2016-11-17
The Government has failed to comply with an order of the Senate for a production of documents pertaining to the cashless welfare card ‘progress report’.
“The Government was given a week to table the documents and statistics used to prepare the shoddy and premature cashless welfare card report, which was produced in a week and a half. The deadline to produce these documents was COB on Wednesday November 16, it has now been missed”, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.
“Considering the Department of Social Services managed to produce and release the report in a week and a half, it is shameful that in a week they could not produce the documents and statistics used to prepare the report.
“There is a blatant lack of transparency for a report that was clearly a political puff-piece.
“The report is brazenly bias, written to favour the card and shine the trials in a positive light. The evidence in the report was premature and with a large amount anecdotal 'evidence' and should not be taken seriously.
“I hope the Government produces the documents requested by the Senate in the coming days. The public and the Senate deserve to see how this report was put together”.
Media ReleaseFamily, Ageing, Community and Disability Services