Scott Morrison and ministers ‘to carry Robodebt’s human toll on their conscience for rest of their lives’

Education Minister Jason Clare says Scott Morrison, his former ministers and senior bureaucrats will carry the human toll of the Robodebt scheme forever.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison will carry the human toll of Robodebt on his conscience, says Education Minister Jason Clare.

Education Minister Jason Clare says Scott Morrison, his former ministers and senior bureaucrats will carry the human toll of the Robodebt scheme on their “conscience for the rest of their lives”.

Mr Clare hit back at Peter Dutton, saying he displayed the “empathy of a rock” by accusing Labor of politicising the scandal a week out from the Fadden by-election.

The Opposition Leader in Brisbane on Saturday criticised Anthony Albanese and Government Services Minister Bill Shorten for displaying “glee” in the wake of the royal commission report’s release. “The fact that Peter Dutton, on the day that this came down, went straight to politics, showed that this bloke doesn’t get it,” Mr Clare told Sky News.

“It’s not about that … A number of people lost their lives, others tried to take their own lives, ended up in hospital, and they’re still dealing with that. That’s the real human consequence of this.”

The report released on Friday made findings against Mr Morrison, former ministers Alan Tudge, Stuart Robert and Christian Porter and then Department of Social Services secretary Kathryn Campbell.

These included that Mr Morrison failed to meet his responsibilities to ensure cabinet was properly informed and to ensure the scheme was lawful and Mr Robert had cited statistics relating to debts he “knew could not be right”.

The finding that Ms Campbell “knew of the misleading effect of the (new policy proposal) but chose to stay silent” has put the senior bureaucrat’s future in the public service under a cloud. She is believed to be earning about $900,000 a year as an adviser on the AUKUS pact to the Department of Defence.

Mr Robert, Mr Tudge and Mr Porter have denied their names were included in a sealed section of the report that made referrals for civil or criminal prosecution.

Sources close to Mr Morrison on Friday denied he had been referred for criminal prosecution.

Mr Morrison was approached for further comment on Sunday.

Minister Jason Clare.

“Scott Morrison and all of these ministers and bureaucrats are going to have to live with this on their conscience for the rest of their lives,” Mr Clare said. “This has had an impact …. This was half a million Australians who got a bill that they didn’t owe.”

Nationals Leader David Littleproud defended Mr Morrison amid calls for him to resign, saying he had a “contract with the people of Cook”. “He won the election fair and square, he is the member for Cook and unless he has broken the law, there are strict rules around this,” Mr Littleproud told Channel 9’s Today.

On Saturday, Mr Shorten said Robodebt had revealed the “political cowardice, incompetence, venality” of the Coalition.