Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Community Housing, Homelessness and Community Services) Share this | Hansard source

The Morrison government has provided funding to continue the cashless debit card as an ongoing measure in existing sites. Extending the cashless debit card permanently in the existing sites responds to calls from community leaders, and allows for greater certainty for participants, services and their communities. The draft ANU evaluation of the cashless debit card has found consistent and clear evidence that alcohol consumption has reduced since the introduction of the cashless debit card in the trial sites. The cashless debit card has been helping to reduce gambling, with positive impacts, especially in the context of family and broader social life. The cashless debit card was reported to make things better for those who were probably the most vulnerable and who needed it most.

This measure also provides a further 12-month extension of place-based income management. Transition of income management participants in the Northern Territory and Cape York region to the cashless debit card is expected to commence in early 2021. The cashless debit card helps participants with their budgeting to ensure money is spent on essential goods such as food and housing. It offers flexibility for participants and better technology than the BasicsCard, with significantly lower ongoing operational costs than income management.

The government is committed to delivering positive outcomes for vulnerable people, families and communities and provides certainty to participants and support services. Providing certainty about the future of this measure allows long-term outcomes to be assessed. This is why the government committed funds across two years to 30 June 2022 for cashless debit card technology solutions and enhancements, improving the experience and opportunities for participants, businesses and financial institutions. The Morrison government is a government driven by a desire to see real changes to Australian families and the health and wellbeing of communities, families and children. If we do nothing then nothing changes. The cashless debit card supports the government's commitment to an effective and fair welfare system and aims to reduce harm in communities where high levels of alcohol and drug misuse and gambling coexist with high levels of welfare dependence.

I would also like to reaffirm the strong position the government has taken to meet the needs of victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. We understand that we cannot undo the trauma inflicted upon people, but we are absolutely committed to continuously improving the Redress Scheme to make sure it operates in the best interests of the survivors. That is why this appropriation bill provides $104.6 million over four years to redress support services and independent decision-makers. This funding will help make technical changes to reduce red tape, speed up processing times and streamline the process. On top of this, funding was provided earlier this year to increase the capabilities of independent decision-makers to process applications, and we saw many applications processed and offers finalised in a short period of time, thanks to those changes.

On 1 July this year, six institutions were named as having failed to declare their intention to join the scheme. Since then, two of these have joined. Reprehensibly, Lakes Entrance Pony Club, Jehovah's Witnesses, Fairbridge and Kenja still blatantly refuse to join the Redress Scheme, and I understand that, for victims of child sexual abuse, this is very upsetting. The Morrison government has zero tolerance for this and, consequently, these organisations are now ineligible for Commonwealth funding. The Prime Minister has reaffirmed the commitment to ensure all organisations that do not join will have their charity status removed. We will continue to work with these four institutions and all others that have given their intent to join the scheme.

How does this cashless debit card budget measure provide certainty to income support recipients in existing sites?

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