2016-02-23
A Greens disallowance motion that would block the trial of the cashless welfare card trial in Ceduna has been opposed by the Coalition and the ALP.
“This has cemented coalition and Labor party support for a paternalistic trial that is not supported by all members of the community”, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said.
“I share concerns with the community that the trial is a rubberstamp for a broader regional rollout of the cashless welfare card, which will undoubtedly entrench poverty.
“The motion would have disallowed the regulation that enables the trial to go ahead. The Greens pursued this disallowance because it was clear that the trial site is an ideological and logistical nightmare.
“We still have unanswered questions on how the trial would rollout without making life more difficult for income support recipients.
“Recently in estimates it was revealed that there are huge loopholes including merchants surcharges, losing your card outside of the trial site, and the capacity to transfer a chunk of your income support to a mate with a bank account.
“This card needs to be abandoned. The money spent on rolling out this trial should be spent on much needed wrap around services that genuinely help communities battling drug and alcohol problems”.