Former police commissioner Ian Stewart says if someone owes money, they should be released if they can pay.
He told the ABC’s AM program that if you owe money to the government, you should be in a secure area in a safe place, and if they don’t pay, they shouldn’t be in jail.
The ABC has been unable to independently verify Mr Stewart’s comments.
In the lead up to the coronavirus pandemic, a large number of people in Australia were given notices to pay back debts.
This includes debts from businesses, people who were evicted, and people who had unpaid bills.
Mr Stewart said people should also be allowed to continue living in their own homes, and should not be subject to forced evictions.
“There are people that are living in a shed and they’re not paying their mortgage, and they’ve been evicted by their landlord,” he said.
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