Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I think the members of the government should pay more respect to people who have come into my office, who are downright scared and in tears. There are people like that in the community who are very, very rattled by the prospect of being put on the cashless debit card simply because they're in some sort of circumstance that warrants them being on it or they require government pensions and payments. It's also impractical—completely impractical.

To quote one constituent:

As for financial management, this will make my ability to manage my finances harder, not easier, as I will lose the autonomy to pay off my credit card debt in an efficient and timely manner, and some of the less expensive retailers, such as eBay, that I make use of to make ends meet, cannot be used on the card. Nor can online shopping, and as I have no car, I sometimes need to rely on that for heavier items. This card is being rolled out willy-nilly, and most welfare users are not addicts.

Other constituents have raised concerns about paying for rent in share houses and how they are going to purchase non-prescribed medications or treatments that work for their specific health conditions. They raise questions like: how are they going to pay for their children's school excursions? How are they going to buy fresh fruit and vegetables from the local markets and the bulk food stores? How are they going to hire a handyman for small house and garden repairs? What about cash contributions for petrol, when people organise carpooling in regional and remote areas to save on fuel costs? Other constituents and members of the community have raised things like: are they still going to be able to go down to their local pub or RSL for a bowl of soup and pay for that, or will they in fact now be socially isolated?

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