Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to update the House on the progress of the cashless debit card trial in the Goldfields area of my electorate of O'Connor. On 7 November I hosted the , the Hon. Paul Fletcher, on a visit to the Goldfields to see for himself how the cashless debit card trial was progressing. First we flew into Leonora in the northern Goldfields. This is where the idea of introducing a cashless debit card trial was first conceived. A spate of suicides drove one of the elders to approach me for assistance. It was great to introduce the minister to some of the key community members who had been instrumental in its inception and success to date.

I have to be honest, not everybody credits the card as a resounding success, but it was never portrayed as a silver bullet that would fix every problem in the community. Some Aboriginal elders suggested that participants were rorting the card and accessing grog, but overall the community sentiment was positive. Local medical services reported more voluntary presentations, with people taking an interest in their routine health care. The hospital reported seeing less alcohol related injuries and the Royal Flying Doctor Service call-outs were well down for alcohol induced incidents. The police supported these findings stating that crime statistics were down by 42 per cent, particularly for domestic violence and assaults. The minister chatted to local pharmacist John Coufos, who reported that, prior to the cashless debit card, people came into his pharmacy only for PBS medications but now he is selling more general products like baby care products, asthma spacers and other items.

Next we went to Laverton, one of the most remote communities in the trial site. It is a model of community collaboration and cohesion. Aboriginal elders like Bruce Smith and Janice Scott work hand in glove with the local shire and service providers. The DSS have had a really positive presence, with local partners working on local solutions for local people. Laverton experienced an influx of people from outside the cashless debit card trial and had some social issues with out-of-towners. So they devised a community safety plan, which coincided with the introduction of the cashless debit card. This has seen crime figures reduce by around 37 per cent—although, in September, Laverton senior police sergeant Justin Tarasinski was quoted in The Kalgoorlie Miner as saying crime was down as much as 52 per cent on the same time last year.

This Goldfields trial could not be more varied. The northern Goldfields has more Aboriginal participants and they make up a larger proportion of their communities. Their geographic and demographic isolation makes these positive outcomes absolutely compelling. In the city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder the ratio is reversed, with more non-Indigenous participants, and those on the card make up less than 10 per cent of the population. The positive outcomes are less obvious to the casual observer, and there are other factors in play such as the recent Operation Fortitude, a WA blitz on drugs and alcohol, and the recently introduced Kalgoorlie-Boulder ranger patrols. Even so, WA Police statistics for the September quarter reflected an increase in burglaries, assaults and domestic violence of 17 per cent in Kalgoorlie and 22 per cent in Boulder. Importantly, recent media reports of street fighting and domestic violence describe offenders as 'residing outside the cashless debit card trial'.

The Shire of Coolgardie president, Mal Cullen, and Aboriginal elder and councillor Betty Logan are reporting real and sustained improvements in the quality of life of card trial participants in their community. Kids are going to school with food in their stomachs, parents are shopping for the necessity of life, and local IGA owner Patsy illustrated the real changes she is seeing in spending patterns in a letter that she penned to Minister Fletcher. Wrapping up our whirlwind tour, we consulted with the disability sector, where Minister Fletcher was impressed by the candour and experience of disability pension recipient Nicole. Nicole contacted me personally, distressed at social media reports that her card would not work for medical appointments and accommodation in Perth. I assured her that it would work anywhere that accepted a Visa debit card. It did, and she has been a firm supporter since.

Only two weeks ago Minister Fletcher met again with Nicole at a cashless debit card round table where representatives from all three existing trial sites came together to share their experiences. Nicole recounted how she hated the concept of the card but she used it and she came to save more money than ever before, to the point where she could now afford to move out of home. Nicole spoke bravely of the vilification she had experienced personally and on social media since speaking out. Those from the existing trial sites of Ceduna, East Kimberley and the Goldfields echoed that it had been tough going in the early days but the eventual positive outcomes were now clear for all to see. Keith Pitt, the member for Hinkler, was there to experience for himself what the path ahead for Bundaberg and Hervey Bay might look like. Representatives from the Northern Territory shire of Barkly were also there listening to the feedback. I take this opportunity to encourage them to consider the cashless debit card as a tool to help them fight towards positive social outcomes for their community. I close by thanking all who met with Minister Fletcher across the Goldfields and at the recent round table. I commend them for their courage in supporting the cashless debit card trial.