Keith Wolahan (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you to all the speakers who have been before me, both those I have heard directly in this chamber and those I have tuned in to from my office between meetings. I remember when this was before this House before, and I'll be very frank: this isn't an issue that is directly relevant to a large majority of people in my electorate, but I recognise that all of us, the 151 members in this place, represent a little piece Australia with different experiences in different electorates. I remember watching those who spoke about this passionately, begging the government, 'Please don't do this.' There's no joy in 'I told you so.' There's no pleasure in seeing the consequences of what's happened. It would have a much better to have said, 'Actually, Labor was right, the government was right, it's okay and it worked out fine.' That's what we wanted.

But here we are. Instead of actually listening to the members and the people who are speaking to them, this government are applauding themselves for other things they are doing. They are talking about a voice but not actually listening to the most important function of a voice, which is this place. That is what this building is. This building is a voice for the nation. Every single person in this chamber and those who represent the states in the Senate are a voice for each person in each electorate, whether they voted for us or whether they didn't, whether they can vote or whether they can't. That includes refugees, children and non-citizens. It includes people from every background, every corner of this country. Our job in this place is to be a voice for them. So when members come in here and plead with the government to listen to the people in their electorate, that is disappointing, because, by ignoring them, those opposite are not respecting the purpose of the voice in this place for every Australian.

The continuation of the cashless debit card program was in direct response to calls from community leaders who told us in the coalition that it was ensuring more money was being spent on essentials and on supporting positive changes. It wasn't a top-down imposed program. It was in response to the community, because that is this parliament working at its best. In all of the discussions around the referendum this year, there are those who claim there is something flawed in our democracy that needs to be fixed. There may be other good reasons for the voice, and we will have that debate. There will be a committee, there will be a parliamentary debate and then the people will have the final say. But if those opposite are claiming that part of the justification is that our democracy is somehow broken, well, the closest you may get might be the actions of this Labor government; that is the closest. Even then, here we are with those opposite, who represent the people who are telling them that this is broken and not working, standing up in this place and being heard.

The cashless debit card strikes a balance between allowing welfare recipients to make independent purchasing decisions and helping to create safe communities. There is a principle behind that we should never forget—that is, we should never make the lottery of life, the accident of who your parents are, be the decisive and only thing that will shape your destiny. That can't be what this country is about, because no child gets to choose the circumstances of their birth. Sometimes they didn't win that lottery, and whatever we can do to give them the best shot of life, we should grab with both hands.

Despite the evidence that was put before this place when this was debated last year, Labor chose to end the card, which was at direct odds with the wishes of those communities. Labor are more focused on the opinion of those that they might see on social media than those who are actually experiencing it firsthand. We heard many members talking about lived experience. Lived experience isn't just a slogan that we throw out every time suits us; it is a reminder of who we should be listening to. This wasn't just a random decision. This was amongst one of the first decisions of this government. It said a lot about their priorities, what they thought was important. One of the first decisions was to abolish the cashless debit card. The consequences of that were seen almost straightaway, particularly violence, and we know the link between alcohol and violence. So vulnerable communities are feeling the devastating impacts since this repeal. It has unfortunately and tragically led to not only an increase in crime, gambling, and alcohol-fuelled violence, but also child neglect. The areas of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Leonora, Coolgardie and Laverton areas were affected by Labor's abolition of the cashless debit card and their mayors have reported the surge in crime statistics.

The government can't just wring its hands and walk away from situations it has created. We hear a lot of talk about responsibility and turning up, but it's about what you do and not what you say. Again, the coalition warned Labor about these consequences, and, again, we take no pleasure in saying, 'I told you so.' We submit that this unnecessary transition, which was imposed for ideological, not practical, reasons, will generate many thousands of customer interactions with Services Australia, imposing extra costs for every taxpayer and creating a burden of time and anxiety for those being transitioned off the CDC. You can understand the frustration for a community that gets used to and familiar with the system to then have the rug pulled from them. You have to get familiar with a new system. So this is not a valuable use of taxpayers' money, especially during this cost-of-living crisis. Australians deserve a government that is not going to treat vulnerable communities as an afterthought.

There are certain specific issues that we should address. The first is in terms of IT. The Sydney Morning Herald reported a few weeks ago that Services Australia had advised the minister that meeting the government's transition deadline would be highly problematic because of IT issues. The opposition has called on the minister to urgently explain what advice the agency has provided to the minister and whether those concerns are shared. The minister has gone to ground. We haven't heard anything from Mr Shorten on this issue. We ask: are these IT issues the reason why the 1 July deadline has been dropped from the government's talking points? It's a legitimate question that deserves an answer.

The apparent IT issues that were identified by Services Australia beg the question about whether this is related to job cuts under Minister Shorten.

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