ROBODEBT INQUIRY:

Former prime minister Scott Morrison’s appearance to give evidence to the Royal Commission into the “robodebt” scandal will go ahead today despite a major disruption yesterday that caused hearings to be adjourned early.

A statement issued by the Royal Commission said today’s hearing would proceed as usual after overnight repairs were carried out to the hearing room.

Commissioner Catherine Holmes was forced to close yesterday’s proceedings prematurely when a key witness ran amok, injuring several inquiry staff and sparking a fire in the hearing room.

The last witness of the day, a Centrelink robot employed to visit welfare recipients to demand repayment of benefits (main picture), took exception to the line of questioning by counsel assisting the commission.

The 2.5m tall robot gave evidence about how it and other robots in the fleet used by Centrelink were programmed to  visit and threaten with physical retribution those who allegedly owed money for supposedly overpaid welfare benefits.

But the robot grew heated – literally – and responded angrily, throwing chairs and injuring some in the room,  when counsel assisting the inquiry suggested it had unquestioningly followed the hardline approach to beneficiaries shown by Scott Morrison when he was Minister for Social Services.

When it was suggested to the robot that it had taken its cue from Morrison, and had not questioned the directives given to it or exercised any discretion, it replied: “That’s not my job.”

After further questioning it became so hot that it ignited the wooden witness box where it was standing to give evidence.

As Commission staff and Commissioner Holmes herself called for the robot to help extinguish the fire it had started, it replied: “I don’t hold a hose, mate.”

The Royal Commission’s security staff arrived soon after with fire extinguishers and suppressed the flames.

Before the guards were able to reach its control panel and isolate its battery, causing it to shut down, the robot yelled defiantly: “How good is robodebt?”

Commissioner Holmes then ruled that the robot’s next appearance would be rescheduled for a later date once it had been examined and declared safe to resume giving evidence.

STOP PRESS: In his evidence before the commission today, Scott Morrison is expected to answer “I don’t accept the premise of your question” to anything he is asked.