Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to thank the member for Grey for his question, and can I please acknowledge his commitment, especially to regional, rural and remote Australia. It is heartfelt, it is passionate, and he is a terrific advocate for his electorate. The member for Grey has seen how the cashless debit card has benefited Ceduna, in his electorate. The cashless debit card is a world first in the way welfare payments are delivered. It is a new program with a new approach for old problems. As the Prime Minister has said about this program, it is about compassion. It is about making sure the money for vulnerable people, through welfare payments, helps them as best it can.

I know the member for Grey has had close contact with the community throughout the trial period, visiting Ceduna on many occasions. He was involved in the initial presentation to the communities and has been pleased with the reception it has received. Ceduna mayor, Allan Suter, has said of the cashless welfare card:

There are irrefutably excellent results, for example 40 per cent of people on the trial indicated they are smoking or drinking or drugging or gambling less and most of the results are on those lines. It was particularly encouraging—it has improved people's lives and improved the situation for children. It is the best initiative I have seen in this field and it has made our community safer, particularly for families and drinkers.

We are trying new programs and policies because we want to find a solution. I'd like the opposition to hear this: while the government appreciates the support provided by the opposition, while we appreciate your support in voting down the disallowance motion today in the Senate, we would like your support for continuing this program and rolling it out to new sites. We would like your support not only for the two existing trials but for rolling it out to new sites, because we know it delivers. Even former Labor Party members say that it delivers, and that is why we want you to support us. This is important for Ceduna. It's important for East Kimberley, but it's also important for the Goldfields and it's also important for Hervey Bay. We would like you to come along on this journey with us rather than trying to wreck it.

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