Department heads should act against public servants identified in robodebt report: govt

As the fallout from the commission's bombshell findings continue to reverberate through politics and the public service, Education Minister Jason Clare said the names of those singled out for possible legal action - currently hidden from public view in a sealed section of the report - will eventually be revealed.

"We'll eventually find out all of the individuals that were involved," Mr Clare said.

The minister indicated public servants identified by the royal commission as bearing some responsibility for the scheme were likely to face consequences.

"Where public servants have been identified for potential criminal action or civil action, the heads of those departments have received a copy of that report," he said.

"I would expect that they would seek legal advice on that and take the appropriate steps."

In her 990-page report, commissioner Catherine Holmes criticised the "venality, incompetence and cowardice" of a bevvy of former Coalition government ministers and senior public servants involved in the cover-up of the illegal debt-recovery program.

Among those cited were former prime minister and social security minister Scott Morrison, his Coalition colleagues Alan Tudge, Christian Porter and Stuart Robert, former Department of Human Services secretary Kathryn Campbell.

A number of senior public servants were also named, including Serena Wilson, Jonathan Hutson, Mark Withnell, Paul McBride, Emma Kate McGuirk, Karen Harfield, Annette Musolino and Jason McNamara.

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Ms Holmes' report included a sealed section identifying individuals it has recommended for referral for potential civil and criminal prosecution.

It is understood referrals have been made to the new National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Public Service Commission and the Law Society of the ACT.

There have been calls for Mr Morrison, who was re-elected as the member for Cook at the last election, to resign.

The commission found that the former prime minister "failed to meet his ministerial responsbility to ensure that cabinet was properly informed about what the [robodebt] proposal actually entailed and to ensure that it was lawful".

But in a defiant statement issued hours after the robodebt report was released, Mr Morrison rejected the commission's findings against him.

"I rejected completely each of the findings which are critical of my involvement in authorising the scheme and are adverse to me," he said.

Nationals leader David Littleproud backed the former prime minister, rejecting the suggestion that he should be asked to resign.

Mr Littleproud said the robodebt policy had been developed with "genuine intent...[but] the execution was appalling. No one can run away from that".

Nonetheless, Mr Morrison won the election for Cook "fair and square".

"Democracy is a sacred institution and you need to respect that. And the people of Cook have made their decision," the Nationals leader said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday that it was "not up to me...to determine what action Scott Morrison will take".

But Mr Albanese said the royal commission had made "very serious" findings" about Mr Morrison's evidence and the former prime minister had "shown no contrition whatsoever for the impact that his actions as minister have had".

But Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who's party is fighting a byelection next weekend for the seat of Fadden following the resignation of Mr Robert from parliament, accused the government of" politicising" the royal commission.

Speaking on Friday, Mr Dutton said there was "no question about why it's being dropped today".

"We're a week out from the Fadden byelection. The government is trying to squeeze every political drop," he said.

Mr Clare rubbished the claim and accused Mr Dutton of going "straight to politics" rather than reflecting on the harm caused to thousands by the robodebt scheme.

"All you got from Peter Dutton the other day was all the empathy of a rock," he said.

Nine newspapers have reported that Ms Campbell went on leave from her $900,000 a year Defence Department job the day before the commission's report was released.

Indigenous Australias minister Linda Burney, who was Labor's human services spokeswoman when they were in opposition, said "there has to be consequences for people involved".

While declining to specify what action should be taken, Ms Burney said the Robodebt scheme had been shown to be "cruel, it was unlawful and it made innocent people feel like criminals".

The minister said the fact that the scheme continued to operate despite repeated warnings about the way it was operating and the devastating effect it was having on people's lives was "a shocking indictment".

"It just says to me there has to be consequences," she said.

"I can't articulate exactly what they should be because I don't know what's in the sealed section."

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