Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to condemn the Morrison government's plans to expand the cashless debit card to all pensioners. Pensioners right across the country know this Prime Minister wants to expand the program and force all pensioners onto the card. This unfair plan will put 80 per cent of their pension on a card that will limit what they can spend and where they can spend it. Pensioners know that under the Liberals and Nationals everything will change. They will have to say goodbye to the roast dinner at their clubs and their pubs, and they won't be able to take out cash to buy birthday and Christmas presents for their grandchildren. Even buying a simple lotto ticket will be banned. This is insulting, it's demeaning and it's wrong.

We know it's the Morrison government's plan because those opposite keep on talking about making it universal. They say, 'Let's have a conversation; let's roll it out.' Well, pensioners have a right to be very anxious, because the Morrison government is currently working with the banks to roll it out across the country. Make no mistake: this is all about privatising welfare. That's exactly what they're doing. Australians should not have their spending controlled by the government, not by this government. Labor stands with our pensioners, and we will scrap the cashless debit card because we know pensioners should not be forced onto this nasty, unfair scheme. Pensioners know you cannot trust the Liberals and Nationals when it comes to their pension. You can trust Labor. We'll fight this together. Labor is on your side. We will scrap the cashless debit card.