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Ending Punitive Government Practice

Ending harmful tactics used by government agencies.

Ending Punitive Government Practice

Ending harmful tactics used by government agencies.

End System Harm - Taking your stories to the Australian Senate

End System Harm relies on a network of Australian advocates who will take your stories of the exhausting and punitive tactics used by government agencies to the Australian Senate, through petitions to Senate Standing Committees.

This website is largely for advocates wanting to help people record stories for that effort, but anyone can share a story.

These tactics, whether intentional or not, are well documented in various ombudsman reports and Royal Commission findings, but nothing seems to change.

The results can be devastating, and people may end up long-term unemployed, further injured or with their mental health and wellbeing damaged by agencies being punitive rather than providing services.

The tactics referred to in this website are tactics born out of a system that uses fear-based and psychologically unsafe compliance methods that cause more harm than good. They are sometimes called epistemic exhaustion techniques.

Describing these tactics is not a criticism of individual public servants, who are often unable to speak up in these systems themselves. What we hope to achieve is funded reforms so that public servants are fully supported to be able to conduct their activities in a trauma-informed and evidence-based way, instead of replicating the harm consistently described in ombudsman reports.

We are looking for stories of harm caused by government agencies in the disability, aged care, homelessness, employment, child protection, health, workers' compensation and transport accident compensation sectors.

Rather than wonder why (because how many more Royal Commissions do we need?), we decided to document experiences and petition the Australian government for change.

We want the Productivity Commission to launch an inquiry into these harms, the impact on productivity and the costs to the taxpayer of allowing them to continue. We advocate for better evidence-based and trauma-informed practices across governments and not-for-profits that receive government funding. These are not only cost-saving, but life-saving.

These tactics used by governments to save money tend to disproportionately harm people who most need support. If you are an advocate, please help people tell their stories on the Your Story page. You can do this on their behalf or help them if there are accessibility issues.

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Some background reading for those interested...

The nature of epistemic exhaustion techniques...from Satta 2024 (p. 510)

"Epistemic exhaustion is cognitive fatigue generated by efforts to determine, retain, or communicate what one believes under conditions that make doing so especially taxing...The epistemic exhaustion created in these environments often helps powerful people and groups retain power by making certain types of progress difficult...

Some epistemically vicious conversational behaviors can leave one’s interlocutors susceptible to epistemic exhaustion.

Epistemic exhaustion as an effect of epistemic oppression...the politically powerful can benefit from widespread epistemic exhaustion in the general population, so too the socially dominant can benefit from widespread epistemic exhaustion among members of marginalized groups. "

Reference

Satta, M. (2024). Epistemic Exhaustion and the Retention of Power. Hypatia, 39(3), 510–529. doi:10.1017/hyp.2024.1

Suggested further reading

Dotson, K. (2014). Conceptualizing Epistemic Oppression. Social Epistemology, 28(2), 115–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2013.782585

Welfare “Reform” as Poor Discipline and Statecraft. In Punishing the Poor: The Neoliberal Government of Social Insecurity (pp. 76–110). Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv11smrv3.7

Share a story

Services that help when we need support...

Lifeline

24-hour crisis counselling, support groups and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online.

Suicide Call Back Service

Provides 24/7 support if you or someone you know is feeling suicidal. Call 1300 659 467.

Beyond Blue

Aims to increase awareness of depression and anxiety and reduce stigma. If you or a loved one need help, you can call 1300 22 4636, 24 hours/7 days a week or chat online.

Mindspot

A free telephone and online service for people with anxiety, stress, low mood or depression. It provides online assessment and treatment for anxiety and depression. MindSpot is not an emergency or instant response service. Call 1800 61 44 34.

Rainbow Door

A free LGBTQIA+ service of Switchboard. You can call, text or email for support. Call 1800 729 367. Text 0480 017 246. Email support@rainbowdoor.org.au

MensLine Australia

A professional telephone and online counselling service offering support to Australian men. Call 1300 78 99 78.

Ending Punitive Government Practice

Ending Punitive Government Practice

End System Harm - Taking your stories to the Australian Senate

Some background reading for those interested...

Services that help when we need support...

Lifeline

Suicide Call Back Service

Beyond Blue

Mindspot

Rainbow Door

MensLine Australia

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