Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Brockman. There have been over a dozen pieces of research done into the trials of the cashless debit card and income management programs that exist around Australia. Most recently the baseline report into the Goldfields has come back with some particular findings. The key ones that have come out of this are: a decrease in drug and alcohol issues; a decrease in crime and violence and antisocial behaviour; an improvement in child health and wellbeing; improved financial management by those on the card; and an ongoing, and even strengthening, community support for the card. But these findings aren't new. These are the findings that we have seen from previous research. In fact, we had an independent evaluation that came out and said: 'the considerable positive impact of the card'. The consistent themes that come out across all the research are improved child wellbeing, reductions in drug and alcohol use and gambling, and improvements in financial literacy and financial management.