{"id":2507367,"date":"2026-07-18T14:49:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T14:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2507367"},"modified":"2026-07-18T14:49:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T14:49:26","slug":"robodebt-whistleblower-was-told-her-royal-commission-evidence-could-cost-you-your-job-court-hears-centrelink-debt-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/robodebt-whistleblower-was-told-her-royal-commission-evidence-could-cost-you-your-job-court-hears-centrelink-debt-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"Robodebt whistleblower was told her royal commission evidence \u2018could cost you your job\u2019, court hears | Centrelink debt recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A key robodebt whistleblower is suing the Australian government, alleging she was threatened before she appeared at a royal commission<\/a> and was warned that her testimony \u201ccould cost you your job\u201d.<\/p>\n

Services Australia whistleblower Jeannie-Marie Blake has filed proceedings in the federal court, alleging her department made repeated threats against her before and after her explosive evidence to the robodebt royal commission.<\/p>\n

Blake, a compliance officer at the agency\u2019s Mornington office in Victoria, was on the frontline during the rollout of the robodebt scheme.<\/p>\n

Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email<\/span><\/a><\/figure>\n

She was involved in an initial pilot and was in the compliance team during its disastrous implementation from 2016.<\/p>\n

Blake has previously spoken of being haunted by the voices of those who pleaded with her and her team for help, and says the trauma<\/a> has left her suicidal and battling alcoholism.<\/p>\n

In court documents, Blake says she blew the whistle repeatedly about the scheme\u2019s unfairness and harm, including during monthly team meetings, in meetings with her team leaders, and to senior executives. She alleges she was told to resign if she did not want to administer the scheme.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Blake was the only current Services Australia employee to give testimony voluntarily and was overcome with emotion when speaking about the scheme\u2019s impact.<\/span> Photograph: Christopher Hopkins\/The Guardian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She alleged that in 2023, she informed her department that she intended to give voluntary evidence to the royal commission, telling a superior that: \u201cI feel it is the right thing to do\u201d.<\/p>\n

He allegedly responded with words to the effect of: \u201cYou better make sure you cross your T\u2019s and dot your I\u2019s because this could cost you your job if you\u2019re not telling the truth.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Blake alleges she was also told: \u201cThe only people giving evidence are the people that have been subpoenaed. You should get legal advice before giving evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blake is being represented by lawyers at the Human Rights Law Centre, which runs a dedicated whistleblower support service.<\/p>\n

In its defence filed in court, the government has denied that Blake was threatened.<\/p>\n

A crucial witness<\/h2>\n

Blake\u2019s evidence to the royal commission<\/a> in February 2023 was crucial. She was the only current Services Australia employee to give testimony voluntarily, and was overcome with emotion when speaking about the impact of the scheme on victims and staff. She also revealed that senior Centrelink officials were repeatedly warned about the dangers of the scheme.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were speaking about the incorrectness from the start until the end,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

But in court documents, she alleges that in the month after her evidence, her work was sent for quality-checking at a significantly higher rate than usual. She asked a superior why she was being placed under so much scrutiny, saying it felt punitive.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, I\u2019ve just been told to,\u201d the superior allegedly told her.<\/p>\n

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