‘Self pity’: Scott Morrison torched in fiery scenes in Parliament

Bill Shorten has unleashed on Scott Morrison as a “bottomless well of self-pity without mercy for the real victims” of the Robodebt scheme.

Bill Shorten has unleashed on Scott Morrison as a “bottomless well of self-pity without mercy for the real victims” of the Robodebt scheme.

It follows Mr Morrison’s claim he is the victim of a “political lynching” over the scandal that has cost taxpayers millions of dollars in compensation payouts and legal costs. 

Speaking in Parliament, Mr Morrison slammed the Robodebt royal commission and argued central findings were “disproportionate, wrong, unsubstantiated, and contradicted by clear evidence presented to the commission”.

Lynching is defined as an extrajudicial killing by a group and is associated in the United States with the murders of African Americans.

“This campaign of political lynching has once again in included the weaponisation of a quasi legal process to launder the government’s political vindictiveness. They should move on,’’ he said.

NDIS and Government Services Bill Shorten during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

But speaking today as Mr Morrison watched on in Parliament, Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten said the former Prime Minister’s complaints were offensive to the “real victims” of the scheme.

“The real victims were those who suffered financial hardship to sell their possessions to pay and unlawfully raised debt,’’ Mr Shorten said.

“The real victims were those who suffered the effects of unfair accusations. The real victims were those who suffered trauma, anxiety, distress, the real victims were those who took their own lives.

“The real victims are the mothers of those who took their own lives. The real victims are all those Australians who lost trust in government because of an unlawful scheme.

“One person who was not a real victim was the Member for Cook. Yesterday the Member for Cook claimed the adverse findings against him were disproportionate, wrong, unsubstantiated or contradictory.”

Mr Shorten said that “satire was dead” if Mr Morrison thought he was the true victim of the political mess.

Scott Morrison during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“The purpose of that statement was to frame himself as the real victim of the Robodebt royal commission. The Member for Cook said and I quote, ‘In making their finding, the commission sought to reverse the owners’ approval to establish their claim’,’’ he said.

“Satire is truly dead in this country when the Member for Cook complains about the reversal of the onus of proof on him.”

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese mocked claims that the Morrison government was alerted to the scheme’s problems and shut it down.

“Not true. They doubled down,’’ Mr Albanese said.

“They did not shut it down. They doubled down and continued to attack. Yesterday, the Member for Cook suggested there was only one victim of Robodebt. Him. So much self-pity, so little self-awareness.”