Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

During last week's question time I asked the Minister for Social Services a question regarding Labor's decision to scrap the cashless debit card in the East Kimberley and how it was leading to poorer outcomes in some of our country's most vulnerable communities. The Labor government has scrapped the CDC without putting in further support for these very vulnerable communities. Instead of taking responsibility and admitting that Labor had got it wrong, the minister's response was quite unbelievable. The minister said that the antisocial behaviour in Kununurra, often fuelled by alcohol, was due to flood affected displaced people from Fitzroy Crossing now living in Kununurra. The minister said:

I do understand that, as a result of and connected to the disruption and dislocation of many people across the region … there has been a rise in antisocial behaviour in Broome, Derby and Kununurra.

So not only are the people in Fitzroy Valley coping with the upheaval of their lives due to floods—many have lost their homes and have nothing more than the clothes on their backs—but they are now being accused by this out-of-touch minister of being responsible for the bad behaviour of some welfare recipients in Kununurra. This was a distasteful show of ignorance. It's insulting to the people of the Fitzroy Valley and demonstrates just how out of touch this minister is. The minister owes the people of the Fitzroy Valley an apology. This is a matter of urgency, and she should come in here and deliver that apology now.