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

I thank Senator O'Sullivan for the work that he is doing to make sure that people on the cashless debit card move along the pathway to employment. This is really important, because in his own words, the government does not believe that the cashless debit card is a destination; it is a tool to help people take control of their own lives, become job ready and get into work. Having a meaningful job is what we believe can be a destination for all working-age Australians.

Since 17 March, people on income management using the BasicsCard in the Northern Territory and Cape York have been able to make the switch to the CDC. I'm pleased to update the Senate that the transition in Cape York has now been completed, with all 88 people using the BasicsCard now across onto the cashless debit card.

The Families Responsibilities Commission does a fantastic job in Cape York to help their people stabilise their lives. I was fortunate enough to see some of the commission's hearings while I was there, where a lady in the community actually chose to go on to the cashless debit card, to have some of her social security payment quarantined so that she could pay for the maintenance of her home. In fact, she was one of 47 people in the cape who volunteered to go on the card. Those are people who are not required to be on it; they have done so voluntarily.

In the Northern Territory to date we've seen 108 people make the switch from the BasicsCard to the cashless debit card. While I was in Darwin I was fortunate enough to sit with somebody who went through the process at the Casuarina Service Centre. He told me that he wanted to make the switch because the CDC is a debit VISA card, which would allow him to pay his bills online and have more independence over the settings on his budget.

We will continue to work to ensure that people in the Northern Territory are armed with factual information about the cashless debit card.