Defence has confirmed the resignation of Kathryn Campbell following a damning assessment of her role in the Robodebt scandal in the royal commission’s final report.

Five days after it was confirmed that Kathryn Campbell had been suspended without pay from her highly paid role with AUKUS, Defence on Monday issued a statement confirming the former senior Robodebt bureaucrat was gone.

“Defence can confirm it has accepted Ms Kathryn Campbell’s resignation from the Department with effect from Friday 21 July 2023,” it said in a statement. 

“Defence will not provide further comment on this matter.”

Ms Campbell led DHS from March 2011 to September 2017 before being appointed DSS secretary.

As the Robodebt scandal unfolded, she moved to a role within Defence as an AUKUS secretariat.

Commissioner Catherine Holmes found Ms Campbell had been responsible for the department that established, implemented and maintained an unlawful program.

“When exposed to information that brought to light the illegality of income averaging, she did nothing of substance. When presented with opportunities to obtain advice on the lawfulness of that practice, she failed to act,” Commissioner Holmes concluded in her report.

The report has recommended certain individuals associated with the failed debt collection scheme for prosecution.

Former APS Commissioner Stephen Sedgwick will also head an investigation to  see if any public servants who have had adverse findings made against them by the commision breached the APS code of conduct.

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