Friday, 29 Mar 2024

Former top lawyer denies seeking to withhold documents from coroner after robodebt victim’s suicide

Former top lawyer denies seeking to withhold documents from coroner after robodebt victim’s suicide


Former top lawyer denies seeking to withhold documents from coroner after robodebt victim’s suicide

The Department of Human Services' former top lawyer has denied claims aired at a royal commission that she sought to withhold documents from a coroner investigating the suicide of a robodebt victim.

Fronting the inquiry into the Centrelink scheme again on Wednesday, Annette Musolino faced questioning about her role as the department's chief counsel and later a deputy secretary responsible for oversight of the robodebt scheme.

Musolino denied withholding legal advice from her boss, the DHS secretary Kathryn Campbell, because she knew the information was "unwanted" - saying she had no recollection of seeing the documents in question.

Under questioning from counsel assisting, Angus Scott KC, Musolino also rejected allegations she misled her next boss, DHS secretary Renee Leon, by not conveying legal concerns about the scheme in an effort to hide her own alleged failings.

In this case, Musolino said she had no recollection of the conversation and denied knowing the scheme's legal basis was weak.

The inquiry investigating a scandal that led to a $1.8bn settlement with hundreds of thousands of victims heard last week from Jennifer Miller, whose son Rhys Cauzzo took his own life in 2017 after being told he owed $17,000 in what turned out to be unlawful debts.

After saying she was stonewalled by the Coalition government, Miller sought an inquest in 2018 from the Victorian coroner, who sought documents from the department as part of initial inquiries.

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