In late 2016, without warning, more than 100,000 people across Australia were swamped by life-altering debts stretching back years. That became a political problem. But instead of fixing it, the politicians decided to spin it. Against all the evidence, they tried to convince people robo-debt was working; that the illegal practice was fair and good.

Today, we speak to one of the people whose job was to create this alternate reality: Rachelle Miller, the former media adviser to human services minister Alan Tudge.