Linda Burney (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Hansard source

The other point is this, and this is very, very important: this measure is voluntary. If people want to stay on the cashless debit card or income management, that is their decision. We have made sure that within this piece of legislation there is a voluntary component.

Honourable members inte rjecting—

To the member for wherever you're from: there is also within this legislation a component where people will be placed on income management if there is a court order against them, including for child abuse and including for domestic violence. So get to know what the legislation is about before you start asking those sorts of questions. We do not believe in mandatory income management. It is voluntary, and there will be situations where there will be people placed on income management because of the particular circumstances they find themselves in. That is this legislation. We have listened to the voices, we have consulted and we will be going forward on this.

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