Former ministers Alan Tudge and Christian Porter to appear before robodebt inquiry

Former human services minister Alan Tudge and his then media officer Rachelle Miller will appear before the high-profile robodebt royal commission in coming weeks.

The royal commission is expected to hold its third series of hearings from 23 January to 3 February 2023, examining, among other things, how the department and ministers reacted when the scheme came under sustained criticism in late 2016 and early 2017.

At other times, Tudge appeared not to know details of the way his department was retrieving debts. His office was also accused of leaking sensitive personal information about a welfare recipient who criticised the system, but was later cleared of any breach of privacy laws.

Tudge was last year cleared of wrongdoing surrounding his relationship with Miller.

Also on the witness list is Hank Jongen, the public face of Centrelink during the crisis, and other departmental media and freedom of information officers.

Terry Carney, the former Administrative Appeals Tribunal member who penned an explosive paper on the illegality of the scheme in 2018, is also scheduled to appear on 24 January.

Lyndsey Jackson, one of the leading members of the #notmydebt group, which helped expose the robodebt scheme in its early stages, is expected to be among the first witnesses.