National MPs should go and talk to Newstart recipients in their communities rather than demand they be dumped on the cashless welfare card

2017-09-14

The group of Federal National MPs campaigning to apply the cashless welfare card to Newstart recipients shows a true disconnect from those in their communities struggling to get by, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

“These National MPs are sat in their offices vilifying members of the community struggling to find work, they should get out there and talk to the people they are demonising and want to restrict how they manage their money.

“I was in Mr Pitt’s electorate recently meeting with the very people he wants to dump on the card. One young man in his mid-20s cannot even get a job at a fast food outlet because those jobs go to teenagers. He is living on a shoestring and trying to provide from his family, this card is going to make it harder to manage his budget.

“This card is removes agency from people who are already on a payment that is far too low. When you remove someone’s capacity to manage their budget you make things worse for them. This is only going to serve as a barrier for people finding work.

"People on low incomes are some of the best money managers around, these MPs are demonising their own constituents, it is appalling.

“The National MPs advocating for this should have a full read and properly assess the Wave 2 evaluation report into the card without their blinkers on. It has holes so big you could drive a truck through them. Further they should read the final evaluation of the NT intervention and income management which finds the Intervention met none of its objectives.

“I urge the Nationals to not take a nasty, demonising approach to those in their electorate who are struggling to get by”.

Media Release Family, Ageing, Community and Disability Services