Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Minister for Families and Social Services. Can the minister update the Senate on how the government is getting on with the job of delivering better outcomes through the cashless debit card trials across Australia, including in my home state of Western Australia?

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

I thank Senator Brockman for his question and his strong interest and belief in a sustainable and fair system for all Australians. We also believe on this side of the chamber that not only is a sustainable welfare system important but also one that helps the people who rely on it. That is why this government rolled out the cashless debit card trials across four across Australia. But we rolled them out into sites where the communities actually volunteered, put themselves forward and asked for these particular trials to occur, because they believed there was an opportunity to make real change in their communities.

These communities are reporting to us exceptionally positive results from these trials. Last month I had the pleasure of being able to attend the Goldfields in Senator Brockman's home state of Western Australia and I learnt firsthand from a number of people in the community—people in the business community, police, health workers, local business owners—about the impact that the card has had in their communities. And there was one clear, strong and uniform response. The people told me the card was making a difference: the streets in their towns were quieter and they felt safer. The police said to me that the number of call-outs had reduced significantly, from every night of the week to maybe only once a fortnight. There was a significant decrease in the number of incidents of domestic violence and mental health being reported. There were significantly fewer presentations that were presenting to our emergency services.

But the story that I'd like to quickly share with you is about a young girl by the name of Nicole. Nicole is on a disability services pension, and she was the strongest opponent of the rollout of the CDC. She was all over social media saying how terrible it was going to be. I'd like to tell you that Nicole told me she's just bought a car, and she credits the fact that she was able to buy a car to the cashless debit card. She said if she hadn't had the cashless debit card she never would have been able to do so.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brockman, a supplementary question.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister. I know the cashless debit card is making a real difference in these communities because I've heard that directly from them myself, including from various local government authorities in the Goldfields area. Have any evaluations or reviews been done, and, if so, what are the findings?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to 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.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brockman, a final supplementary question.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, what changes are you making to the cashless debit card?

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

Thank you, Senator Brockman. The fundamental changes that have occurred with the cashless debit card have been about making it easier and more streamlined, so that when people who are on the cashless debit card, or other income management systems, use the card it's much more simple. We've been working with the banks around Australia to make sure that EFTPOS machines in the maximum number of locations are able to use the card. We've also been working with major retailers to make sure that their EFTPOS is connected with their point-of-sale systems so that the card operates no differently from any other debit or credit card that anybody in this chamber would use. That is why we believe that the continuation of the trial sites across Australia, as announced on 25 March this year, is tremendously important. We believe the continued investment in technology will make this program better, as we believe investment in technologies will make the lives of all Australians better as they interface with their government.