Not long ago, the Australian government was forced to abandon a scheme it was using to pursue welfare recipients for money. The robo-debt scheme was binned in 2019 after the government finally asked the solicitor-general for legal advice. He told them what many had long suspected: it was probably unlawful. So who else knew about the potential illegality of robo-debt? How early did they know? And why did it go ahead at all? Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on the robo-debt royal commission and how years of suffering could have been averted. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram. Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton.