Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended his role in overseeing the Robodebt scheme, rejecting findings from a royal commission.
In his first in-person comments since the release of the royal commission’s report, Mr. Morrison said the findings against him were “disproportionate, wrong, and unsubstantiated.”
The report said Mr. Morrison had “allowed Cabinet to be misled” on the legality of the scheme when he was social services minister.
But Mr. Morrison told Parliament on Monday the findings of the royal commission had been contradicted by the evidence presented to it.
“I do, however, completely reject the commission’s adverse findings regarding my own role as minister for social services, between December 2014 and September 2015 as disproportionate, wrong, unsubstantiated,” he said.
However, he said he had “deep regret” for the impact the Robodebt scheme had on welfare recipients.
Mr. Morrison accused the Labor government of character assassination against him following the royal commission.
“For the government to now condemn me for holding a view that they shared and sustained for more than three years after I held the portfolio is rank hypocrisy,” he said.
“The latest attacks on my character by the government in relation to this report is just a further attempt by the government following my departure from office to discredit me and my service to our country.”
