Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I'm proud to speak in support of this motion moved by my colleague the member for Newcastle. Australia's social security system is indeed a proud Labor legacy, and it is one that we will continue to support, protect, strengthen and defend.

A lease sign in the window of Kurri Kurri Centrelink caused immediate concern in my community in February 2019. I made representations to the minister and to the Department of Social Services, and the doors remain open. It seems to have been a leasing issue. But we're watching. The people of Kurri need a Centrelink office as much as all the other townships that have them across Australia. As we have seen, particularly in times of health and economic uncertainty, social security payments provide essential economic stability for families. They are a vital safety net.

Currently, two million Australians are looking for work or looking for more work. Over 300,000 more Australians are relying on unemployment payments of some nature compared to before this terrible pandemic. Centrelink has provided critical support over the course of COVID-19 for these and other people who need help. My office, which is situated right next door to a Centrelink office—so we see it firsthand, day in, day out—has been inundated with people trying to find out what help they can get, what new payments are available and how to go about navigating the system, the dreaded system, to get help, because the system is complex and very confusing.

The rules are complex and confusing. I have fantastic professional staff who deal with this constantly, and even they talk about how much more complex and confusing it has been under this government. Sometimes, in the case of the COVID pandemic, the doors to some Centrelink offices have closed, and the phone lines have incredible waiting times. I remember with disdain the day that Minister Robert stood up in the House of Representatives and said, 'Just give Centrelink a tingle.' Who gives Centrelink a tingle? Seriously! It can take a portion of your life away. As other speakers today have said, face-to-face Centrelink services are absolutely vital for so many members of our communities, and keeping the doors open in Centrelink offices throughout Australia is now more important than ever.

Today I want to focus on one other aspect of the social security system that is front and centre in the minds of many members of my community in the electorate of Paterson, and that's the age pension. Although not a grand amount, the age pension is a vital payment for senior members of our community, for those who've worked all their lives, paid their taxes and made valuable contributions in many other ways too. The age pension is there to ensure that in retirement you are comfortable and have some dignity.

Labor values age pensioners. We're on your side if you're on the pension. Unlike those opposite, we don't want to see you struggle. We want to ensure that age pensioners are able to access payments that are their right and that they have the right to spend that money the way they see fit. But this government wants to curtail the capacity of age pensioners to live life as they choose and spend their money as they wish. It wants to put them all on a cashless welfare card and control 80 per cent of their spending. What an offensive idea—that someone who's reached that stage in life can't figure out how they want to spend their own money!

Labor will fight this cashless welfare card hammer and tongs, with all our might. Indeed, my colleague the member for Bruce will bring a bill to parliament to try and stamp it out once and for all.

Whenever this issue is raised, those on the other side say: 'This is just another Labor scare campaign.' It is not. Our communities know it's not. The Morrison government has previously introduced legislation to make it possible, and, right at this moment, the government is inviting community organisations to apply for grants to become cashless debit card support services. That's right. Under the Strong and Resilient Communities program, the government is offering grants to support widespread rollouts of the cashless welfare debit card. It is happening, and we will not let it be so.

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