Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. In question time last week, the minister responded to a question from my friend the member for Durack and informed the House that the antisocial behaviour being experienced in the former cashless debit card trial site of the East Kimberley was due to catastrophic flooding throughout the Kimberley region. In the Goldfields region of my electorate, there has been no flooding, so can the minister please explain why there has been a massive increase in alcohol related social harm as participants have come off the cashless debit card trial in my region?

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

SHWORTH (—) (): I thank the member for his question. Of course, those opposite continued their ideological love of the cashless debit card when there was piece of evidence after piece of evidence that it was not making a difference.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for O'Connor has asked his question.

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When it comes to the Goldfields area, I am aware that the Shire of Leonora has reported an increase in antisocial behaviour in that community, including an increase of hospital visitations, which has been attributed to an increase of people coming to the community from the NG lands. I note that these lands were never in the cashless debit card boundaries, so to suggest that somehow the influx of people from areas outside the cashless debit card site is linked to the removal of this card is disingenuous and wrong. I understand that the towns of Laverton and Kambalda have also had an increase in antisocial behaviour, which has been linked to the population influx, which of course is not unusual for this time of year, and that most of the increases were from people from areas that were never in the cashless debit card boundaries. Across the region—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, the member for Page.

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

in response to this population influx that happens at this time of the year, the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has implemented its summer response strategy, which has seen several return-to-country trips taking place, to help those who have come in to town and are unable to get back home. I know that the summer response strategy also includes—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause for a moment. The member for Deakin on a point of order?

Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr Speaker—a point of order on relevance: the minister's running out of alibis very quickly—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Resume your seat. Order! The member for Deakin has been continually disrupting question time today; he has had multiple warnings, and now he has disrespected the chamber with abuse of standing orders. He will leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Deakin then left the chamber.

I want to be very—

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order. Minister, pause for a moment. That will be the final warning with someone abusing standing orders. It has been continually happening. Question time will not occur with that behaviour.

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was updating the House on the summer response strategy, which has been ensuring that people in the Goldfields region are able to get back home to country, and this also includes the wraparound supports that these people need.

The coalition continues to try and draw a desperate link to anything to do with the cashless debit card, and we heard it in the chamber today with the member for Riverina somehow suggesting that income support has been abolished in the Northern Territory. This is simply not the case.

But, while those opposite continue to deliver misinformation and confusion around the country, our government will continue to do the things that work, to provide the support that works, that helps people within communities.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, the member for Page!