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1h ago

Rick Morton Wins PM’s Non-Fiction Prize for Robo-Debt Exposé, Presses for Accountability

The award spotlights ongoing gaps in consequences for officials, with anti-corruption inquiries still underway.

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Rick Morton, a man in his late 30s with stubble, smiles slightly, wearing a blazer and wire-framed glasses.

Overview

  • Mean Streak won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Non‑Fiction, earning Rick Morton a $80,000 prize.
  • The winners were announced at the National Library of Australia in Canberra, with federal Arts Minister Tony Burke presenting.
  • Morton said he would forgo the accolade if those behind robo-debt were properly held to account and questioned why some remain in compliance roles.
  • The National Anti‑Corruption Commission is still investigating officials linked to the program that a 2023 royal commission found unlawful and cruel.
  • The scheme ran from 2015 to 2019 using income averaging to raise more than 500,000 inaccurate Centrelink debts and ended after a class action; Morton is in Paris and plans to use the prize money to keep writing.