Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'll take that interjection. It is absolutely correct. Labor does not have a mandate to remove it. Even with 33 per cent of the primary vote across the whole of Australia, there is barely any mandate to do anything. In relation to the cashless welfare debit card, not a single one of the communities where it was operating voted for its removal, so there was no mandate to remove the cashless welfare debit card provided by the communities most impacted.

I've said repeatedly in this place, including in my first speech in this place when I was talking about project approvals in the mining, oil and gas sector, that the people who should be most deeply listened to and respected are the communities most impacted. So, whether it's the cashless welfare debit card or a coal, oil or gas project, the views of those most impacted and the local communities are the views that should be most listened to, not those in other areas of Australia who aren't affected by the decision. I commend this private senator's bill to the Senate.