THE Australian Taxation Office has corrected the record on the fraudulent losses discovered after its Operation Protego.

In a statment issued today, an ATO spokesperson said:

"This fraud did not cost the tax office $4.6 billion as reported in the AFR (Australian Financial Review) this morning.

"In our Annual Report to June 2022 we reported a cost of $1.2 billion at that time.

"We became aware of an increase in referrals from banks in late 2021 which escalated in early 2022. We took immediate action.

"There has been extensive ATO reporting of the impact of this fraud since Operation Protego was launched in April 2022 (Operation Protego publicly announced May 2022, first raids announced June 2022, further raids announced July 2022, crackdown on promoters Feb 2023, arrest activity August 2023).

"As a result, we have prioritised and taken compliance action against more than 56,000 perpetrators.

"In addition, working with Serious Financial Crime Taskforce and law enforcement agencies, more than 100 suspected perpetrators have been arrested, including members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, organised criminal organisations, and youth crime gangs – and more than 10 people have already been convicted for their involvement in this activity.

"We continue to address this fraud with the full force of the ATO. Since the reporting in our 2022 Annual Report, we have raised in the order of a further $700 million in liabilities, which includes around $300 million in penalties and interest.

"As previously stated by Deputy Commissioner Will Day, we have stopped $2.7 billion being paid to fraudsters. We continue to pursue those who have committed this fraud and collect debts which attract penalties and interest.

"We also continue to monitor for any tax agents facilitating clients to participate in this fraud. We expect that any tax or BAS agent that becomes aware of a client that has participated in fraud to notify the ATO immediately.

"This was an unprecedented threat proliferated via social media and is now contained."

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ADDRESSING human rights violations with practical and measurable solutions will be the focus of the Human Rights Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT) during its public hearing on Friday,  August 11, in Australian Parliament House.

The subcommittee’s final hearing for the Inquiry into the Rights of Women and Children will discuss potential measures to improve the human rights of women and children globally with stakeholders such as non-government organisations and Australian Government agencies.

Chair of the Human Rights Subcommittee, Maria Vamvakinou MP, Member for Calwell, said, "Throughout this inquiry, the subcommittee has heard evidence about the types and scale of harm being perpetrated against women and children globally. Our final hearing will focus on how the Australian Government can make a practical and measurable difference to the lives of women and children. My fellow subcommittee members and I look forward to discussing potential pathways forward with key stakeholders and experts.”

The subcommittee may accept submissions until the final report is tabled in the Parliament. Submissions containing graphic material will not be accepted to the inquiry. Submissions should be lodged online using a My Parliament account.

Further information in relation to the inquiry is available from the JSCFADT’s website.

Hearing details

Time:            1.30pm to 5pm (AEST)
Venue:         Committee Room 2R1, Australian Parliament House, Canberra
Witnesses: Save the Children
                        Associate Professor Hannah McGlade
                        Harmony Alliance (Social Policy Group)
                        Australian Human Rights Commission
                        Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

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A CONSIDERATION of how best to address workforce shortages in the health care sector will be a focus of the next public hearing of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration.

Committee Chair, Maria Vamvakinou MP, said, "We will be speaking to a range of organisations involved in the provision of health care. Most have made submissions to the inquiry, and we will be exploring with them issues encompassing the attraction and retention of doctors, nurses and other skilled migrants in the sector; the inflexibility, cost and complexity of the existing visa system; and the particular challenges facing those providing health care in rural and remote communities."

The committee will also consider opportunities to make better use of migrant skills, including those who arrive as humanitarian entrants.

"We need to address the underutilisation of the skills of migrants who come to build their lives in our society, and particularly the ways in which they can be better supported to maximise their contribution to our nation," Ms Vamvakinou said.

At the hearing, the committee will take the opportunity to further explore broader challenges in the migration system with the Migration Institute of Australia and the work of their members in providing advice to migrants.

This will be followed by a discussion with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) and their regulatory role in both protecting migrants who require immigration advice and in ensuring the integrity of the migration advice industry.

The full hearing program is available on the inquiry website.

Hearing details

Monday, 14 August 2023 – 10am to 4.20pm – Videoconference.

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THE Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit has launched a new inquiry into the effectiveness of policy and program planning, design and implementation in meeting government objectives.

This inquiry will consider the issues captured in six recent reports of the Auditor-General that have evaluated different policies and programs delivered by a variety of Commonwealth agencies:

• No. 6 (2022-23) Implementation of the Export Control Legislative Framework, particularly chapter 4 on performance monitoring and reporting
• No. 10 (2022-23) Expansion of Telehealth Services
• No. 16 (2022-23) Management of Migration to Australia — Family Migration Program
• No. 17 (2022-23) Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s cultural reform
• No. 39 (2022–23) Implementation of the government response to the Black Economy Taskforce
• No.42 (2022–23) Access and Participation Programs for Regional and Remote Students.

The terms of reference for the inquiry can be found at the inquiry website.

Committee Chair, Julian Hill MP, said, "Policy development and program design are core business for the Australian Public Service (APS) in fulfilling its role in advising Ministers and governments and implementing new laws and policies.

“The APS does some terrific work in policy development but there are clearly areas for improvement. The committee invites submissions from anyone with an interest in how policy formulation and implementation can be improved.

“This inquiry is also timely given the increasing complexity of the challenges that Australian policymakers are grappling with. The committee looks forward to having robust discussions with a range of Commonwealth entities and experts.”

The committee invites submissions to the inquiry addressing the terms of reference to be received by Friday, September 22, 2023.

Details of the inquiry including upcoming public hearings will be made available on the inquiry website.

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