Tom Studans
@maximumwelfare.bsky.social
Welfare advocate. Covered the Robodebt Royal Commission. None for me thanks
Men in their 40s retvrnposting about listening to Tina Turner in their A9X is so funny man. You weren't doing that. You were a baby
November 14, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Men in their 40s retvrnposting about listening to Tina Turner in their A9X is so funny man. You weren't doing that. You were a baby
What do you think is going to happen to Victorians when they don't have any crime to complain about? Is that going to make them more calm?
November 14, 2025 at 1:46 AM
What do you think is going to happen to Victorians when they don't have any crime to complain about? Is that going to make them more calm?
If Graham Richardson were alive today he would be in the Right faction of the Australian Labor Party (ALP)
November 13, 2025 at 5:59 AM
If Graham Richardson were alive today he would be in the Right faction of the Australian Labor Party (ALP)
We'll be using my personal bank account for a bit while we get set up. You know how it is with red tape and bureaucracy—this way we can get straight to the fun stuff!
I hereby establish the Australian branch of Your Party 🥳
November 13, 2025 at 5:58 AM
We'll be using my personal bank account for a bit while we get set up. You know how it is with red tape and bureaucracy—this way we can get straight to the fun stuff!
I hereby establish the Australian branch of Your Party 🥳
November 13, 2025 at 5:58 AM
I hereby establish the Australian branch of Your Party 🥳
Reposted by Tom Studans
'A senior member of the neo-Nazi group which held an anti-Jewish protest outside NSW Parliament is a South African national who works for a major engineering firm that has held contracts with the Australian Defence Department and NSW government.'
www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...
www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...
Engineer. Teacher. Postie: The neo-Nazis who rallied in Sydney
Those who gathered on Saturday include a personal trainer, an English-as-a-second-language teacher and a former bar manager who is facing DV charges.
www.smh.com.au
November 12, 2025 at 8:04 PM
'A senior member of the neo-Nazi group which held an anti-Jewish protest outside NSW Parliament is a South African national who works for a major engineering firm that has held contracts with the Australian Defence Department and NSW government.'
www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...
www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...
Reposted by Tom Studans
Scoop: Meta's (formerly Facebook) Messenger app is set to be in the teen social media ban, accidentally!
Despite the government saying messaging apps will be excluded, the app won't be able to have <16 users because of the law's drafting and the way the platform works.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
Despite the government saying messaging apps will be excluded, the app won't be able to have <16 users because of the law's drafting and the way the platform works.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
November 13, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Scoop: Meta's (formerly Facebook) Messenger app is set to be in the teen social media ban, accidentally!
Despite the government saying messaging apps will be excluded, the app won't be able to have <16 users because of the law's drafting and the way the platform works.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
Despite the government saying messaging apps will be excluded, the app won't be able to have <16 users because of the law's drafting and the way the platform works.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
Reposted by Tom Studans
The government may explore using AI to write sensitive cabinet submissions, despite concerns about data breaches
Public servants have raised alarm at the poor quality in AI content, effects on jobs, and fears about automated decision-making after Robodebt
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Public servants have raised alarm at the poor quality in AI content, effects on jobs, and fears about automated decision-making after Robodebt
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Australian government could explore using AI for cabinet submissions despite security concerns
Finance minister Katy Gallagher says the public service is building its own artificial intelligence program and spruiks productivity benefits
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:01 AM
The government may explore using AI to write sensitive cabinet submissions, despite concerns about data breaches
Public servants have raised alarm at the poor quality in AI content, effects on jobs, and fears about automated decision-making after Robodebt
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Public servants have raised alarm at the poor quality in AI content, effects on jobs, and fears about automated decision-making after Robodebt
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Reposted by Tom Studans
Tabled in Parliament today, a report by Victorian Ombudsman into alleged misconduct in a private prison and how it was handled: “Private prisons “mark their own homework” when allegations of mistreatment and assault are left to self-scrutiny” www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/our-impact/n...
Private prisons “mark their own homework” when allegations of mistreatment and assault are left to self-scrutiny | Victorian Ombudsman
The latest report from the Victorian Ombudsman examined allegations that staff at a privately run prison used unreasonable force against a man being held on remand, restricted his access to medical he...
www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au
November 12, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Tabled in Parliament today, a report by Victorian Ombudsman into alleged misconduct in a private prison and how it was handled: “Private prisons “mark their own homework” when allegations of mistreatment and assault are left to self-scrutiny” www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/our-impact/n...
We're improving all the crime statistics by arresting more people.
November 12, 2025 at 5:53 AM
We're improving all the crime statistics by arresting more people.
Lower intestine proposes shitting
November 12, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Lower intestine proposes shitting
Disney Adult Time for Disney Adult Crime #DisneyAdultTimeforDisneyAdultCrime
November 12, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Disney Adult Time for Disney Adult Crime #DisneyAdultTimeforDisneyAdultCrime
Reposted by Tom Studans
anyway, i have piles of these FOI documents and am happy to talk about them to any journalists interested in covering a national scandal impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of poor people: jeremy@antipovertycentre.org
November 12, 2025 at 2:38 AM
anyway, i have piles of these FOI documents and am happy to talk about them to any journalists interested in covering a national scandal impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of poor people: jeremy@antipovertycentre.org
Reposted by Tom Studans
DEWR also gave Deloitte a SEVERELY limited scope to find TCF errors - e.g. analysis of Social security law + provider application of the TCF was NOT in scope
So after the failed assurance, DEWR uses that limited scope to say to the Minister: look! there aren't many errors, the system can continue!
So after the failed assurance, DEWR uses that limited scope to say to the Minister: look! there aren't many errors, the system can continue!
November 12, 2025 at 2:36 AM
DEWR also gave Deloitte a SEVERELY limited scope to find TCF errors - e.g. analysis of Social security law + provider application of the TCF was NOT in scope
So after the failed assurance, DEWR uses that limited scope to say to the Minister: look! there aren't many errors, the system can continue!
So after the failed assurance, DEWR uses that limited scope to say to the Minister: look! there aren't many errors, the system can continue!
Reposted by Tom Studans
Deloitte's job was simply to help DEWR "bring back into proper operation" the system of mutual obligations & penalties (currently spitting out ~2 million payment suspensions a year).
This clearly backfired, because
-Deloitte couldn't provide assurance
-generated a global AI scandal
This clearly backfired, because
-Deloitte couldn't provide assurance
-generated a global AI scandal
November 12, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Deloitte's job was simply to help DEWR "bring back into proper operation" the system of mutual obligations & penalties (currently spitting out ~2 million payment suspensions a year).
This clearly backfired, because
-Deloitte couldn't provide assurance
-generated a global AI scandal
This clearly backfired, because
-Deloitte couldn't provide assurance
-generated a global AI scandal
Reposted by Tom Studans
Why did DEWR outsource "independent" assurance, giving Deloitte access to its own AI tools to spit out slop?
Because all it ever wanted from Deloitte was justification to keep MOs punishments going
I have FOIed a bunch of Ministerial briefings & the theme is the same: We must keep the system on
Because all it ever wanted from Deloitte was justification to keep MOs punishments going
I have FOIed a bunch of Ministerial briefings & the theme is the same: We must keep the system on
November 12, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Why did DEWR outsource "independent" assurance, giving Deloitte access to its own AI tools to spit out slop?
Because all it ever wanted from Deloitte was justification to keep MOs punishments going
I have FOIed a bunch of Ministerial briefings & the theme is the same: We must keep the system on
Because all it ever wanted from Deloitte was justification to keep MOs punishments going
I have FOIed a bunch of Ministerial briefings & the theme is the same: We must keep the system on
Reposted by Tom Studans
In an Australia first, I used FOI to get the AI chat logs of Australia's top national security bureaucrat.
They show how he used Microsoft Copilot to ghostwrite speeches and messages to colleagues.
This comes as the government looks to push AI use in the public service.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
They show how he used Microsoft Copilot to ghostwrite speeches and messages to colleagues.
This comes as the government looks to push AI use in the public service.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
November 12, 2025 at 2:01 AM
In an Australia first, I used FOI to get the AI chat logs of Australia's top national security bureaucrat.
They show how he used Microsoft Copilot to ghostwrite speeches and messages to colleagues.
This comes as the government looks to push AI use in the public service.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
They show how he used Microsoft Copilot to ghostwrite speeches and messages to colleagues.
This comes as the government looks to push AI use in the public service.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
Reposted by Tom Studans
Another lingering question I have about all this: why did Deloitte even have access to the Department's AI tools - when it was meant to be doing "independent" assurance of the unlawful mutual obligations system?
November 12, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Another lingering question I have about all this: why did Deloitte even have access to the Department's AI tools - when it was meant to be doing "independent" assurance of the unlawful mutual obligations system?
Reposted by Tom Studans
Deloitte caught in false claim it owned up to AI in tainted report.
It told finance it had explained the cause of errors to DEWR.
False - initially it used the same snow job it tried on the media "oh just some errors in citation".
www.afr.com//politics/de...
It told finance it had explained the cause of errors to DEWR.
False - initially it used the same snow job it tried on the media "oh just some errors in citation".
www.afr.com//politics/de...
Deloitte caught in false claim it owned up to AI in tainted report
The employment department rebuked Deloitte for claiming it had owned up to artificial intelligence use, prompting correction from consultancy to another department.
www.afr.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Deloitte caught in false claim it owned up to AI in tainted report.
It told finance it had explained the cause of errors to DEWR.
False - initially it used the same snow job it tried on the media "oh just some errors in citation".
www.afr.com//politics/de...
It told finance it had explained the cause of errors to DEWR.
False - initially it used the same snow job it tried on the media "oh just some errors in citation".
www.afr.com//politics/de...
Reposted by Tom Studans
"Deloitte caught in false claim it owned up to AI in tainted report" @paulkarp.bsky.social
www.afr.com/politics/del...
www.afr.com/politics/del...
Deloitte caught in false claim it owned up to AI in tainted report
The employment department rebuked Deloitte for claiming it had owned up to artificial intelligence use, prompting correction from consultancy to another department.
www.afr.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:42 PM
"Deloitte caught in false claim it owned up to AI in tainted report" @paulkarp.bsky.social
www.afr.com/politics/del...
www.afr.com/politics/del...
Reposted by Tom Studans
Children could face life sentences for serious offences under Victorian government ‘adult time’ plan
Children could face life sentences for serious offences under Victorian government ‘adult time’ plan
Youth offenders, aged as young as 14, could face 20 year jail terms for violent crimes under proposal
Children as young as 14 who commit “serious crimes” will be sentenced as adults under a Victorian government plan to combat youth crime.
The state government said on Wednesday that it will adopt an “adult time for violent crime” laws similar to those in Queensland, which implemented the tough approach in 2024. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Children could face life sentences for serious offences under Victorian government ‘adult time’ plan
Reposted by Tom Studans
about 15 years ago, besties mum was on centerlink, DIDNT live with her bf but they paid a PI to stalk her and because he was at the house more than 3 nights in a row, she got in trouble for it
On the partner income test, a commenter mentioned they knew people who had broken up "on paper". I've heard about this too. Understandable response to a broken system - but it is a risk. Centrelink do investigate and their relationship investigations can be *very* intrusive.
November 11, 2025 at 5:26 AM
about 15 years ago, besties mum was on centerlink, DIDNT live with her bf but they paid a PI to stalk her and because he was at the house more than 3 nights in a row, she got in trouble for it
e61 have talked some absolute nonsense about welfare policy this year, possibly with a view to flattering certain contrarian dopes in the Albanese Government:
• Raising benefits won't disincentivise work in any way that matters
• Paying JobSeeker weekly, without a raise, is taking the piss
• Raising benefits won't disincentivise work in any way that matters
• Paying JobSeeker weekly, without a raise, is taking the piss
November 11, 2025 at 5:05 AM
e61 have talked some absolute nonsense about welfare policy this year, possibly with a view to flattering certain contrarian dopes in the Albanese Government:
• Raising benefits won't disincentivise work in any way that matters
• Paying JobSeeker weekly, without a raise, is taking the piss
• Raising benefits won't disincentivise work in any way that matters
• Paying JobSeeker weekly, without a raise, is taking the piss