Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card Trial Expansion) Bill 2018. I have spoken before, in earlier debates on the cashless debit card, of my support for quarantining cash payments made to welfare recipients. I have done so after meeting with and listening to members of the communities where trials have been in place. I took part in the Kalgoorlie hearing of the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee and listened to the views of those directly and indirectly impacted by the scheme. I heard and evaluated the arguments both for and against. As a result, I voted in favour of the extension of the scheme to the Goldfields region of Western Australia and remain in favour of the cashless debit card.

The argument against the card is that quarantining welfare payments so that only 20 per cent is paid in cash is a human rights issue. I fail to see how ensuring that 80 per cent of a welfare support payment can't be spent on alcohol or drugs in any way impacts on an individual's human rights. The amount of payment they receive is not reduced; it is simply paid in a different way. Limiting the amount of money which can be spent on alcohol and be available to access illicit drugs means that there is more money for essential everyday items. Foremost, there is more money for adequate, decent food for the family. I have been told that the effect of the change in the Western Australian Goldfields is very noticeable. Parents are seen shopping at supermarkets for food for their children instead of hanging around, waiting for the pub to open.

The proposed expansion of the scheme to introduce a new trial to the Bundaberg and Hervey Bay regions of my state is intended for a different purpose. It will apply only to persons aged 35 or less who receive Newstart allowance or youth allowance, apart from those who are new apprentices or full-time students or are on parenting payment. In doing so, it aims to address the high level of youth unemployment in the area, and especially the high level of intergenerational welfare dependency. It will not affect anyone who receives a disability payment and it will not apply to pensioners. There will be other exemptions, including young people who are on a new apprenticeship or are full-time students.

This area also has a high level of alcohol consumption and drug dependency among young people. In other words, the proposed trial will target the specific dual problems of youth unemployment and substance abuse in the region as a way of breaking intergenerational welfare dependency. Drug dealers depend on the cash economy. If we can reduce the amount of cash flowing in a community, it has to hurt the drug trade and reduce the high level of drugs which are available. Lessening dependence on alcohol and drugs will provide an opportunity for young people with drug or alcohol problems to address these problems and hopefully get on top of them.

This country provides wonderful opportunities for young people who are prepared to work and contribute to their community to prosper. It is of great concern to me that so many of our youth and young people in the Bundaberg-Hervey Bay region are on welfare—either on youth allowance or on Newstart, or in receipt of parenting payments. It is appalling that this area of Queensland has the highest rate of intergenerational welfare dependency in the country. Something has to be done to address this for the benefit of the young welfare recipients themselves and the future of the region. Let's give them a chance by making welfare less appealing and encouraging them to get a job and become contributing members of their communities. The Bundaberg-Hervey Bay trial is intended to continue until 30 June 2020 to allow time to evaluate the scheme and decide whether it should be rolled out to other areas.

Having just listened to Senator Bartlett's comments, I just see it as bleeding heart, and so do a lot of other Australians. At the end of the day, this money is taxpayers' money. It is taxpayers who actually have to go and work, and abide by rules and regulations, either with the company they're working for or by guidelines under government policies, to earn their money. Out of their hard-earned money, they pay their taxes, and, because they do that, we're able to have these Newstart and youth allowance payments made to people who are not working. I think the taxpayer would dearly love to see that their hard-earned dollars are spent wisely and not just wasted. People on these welfare payments do have an obligation to the taxpayer. This is saying to these people: 'Okay, you're going to get 80 per cent of your cash payments put into an account and you can only use that money to pay for rent or food. You can buy things with it—there are shops that will say, "Yes, you can go and buy that." But they're putting restrictions on it. You're not going to be able to have the cash in your pocket to go and pay the drug dealers, you're not going to have the money in your pocket to go and play the poker machines and you're not going to have the money in your pocket to go and buy alcohol or even cigarettes.' What is wrong with that? Everyone wants their rights, but with rights come responsibilities, and the responsibilities here are about taxpayers' dollars.

Senator Bartlett says that this will increase crime. What a load of rubbish! Actually, the facts show that where it has been put out—in Ceduna, in the Northern Territory, in the Kimberley and in the Goldfields now—crime has actually reduced. The statistics show that kids are now getting better fed, that parents are buying decent foods and that this measure is actually helping the communities. I've spoken to Aboriginal groups and organisations that have said it has benefited and is benefiting them. This is all I said—it's about a bleeding heart attitude of taking away people's rights.

The town of Kalgoorlie was just about to go under. Businesses were fed up with the problems they had on their streets and were crying out for help and for something to be done. It's not only about the businesses here; we're talking about peoples' lives. Enough money has been thrown out to organisations over the years and nothing's changed. We have high youth unemployment in this country. There's no hope whatsoever. We see more and more younger kids turning to drugs, and you've got to ask yourselves why. We are one of the highest drug-taking nations in the world and more people are coming from overseas to peddle their drugs in this country. Senator Bartlett also says that it's harder to make dollars stretch further. This enables them to manage their moneys. It does enable them to spend their money in much better ways. To say that they've got to stretch their dollars further—what do we want? We give people a welfare payment, Newstart or youth allowance. We've got to stop the attitude that it's a way of life. It's not a way of life; it is a helping hand that is set up to help these people. We've got to encourage kids to get out there and look for work, to give them back their self-esteem and self-respect. Do you think that you're protecting them, paying out these welfare payments and saying we can't tell them what they can or should spend their money on? That's not helping them.

Talking about jobs in the area—that's why One Nation has been pushing for the apprenticeship scheme, which I know businesses will be very interested in taking up. This is something that both major political parties have let slide in this country, by shutting down the TAFEs and apprenticeship schemes. You haven't helped the youth in this country at all. When you have unemployment rates of even 25 and 30 per cent in some of these rural and regional areas then we have a real problem. I say to the people out there: I will be supporting this bill, as any commonsense person would. If you listen to Australian taxpayers, they are thoroughly behind this, because they have to abide by the rules and regulations. Don't forget: it's their hard-earned dollars. Why shouldn't restrictions be put on people to make sure they spend that money wisely?

Welfare recipients should be fully appreciative of this. They should be saying 'Thank you' to the taxpayers: 'Thank you for the opportunity to give me some money so that I can pay my bills and put food on my table.' Why shouldn't we ask that the money not be wasted? Why shouldn't they have an obligation to the taxpayer? But we have members and senators in this parliament saying, 'No, they shouldn't, because you're taking away their human rights'. I say that's a load of rubbish; it's absolute bunkum. We have a responsibility, not only to the taxpayer but to the youth, to ensure that we do our utmost to try and get them off drugs, to stop them wasting their money, to ensure they spend the money in their pockets wisely, and to ensure they are looked after to the best of their ability.

I will be supporting this bill, and I am pleased to see that the government have proceeded with it. Congratulations to them for bringing this forward, because I know it will help the people in the long run. There might be resistance initially, but I know that, in the long run, as has happened in the other areas, it will help the communities and it will help those young people.