Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the acting Prime Minister, and I refer to the government's decision to scrap the cashless debit card, which the Alice Springs mayor has said will increase domestic violence. Kununurra local, Kenneth Green, called the card a 'lifesaver' and Wongatha elder Janice Scott said:

The biggest difference was for the kids. Suddenly they had food, they had clothing …

Given the warnings from local Indigenous communities, can the Acting Prime Minister guarantee there will be no increase in domestic violence or neglect of children as a result of scrapping the cashless debit card?

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question and acknowledge that Indigenous communities around this country have had to endure a sad history of broken promises and failed programs when it comes to making a real difference in areas like domestic violence, housing and keeping children in schools. But, in seeking to help Indigenous communities in this country, we don't do that by stripping them of their dignity. The cashless debit card seeks to do exactly that, and that's why at the last election we promised to scrap that—and we will. What it did was strip people of their dignity.

What we need to be doing is working with Indigenous communities to empower them. That is why we announced, over the course of the weekend, $50 million to provide additional drug and alcohol services in cashless debit card sites. That's why we've committed $16 million towards community led economic development services in CDC sites. All of these are measures which are about working with Indigenous communities to empower them.

Since the election, both the Minister for Social Services and the Minister for Indigenous Australians have been visiting Indigenous communities across the breadth of this country to work with them about the ways in which we can deal with the critical issues which are affecting their communities. The cashless debit card did none of that. But they can be assured that in this government they will have a partner in improving their lives.