2018-03-26
It is a sad day for the WA Goldfields region, with the start today of the rollout of the cashless welfare card, said Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert.
“Thanks to the Government and the Nick Xenophon Team, today letters are being sent in the Goldfields region informing residents that they will be put onto the paternalistic cashless welfare card.
“We Greens fought hard to stop the cashless welfare card trials being expanded, and although we managed to stave off a site in Queensland, my home state of WA has become the home of another trial site.
“Controlling someone’s income does not help them address their addiction but will more likely force them further into poverty.
"Exposing vulnerable people to an awful social experiment with the argument ‘well at least we’re trying something’ is nonsense. More people will struggle as a result of this rollout.
“I’m deeply concerned that we will see the same adverse outcomes in the Goldfield region that we have seen in other communities”.