Welcome to the latest edition of Clark Matters, Andrew’s monthly email newsletter to help keep you abreast of federal politics and what he’s been up to.
Sorry about the late delivery – it’s been a busy time in Parliament.
Major parties refuse to back a Whistleblower Protection Authority
While it was heartening to learn last week that no conviction has been recorded against Tax Office whistleblower Richard Boyle, many Australians were appalled that this brave whistleblower was prosecuted at all for revealing egregious misconduct within the Tax Office.
The sad reality is that our whistleblower protections are deeply inadequate and leave individuals like Mr Boyle with their lives upended, facing legal battles and the prospect of time in prison, simply for speaking out in the public interest. This makes last Friday’s decision by Labor and Liberal members of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee to oppose the Whistleblower Protection Authority Bill 2025 all the more unfathomable.
The Bill Andrew introduced in the House of Representatives earlier this year, and which Senator David Pocock introduced in the Senate, would have established an independent Whistleblower Protection Authority to advise and support people who are witness to misconduct and need to speak up.
In some positive news, Andrew was encouraged by the new Attorney-General’s commitment to finally progress reforms to the Public Interest Disclosure Act and the Corporations Act, confirmed in response to his question in the Parliament this week, and the establishment of a Whistleblower Ombudsman.
Robodebt
It’s been over two years since the Robodebt Royal Commission and, shamefully, we are yet to see any meaningful legislative change from the Federal Government in response to its recommendations. To fix this, Andrew introduced his Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Responding to Robodebt) Bill 2025, which would address key recommendations of the Royal Commission to help address and prevent another catastrophic failure of government administration and harm to
welfare recipients.
Andrew’s Bill would legislate higher standards and duties for Services Australia to ensure an emphasis on providing service, rather than dishing out punishment. It also includes requirements for human oversight of automated decision making, as well as more compassionate debt recovery and collection practices. Following the introduction of Andrew’s bill the Government announced some welcome action on debts, but there’s so much more to do because, while the Government takes small steps, Centrelink’s debt recovery practices continue to cause harm and distress.
Private health insurance
Private hospitals are in crisis and that’s in no small part due to the health insurance industry. And all the while patients are being slugged with higher premiums for less care, and some hospitals are financially distressed and facing closure. The health insurance companies, in particular the for-profits, are doing very nicely indeed.
About six months ago the Health Minister promised to hold the industry to account and said there would be consequences if they didn’t lift payments. But instead of cracking down, the Government is using false data and dodgy analysis to claim insurers are paying more to private hospitals. Indeed the Minister’s claim in July that private health insurers have been increasing payments to hospitals appears to be based in part on accounting tricks, including some double-counting and padding with things that don’t even go to hospitals. It’s smoke and mirrors, designed to make insurers look good.
The situation won’t change until the Government puts in place serious guardrails, like requiring a minimum ratio of benefits to premiums, and a coherent system of judging what each patient’s treatment ought to cost so hospitals aren’t able or forced to cherry-pick patients.
Yours sincerely
