Albanese government accepts, or accepts in-principle, 56 robodebt royal commission recommendations

Though it accepted 56 recommendations in some form, it did not back a closing observation from commissioner Catherine Holmes calling for increased transparency around Cabinet documents.

Commissioner Holmes argued a section of the Freedom of Information Act should be repealed, to scrap a guarantee of confidentiality for Cabinet documents. A justifiable reason should be given for withholding such information, the royal commission report states.

But the government maintained that Cabinet documents should be confidential so that public servants and Ministers can express their "frank and fearless advice" and views.

Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher placed ultimate responsibility for the unlawful scheme on former Coalition ministers, but recognised the role of the federal public service in rolling out the scheme.

The debt-collecting scheme ran under the former Coalition government, from 2015 until 2019, when the Solicitor General found it to be unlawful. It automatically raised debts against social welfare recipients by comparing their reported income with averaged annual pay data from the tax office.

People who received debt notices were expected to prove that they were incorrect, requiring exhaustive efforts to gather payslips and other evidence.

"There's no doubt that the illegal robodebt scheme was a shameful chapter in public administration in Australia," Senator Gallagher told reporters in Canberra.

"And it wasn't an innocent mistake and it didn't come out of the blue.

"What we saw in terms of the former government's approach to the public service was one of a lack of respect and a lack of value of that institution."

"Whilst ministers have to bear the ultimate responsibility for the robodebt scheme ... the way the former government treated the public service certainly led to failings within the administration of the public service itself," she said.

Tabled more than four months after Commissioner Holmes handed down her 990-page report into the scheme, the government's response does not shed light on investigations into individuals adversely named in the report.

The Public Service Commission has commenced inquiries into 16 individuals - including current and former APS employees, and former agency heads - following referrals from the royal commission.

The Australian Federal Police in July said it received one report of a crime from the robodebt royal commission, while referrals were also made to the National Anti Corruption Commission.

The recommendations implemented include improving training and record-keeping in the APS, a "customer service" focus within Services Australia and review of the structure of the social services portfolio.

The Public Service Commissioner will be empowered to make disciplinary declarations against former APS employees and former agency heads, requiring amendments to the Public Service Act.

"This will ensure that inquiries into the conduct of former public servants can be commenced and undertaken, and sanctions applied, following the end of their tenure," the government's response states.

Earlier this month, Senator Gallagher announced new own motion powers for the APS Commissioner Gordon de Brouwer to initiate reviews and investigations into Code of Conduct breaches by current and former agency heads.

Government Services Minister Bill Shorten said there had been 26 recommendations in his portfolio, with Services Australia encouraged to design policies with a primary focus on the people they are meant to serve, improve consultation and face-to-face engagement with vulnerable people.

Mr Shorten said work was already under way to move on a lot of the recommendations.

"In my portfolio, there are 26 recommendations. Even in the last week, we've announced 3000 extra staff to make sure that we can process payments in a timely and accurate fashion," Mr Shorten said.

"We've stopped using external debt collectors, which was a feature of the previous scheme under robodebt.

"We're improving our communications with people who use our system. Most importantly, under the Albanese government, we don't think that people who use our social security system are second-class Australians. We do not believe in a war on the poor."

But advocacy group, The Antipoverty Centre, called on the government to immediately cease debt collection.

"There is no humane way to extract money from people living in poverty who cannot afford the basics," the centre's spokesperson Kristin O'Connell said in a statement.

"Issuing debts to poor people is dangerous and harmful, "legal" or otherwise."

Australian Council of Social Service chief executive officer Cassandra Goldie welcomed the government's response but added that Australia still has "one of the lowest unemployment payments among wealthy countries".

"Automatic decision-making is still leading to people being excluded from the help they need," she said in her statement, urging the government to engage more with civil society groups.

Community and Public Sector union national secretary Melissa Donnelly said members would be "relieved to hear" the government would accept recommendations from the royal commission but noted the seven areas agreed to only in principle.

"Whilst the majority of recommendations were accepted, it is noted 7 recommendations were accepted in principle," Ms Donnelly said in her statement.

"The CPSU will be working to ensure the intent of those recommendations are properly implemented, particularly regarding the need for more 'face to face' support for customers and increased social workers."

"Our members in Services Australia are hopeful that this government is turning the ship around and I urge the Albanese government not to let them down."

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