Michael Klapdor

@mklapdor.bsky.social

869 Followers 673 Following

Canberra 🇦🇺 Personal account | Impersonal observations

Photo of Australian referee Alireza Faghani, Gianni Infantino and Trump giving a thumbs up
Photo of Cortnee Vine
Photo of Mile Jedinak
Screenshot of Ice T on Twitter saying his first million dollar paycheck was from playing a kangaroo on tank girl
Photo of spectator wearing a full-head covering kangaroo mask at the Australia v Paraguay game
Screenshot of FB marketplace place ad for a small single person Ferris wheel
Still from video of Bob Hawke watching the America’s Cup where he says "Any boss who sacks anyone today for not turning up is a bum”
Photo of sunrise looking north from Mt Taylor over foggy Woden town centre.
Photo of Lynelle and Lee from Colin from Accounts
Arsenal player Gabriel Magalhaes doing Viktor Gyökeres’ celebration
Screenshot of ‘Income management’ budget measure. “The Government will provide $202.7 million over five years from 2025–26 (and $49.5 million per year ongoing) to maintain existing Income Management arrangements and reinvest funding for support services for participants while the Government determines future Income Management arrangements. This measure builds on the 2024–25 MYEFO measure titled Income Management – maintenance. See also the related payment measure titled Services Australia – additional resourcing in the Finance portfolio.”
Photo of Woden valley from Mt Taylor at sunrise. Light clouds in the sky and autumnal trees in the foreground.
Photo of names tags, lanyards and 10 and 15 year service pins on a round coffee table.
Photo of Woden town centre at sunrise with a hot air balloon floating in the sky and some fog in the background
Two photos of me - one from 2007 and one from today
Photo of heart shape in the sky drawn by 2 Roulettes planes
Line chart showing JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) recipients from March 2019 to February 2026
Screenshot of Arrested Development scene with the caption ‘Take a look at banner, Michael!’ The banner reads: ‘Family love Michael’
Photo of Sam Kerr with caption reading ‘so suck on that one’
Screenshot of p. 40 of the NACC report on Operation Myrtleford "106. Then, as now, the relevant legislation provided that income support benefits be calculated and paid on a fortnightly basis by reference to the amount of income from other sources ‘first earned, derived or received’ by the recipient during each fortnight. 107. Generally, it was considered that calculation and payment on a fortnightly basis would provide recipients with a more beneficial outcome than application of the amount of income in fact from other sources in fact earned during the fortnight. 108. It was recognised, however, that there would be circumstances in which averaging or apportioning could disadvantage a recipient and, therefore, that particular care needed to be taken in ‘Assessing verified income where fortnightly details cannot be obtained’. 109. Until the advent of the Online Compliance Intervention (OCI) program that began operating in 2015, that ‘particular care’ consisted of a labour-intensive process of investigation undertaken by experienced social security compliance officers that included seeking details from employers and other relevant sources of information and engaging with recipients to glean and assess all forms of available relevant information.59 110. Although there were cases where the process of averaging or apportioning led to an overestimation of fortnightly income, there were apparently few instances of that occurring and fewer, if any, complaints. In the case of those few recipients who were dissatisfied with the outcome of the process, there was then, as there is now, a right of internal departmental review and a right to apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (now the Administrative Review Tribunal) for merits review of the assessment.60 58. Report of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, 7 July 2023, xxiii-xxiv, 14. 59.Report of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, 7 July 2023, 14-15, 474-476. 60. Report of the …
Screenshot of text: ‘Bill forms part of a series responding to unlawful practices The Bill is the latest in a series of legislative responses to identified cases where government agencies have been making unlawful decisions. In most—but not all—cases, the agencies have unknowingly acted contrary to legislative provisions. The most significant example is income apportionment. Income apportionment was an unlawful method used to calculate social security debts for payment recipients with employment income prior to December 2020 (p. 4). The use of the method dates back more than 30 years and could have affected debts raised against more than 3 million people totalling $4.4 billion (pp. 1–3). The Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 2) Act 2025—passed by the Parliament in December 2025—retrospectively validated the use of the method and established a Resolution Scheme to make payments to affected individuals. Services Australia and DSS first became aware of the issue in late 2020 (p. 6). The Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Act 2025—passed by the Parliament in November 2025—retrospectively validated unlawful decisions around the date of effect for Child Care Subsidy entitlements (dating back to 2018). The Department of Education’s ICT system was applying incorrect start dates (dates that did not align with family assistance law) resulting in underpayments or overpayments of Child Care Subsidy (pp.16 – 17). It is unclear how many people were affected by this issue. Another high-profile instance is the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations’ (DEWR) and Services Australia’s unlawful cancellation of income support payments under the Targeted Compliance Framework. DEWR commissioned a legal review as well as a review of its ICT system. The government has announced changes in policy and practices to address the issues, but no legislative changes have been proposed.’
Screenshot of Key Points section: 'Key Points: - The Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 1) Bill 2026 (the Bill) amends child support and social security law to: - align child support legislation with Services Australia’s long-standing practices in relation to the start date of child support periods and eligibility for child support for parents/carers with less than 35% of the care of a child - retrospectively apply the child support amendments and validate previously unlawful decisions - provide legislative authority and a framework for urgent payments to social security recipients outside standard fortnightly payment instalment periods - clarify the operation of employment income assessment rules for social security payments in relation to a partner’s employment income and for when rates are calculated following a payment suspension or claim for a new payment. - The Commonwealth Ombudsman investigated 2 of the 3 child support issues addressed in the Bill. In relation to 1 issue, the Ombudsman found Services Australia had knowingly failed to comply with child support legislation for 6 years. - The Ombudsman did not investigate 1 of the child support issues relating to the start date of child support assessments. It is unclear how long government agencies have been aware that start date decisions were being made unlawfully, and what the impact on families has been. - At the time of writing, the Bill had not been referred to or reported on by any parliamentary committees.'
Line chart showing the total number of JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) recipients from March 2019 to January 2026
Screenshot of Key Points section of linked Bills Digest. Key points • The Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 1) Bill 2026 (the Bill) amends child support and social security law to: – align child support legislation with Services Australia’s long-standing practices in relation to the start date of child support periods and eligibility for child support for parents/carers with less than 35% of the care of a child – retrospectively apply the child support amendments and validate previously unlawful decisions – provide legislative authority and a framework for urgent payments to social security recipients outside standard fortnightly payment instalment periods – clarify the operation of employment income assessment rules for social security payments in relation to a partner’s employment income and for when rates are calculated following a payment suspension or claim for a new payment. • The Commonwealth Ombudsman investigated 2 of the 3 child support issues addressed in the Bill. In relation to 1 issue, the Ombudsman found Services Australia had knowingly failed to comply with child support legislation for 6 years. • The Ombudsman did not investigate 1 of the child support issues relating to the start date of child support assessments. It is unclear how long government agencies have been aware that start date decisions were being made unlawfully, and what the impact on families has been.'
One of the panels of the linked comic on Anzac Day by Jon Kudelka. Depicts him as a kid with his grandfather, smoking, looking up at the stars. Jon asks him 'what was it like flying a bomber?'. The grandfather replies, 'Frightening'.
Photo of Woden valley from Mt Taylor. Rocks and trees in the foreground. Tall buildings in the middle distance and a wave of cloud in the background.
Screenshot of linked Answer to a Question on Notice - 2 tables showing the disability records of DES participants with a payment suspension in 2024-25.
Screenshot of Services Australia website: "Who is eligible for the Resolution Scheme You may be eligible for the Resolution Scheme if all the following apply: - you received an employment income debt for a debt period between 20 September 2003 and 6 December 2020 - your debt was likely to be affected by income apportionment and raised before 5 December 2025 - you haven’t been prosecuted and found guilty of fraud in relation to your debt - your debt has not been previously waived in full or zeroed before 30 January 2026. You can apply for the Resolution Scheme if your employment income debt was affected by income apportionment between 20 September 2003 and 6 December 2020."
Photo of old white guy with a big moustache. Text over image says: ‘Mal "Chubber" Chub Ate a bloody big load of sausages. Legend.” Screenshotted tweet reads: ‘Pixelated Boat @pixelatedboat Congratulations to the Australian of the Year!’
Line chart showing the total number of JobSeeker and Youth Allowance (Other) recipients from March 2019 to December 2025
From 2:00pm local time on Monday, 19 January 2026, the Albanese Government’s Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) will be available for eligible people in the following added locations: Arapiles, Avenel, Cathkin, Devils River, Dropmore, Duchembegarra, Gooram, Limestone, Merton, Molesworth, Murrindindi, Noradjuha, Quantong, Tarcombe, Vectis, Walmer, and Whanregarwen.
"From 2pm local time on Friday, 16 January 2026, the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) will be available for eligible people in the following added locations: Alexandra, Carranballac, Caveat, Creightons Creek, Ghin Ghin, Gobur, Highlands, Kanumbra, Skipton, Streatham, Terip Terip, Upton Hill, Whiteheads Creek, and Yarck. AGDRP helps those who have suffered the most serious impacts, including major damage to their home, serious injury, or loss of a loved one as a result of the bushfires. It’s a one-off payment of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per child. "
Text: "To be eligible for financial support, these must have occurred in one of the following areas: - Barkers Creek - Harcourt - Harcourt North - Longwood - Longwood East - Natimuk - Ravenswood South - Ruffy - Sutton Grange."
Photo of a koala in a tree at Tidbinbilla nature reserve looking at the camera.
Photo of David Boon raising his cricket bat
Combo chart with dark blue columns showing the % change in centre based day care/long day care average fees from the corresponding quarter in the previous year, and a orange line tracing the Consumer Price Index % change from the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Chart covers period from June 2017 to September 2025
Line chart showing JobSeeker and Youth Allowance (Other) recipients from March 2019 to November 2025
Screenshot of Senate Estimates Question on Notice Answer from Services Australia setting out income management statistics.
Screenshot of parliamentary sitting calendar for 2026
Screenshot of section of the letter: 'Given you, as the Commonwealth Ombudsman, have oversight of decisions made under social security law, and this mechanism involves the cancellation of a person's government benefits, I am writing to notify you of arrangements that will be established in the operation of the benefit restriction notice proposal currently before the Parliament. Following a decision to issue a benefit restriction notice, you will be notified a decision has been made and provided with information about the benefit restriction notice being issued. This will include information about the circumstances in which the notice was issued and advice prepared by agencies such as Services Australia on the exercise of the power. I would be pleased if your office could provide advice as to the information it would ordinarily seek to form a view about the use of such provisions.
Line chart showing the total number of JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) recipients from March 2019 to October 2025
Quote from section on income apportioment in the financial statements section of the annual report, p. 172 - 'In August 2025, 2 special leave applications were filed in the High Court of Australia concerning the Chaplin Case. The applications were made by NSW Legal Aid (as intervener) and Victoria Legal Aid (representing Mr Chaplin) and they challenge the Full Federal Court’s decision in the Chaplin Case. A special leave application is a procedural step before the applicants can argue a substantive appeal before the High Court; it is too early to assess any impact. In the meantime, the Full Federal Court decision in the Chaplin Case is binding and is the law to be applied in relation to the calculation of debts. Unless and until the special leave applications are accepted by the High Court, there is no change to financial risk. This matter is disclosed as a legal contingency in Note 7.1.
The proposed changes are likely to raise similar concerns to those raised by stakeholders in response to security notice provisions in 2014. The Bills Digest for the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill 2014 noted issues raised by welfare groups, human rights organisations, academics and the former Independent National Security Legislation Monitor Bret Walker (pp. 48-49). These include: • unequal treatment of people who have not been charged or convicted of any crime • human rights infringements, including a lack of review rights • the measures may be seen to be targeting marginalised groups • the undermining of key principles in Australia's welfare system.
Screenshot of text on p. 18 of Bills Digest: 'Cancelling payments for fugitives Government amendments to the Bill, proposed and made in the House of Representatives on 29 October 2025, added new Schedule 5 to the Bill. The Schedule will enable the Minister responsible for the Australian Federal Police (AFP)—currently the Minister for Home Affairs—to issue a notice to the Minister for Social Services which requires the cessation of certain social security, family assistance, and parental leave payments as well as concession cards where a person is subject to an outstanding arrest warrant for a serious violent or sexual offence. The measure was not previously announced.
Screenshot of p. 3 of the Supplementary Explanatory Memorandum. BACKGROUND TO NEW SCHEDULE 5 The objective of this measure is to ensure people who are subject to an outstanding arrest warrant for a serious offence, can no longer be supported through the social security and family payments systems. Social security payments are not payable to a person who is in gaol or incarcerated on remand. It is not appropriate that a person wanted for a serious offence, including a person who is evading arrest by the police, should be able to benefit from Government payments or concession cards through the Social Security Act , the Family Assistance Act and the Paid Parental Leave Act. However, there is currently no lawful authority to cancel a person’s payment or concession card on this basis. Under these amendments a person’s payments and concession cards can be stopped, provided such a request must be made by an appropriately senior member of the relevant police force, and the extent to which the person is likely to be a threat or danger to the community, and the likely effect on the person’s dependants, must be considered.
Screenshot of Key Points section of Bills Digest: 'Key points The Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025 (the Bill) amends: - the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (the ESOS Act) to introduce new measures aimed at regulating the quality and integrity of the international education sector - the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (the TEQSA Act), to allow TEQSA to authorise and regulate the provision of higher education courses outside Australia - the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to introduce demand driven Commonwealth Supported Places in medicine to eligible Indigenous students - the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999 (the FAA Act) in relation to the collection and use of early childhood education and care providers’ information, and to retrospectively validate potentially unlawful determinations relating to Child Care Subsidy (CCS) entitlements since July 2018. The ESOS Act amendments replicate most of those in the Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024 (the ESOS Bill), with some changes, most notably removing measures to limit international student enrolments. Amendments to the ESOS Act in the Bill include: - providing Ministerial power to suspend provider registration and cancel courses - stricter regulations and requirements in relation to education agents and commissions, and the provision of higher education to overseas students. No information has been provided as to the number of people affected by the potentially unlawful CCS determinations, some of whom will have been underpaid. At the time of writing, the Bill had not been referred to or reported on by any parliamentary committees'
Photo of Woden valley from Mount Taylor looking north at sunrise. Buildings in the town centre peek above the trees and Black Mountain/Telstra tower are in the distance.
Line chart showing JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) recipients from March 2019 to September 2025
Screenshot of Answer to Question on Notice IQ25-000022: 'Answer: It is currently estimated that around 2.3 million debts may have been potentially impacted by income apportionment between 1 July 1991 to 19 September 2003. These debts belonged to around 1.6 million people and had a total value of around $1.5 billion. There is around $14 million in outstanding debt from this period, held by 2,044 people. The largest outstanding debt is $151,369. It is critical to note that changes to social security law were made in September 2003. From this date, income apportionment was clearly unlawful for most payment types. Prior to 2003, the legal status of income apportionment is less clear. In recognition of this, the scheme is open to debts accrued after September 2003. This data is for debts identified as potentially impacted by income apportionment. It is not possible to know whether a debt is actually impacted by or a result of income apportionment without manual investigation of the debt by Services Australia. The Government remains committed to implementing an appropriate response to recommendation 18.2 of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme.
Screenshot of Answer to Question on Notice IQ25-000023 'Answer: As at October 2024, the Department of Social Services estimated up to around 1.7 million people with debts potentially impacted by income apportionment between 20 September 2003 to 6 December 2020. The total value of these debts is approximately $2.9 billion. There is around $737 million in outstanding debt raised after 20 September 2003 affected by the pauses on debt recovery due to income apportionment. Many of these debts were in the process of being repaid prior to the recovery pauses. Outstanding debts totalling around $636 million held by around 76,000 people are now more than six years old. The above data is for debts identified as potentially impacted by income apportionment. It is not possible to know whether a debt is actually impacted by or a result of income apportionment without manual investigation of the debt by Services Australia. As stated elsewhere, many debts were calculated in favour of the debtor. In most cases, income apportionment affected debts only marginally.'
Column chart showing Services Australia telephony data from 2020-21 to 2024-25 including handled calls, answered calls, terminated calls and congestion messages.
Table 44 from the Services Australia annual report showing debts and amounts raised from social security recipients from 2022-23 to 2024-25
Screenshot of table on p. 20 of the Services Australia annual report showing performance against measure 4: customers served within 15 minutes.
Screenshot of line chart (Figure 4 in linked report) tracking attitudes to the number of immigrants accepted into Australia from 2007 to 2025.
Screenshot of text from p. 7 of the Explanatory Memorandum for the Bill: "However, the dates of effect in the CCS system for three types of decisions concerning the reconciliation of CCS entitlements do not align with the dates of effect under the Family Assistance Administration Act. As a result of the discrepancy, individuals who have failed to meet the deadlines have either been over or underpaid CCS for up to two weeks. The retrospective amendments ensure that the relevant decisions for CCS reconciliations were validly made. The amendments waive any debts that may have arisen as a result of the misalignment. This prevents the need for recovery action to be taken against families who were overpaid. The amendments also mean that families were not underpaid as a result of the discrepancy. To mitigate any potential adverse impact on individuals, the amendments provide a mechanism for individuals to seek compensation if they can show that the retrospective amendments resulted in an acquisition of their property other than on just terms."