Between 2015 and 2019, almost half a million Australians got letters from Centrelink saying they owed money. But they didn’t.
Known as Robodebt, the government scheme was illegal and it was cruel. Some people’s lives were ruined by it – and some people took their lives because of it.
Four-part drama Shakedown is based on the true stories of the people behind the scheme and the people who fought against it. Mandy McElhinney plays Malisa Golightly, the deputy secretary of the Department of Human Services, who pushes the idea for Robodebt and ignores concerns about it. Kate Box plays Jenny Miller, the mother of Rhys Cauzzo (Jack Patten), a musician living in Melbourne, who is plunged into a nightmare when he receives a letter from Centrelink saying he owes $10,000. And Justine Clarke plays Colleen Taylor, a Centrelink worker who sees the problems with Robodebt from the beginning and doesn’t hesitate to raise them.
Justine says she was drawn to Shakedown because the series is about real people and real consequences.
“Robodebt had a profound impact on people’s lives and that’s something that we need to be reminded of,” she tells TV WEEK. “The story asks how something like this was allowed to happen and hopefully serves as a warning for next time.”
As for the real Colleen Taylor, Justine thinks she’s a hero.
“She’s not powerful or political,” she says, “but she’s a public servant in the most honourable meaning of the word.”
In this week’s first episode, Rhys is working for a florist and living with his girlfriend Britt (Ahunim Abebe) when he opens the letter from Centrelink, saying that he owes $10,000. He’s sure a mistake has been made, but it’s very hard to get Centrelink to set things right. Having struggled with his mental health in the past, Rhys finds himself struggling again – even when his loving mother Jenny flies down from Queensland, leaving husband Greg (Stephen Peacocke) behind. Will she be able to help him?
Stephen tells TV WEEK that Kate is “amazing” in this role.
“I can tell she takes her work very seriously, but she doesn’t seem to be someone who takes herself incredibly seriously,” he says. “I find that the nicest people I’ve worked with are like that. They’re incredibly talented, but they’re pretty modest about it.”
Catch Shakedown on Sunday at 8.20pm on ABC TV or ABC iview.
