Opened the debate
Allman-Payne argued that the Commonwealth Ombudsman had documented significant harm caused by unlawful automatic cancellations of welfare payments. Allman-Payne contended that the government justified this harm through financial cost arguments while ignoring the negative impacts of privatised employment services. Allman-Payne stated that compulsory activities were ineffective at securing employment and that the government used penalties to shift blame onto individuals facing financial pressure. Allman-Payne asserted that unemployment was being maintained to control inflation, rather than addressing corporate price gouging or reforming the social security system.