Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I am disappointed that both the government and the opposition do not see fit to support this. I would have thought that in relation to Senator Joyce’s comments, this is directly relevant to the legislation, in that it is unfair to be charged an additional amount for cash in terms of whatever the standard fee for the goods or services is—if you pay in cash you get charged an additional amount.

I note Senator Evans’s comments that in his department he has encouraged the practice of giving a discount if you pay online. That to me is quite different from what is at stake here. If you give a discount for whatever the standard fee is to encourage people to pay online, that is still legally quite distinct from charging an additional amount for paying in cash. If it is a genuine discount—in other words, it is not an artifice, an artificial way of trying to add an additional fee by paying in cash because it may save some administrative costs—if the price for a good or service is a particular amount, why should you as a consumer be charged an additional amount to pay in cash? That is, I think, as simple as the argument is.

I have worked with Senator Joyce on a number of issues for the benefit of consumers and I would have thought that especially in regional Australia there is a real issue about to people wanting to be able to go to their local post office, their local newsagent or wherever bills can be paid, and have that human contact, pay in cash, and not be charged an additional amount because, for whatever reason, they choose to pay in cash or they are unable to pay online because they do not have access to that facility. Particularly in some remote parts of this country where there is a real issue in terms of online access or reliability, I thought that would have been reasonable.

I indicate that I seek to divide on this amendment and my subsequent amendment, if that assists the committee and you, Mr Temporary Chair. The minister said that it might be unfair or impractical to have differential pricing. I appreciate his response, but can the minister give us some examples of where it is unfair or impractical? I think that it is a sad day when cash carries with it a penalty in terms of paying some basic household bills.