowledge their sons had existing difficulties with their mental health and have widely canvassed their stories in previous media articles. Campbell and the Services Australia deputy secretary Annette Musolino both emphasised on Monday that mental health and suicide were complex issues without one causal factor. Luke Henriques-Gomes (@lukehgomes) Jennifer Miller's son Rhys, 28, also committed suicide and had received a robodebt.

Source: The Guardian August 17, 2020 09:00 UTC