Submission
for the
Indue Cashless Welfare Card Program
continuation bill 2020
1 Executive Summary
My submission to you - is on the topic of the Indue CDC program continuation bill 2020 which declares that the purposes of the Indue Cashless Welfare Card (CDC) will restrict the purchase of alcohol, illegal drugs and gambling products for those receiving various forms of Centrelink income support, which completely contradicts the Prime Minister’s statement that this government is not in the business of, in his own words and I quote, “telling people how to spend their money”.
It will be argued that the Indue CDC program also contradicts Australian values, the Australian spirit and accepted customs. Moreover, this Indue CDC program deliberately differentiates between people, casting aspersions on those needing Centrelink income support as having inferior morals, as a Federal Minister has claimed that recipients would in so many words "pay their drug dealers... or go to the pub".
These attitudes issue from the highest office in the land, which is prejudiced against a whole income cohort and race.
This attitude, suggesting that people who need financial support cannot manage their own lives, is extremely paternalistic. If the causes of addiction were really confronted and changed, then we would, indeed, be on the road to solving the problem. All members of our society need to feel equally enfranchised and able to participate.
Acceptance of each other, rather than the paternalistic notion that some of us are ‘superior’ and therefore automatically entitled to determine how others live, would, indeed, provide more incentives to people to cope.
Furthermore, those using inflammatory statements, such as the one previously cited, are surely guilty of inciting hate speech, which is a breach of UNHRC rules, to which Australia is a signatory. The Indue CDC also unfairly targets Aboriginal people. Almost 90% of people presently on the card are from this cohort. This is racial discrimination which contravenes and violates human rights. The government is risking Australia’s good standing in the international community for human rights.
The Prime Minister is portrayed in the media at the pub or a sporting event with a glass of beer in his hand – is his Christian drinking somehow different than that of Centrelink recipients drinking? There are also other federal ministers having legendary drinking habits.
I sincerely doubt that $40 per day would provide enough money to do any of the things suggested on the public record by the said Minister. Those afflicted with addictions would be very unlikely to be able to support their habits on that princely sum. Media sources quote $1K a day for drug habits. In addition, a study has shown that rates of addiction differ little between the employed and the unemployed.
The vast majority of Centrelink recipients use support payments to try to exist – trying to pay for rent, food, utilities, clothing, etc. Classing people who need income support as somehow inferior and morally degenerate is a deliberate ploy to drive a wedge between people. People being appealed to by this sort of rhetoric are being made to feel superior because they are currently employed and paying taxes. However, if they lose their jobs – as so many are in the COVID19 pandemic crisis – they not only feel stressed and anxious because of losing their jobs, but also start to feel guilty and
2 worthless. This can result in depression and anxiety. This then becomes a huge strain on the Mental Health sector and budget.
The cost of producing and operating this card system is another huge drain on taxpayers’ money. At this time when Australia is facing a huge financial crisis due to the COVID19 pandemic, this is one expenditure that is superfluous. Indeed, paying welfare recipients their $40 per day straight into their bank accounts is a vastly cheaper and a more efficient use of money. If the government can afford to pay Indue Pty Ltd its $12K annual administration costs then the government can afford to raise the rates of all recipients. Yet that is not being considered by the sitting government.
The Indue CDC will be adding $8K to $12K pa in administration costs and upkeep to the government. This is also wasted expenditure, especially when Centrepay exists and retailers have alcohol and gaming restriction options as part of their gaming and liquor licensing laws. These existing laws and programs adequately fulfil the restrictive requirements without adding any further expenditure and little legal amendments. Therefore Centrepay, with caveats and extended powers and criteria provides a far more feasible targeted solution to the constructed problem.
In addition to the extra financial burden being placed on the Australian Taxpayer and the immorality of divisive statements from Federal Ministers and perceived classism and racism, there is the inconsistency of logic in determining just where the Indue card can be used.
The claims that it will stop recipients ‘wasting’ the money on alcohol and drugs is not reflected by the 20 pages of ‘banned’ businesses, many of which do not sell alcohol or gambling products, such as petrol stations, Australia Post, Dick Smith and Betta Stores. There have been declines at Bunnings, Just Jeans, cafes, bookshops, art and craft supplies. Declines and pre approvals also includes medical specialists and medical supplies. Declines have also occurred where the Indue CDC is accepted. Coles, Woolworths and Aldi.
Why do recipients have to be pre-approved? One cardholder cannot even use it to pay for a bus fare.
Why discriminate against particular businesses? Surely this contravenes consumer law? Support of particular businesses, such as Coles, Woolworths and Aldi (all of whom do sell alcohol) demonstrates government support for particular businesses whilst actively unfairly discriminating against other smaller businesses. It is the height of hypocrisy. Furthermore, it leaves the government open to legal action by those businesses who feel that they have experienced unfair discriminatory practices.
The projected policy to extend this card to all 8 million Centrelink recipients within a decade demonstrates further and future fiscal irresponsibility. If 8 million people have no control over their spending, how will businesses survive? No matter what products are available if people cannot buy them, businesses will fail. This will, of course, mean more unemployment and less taxes being paid.
By the Federal Treasurer's own admission cutting the jobseeker payment back means that 30 billion in weekly spending is now lost. That is without further controlling where their money could be spent.
If all Centrelink recipients are compelled to use this card, the national rollout is projected to be between 51 billion dollars and 95 billion dollars! Annually!
This Indue CDC program is not cost effective. Cost effective and superior targeted solutions exist. This Indue CDC program should be scrapped! It does nothing to help anyone.
3 Claims that it will help addicted people are merely a deflection. No country on earth, no matter how well intentioned, has solved addiction and social issues. This proposal is analogous to putting everyone in leg casts to prevent broken legs. For the cost of this program other priorities must take precedence.
Implementing crime and addiction prevention and intervention in addiction affected areas is a far more effective and targeted way to help solve the issue.
Redesigning spray cans such as limited sprays with time release would help prevent chroming and huffing. Research and development into making cleaning products and gas less toxic, thereby preventing harm and death is another option that should be looked into.
Legalising drugs and licensing people to dispense and distribute them should also be considered, as it would remove the incentive for criminal activity. This could prove to be a huge financial benefit to the justice system. Legitimate taxes could be levied, too, making it more financially beneficial. It would also make it easier for people with mental health issues to seek help, legally.
Has the Indue CDC program been proven to help anyone with drug or alcohol problems? This is a dubious claim and even if true, it fails to justify breaking rules related to human rights, discrimination, security and privacy laws and the stripping of ALL recipients of the card of their rights – whether addicted or not.
The Indue CDC program assumes one’s guilt without a priori or preamble or legal process that a Centrelink recipient by virtue of being in receipt of income support, are addicts and financially incompetent. Indue opens an account without consent and has 80 to 100% of a recipient’s income on a card. A card that has been shown to fail to pay the rent and bills on several occasions. A card where you are assumed to be incompetent and an addict. This Indue CDC program, by default, in one fell swoop defames and falsely attributes moral inferiority and fiscal irresponsibly.
How is this fair? How does this card uphold the values of freedom justice and equality for all? It does not! How is it in the spirit of freedom and personal autonomy to be deprived of managing their own financial affairs? How is punishing innocent people who do not smoke or drink alcohol or do drugs or gamble or consume pornography benefit any one in the long run? This is like being kept in school detention until whoever stole the teachers pen owns up. This is adulthood and reality, not primary school. Why should a woman in Melbourne who had never smoked, gambled or done drugs or alcohol or porn be lumped in the same category as an alcoholic in Darwin by virtue of being out of work?
Again, How is it fair? It is not. It is a travesty of justice and freedom and equality for all. It goes against all the values Australia holds dear, it desecrates the graves of the ANZACS and Veterans who died fighting for Australia’s freedoms!
What has been proven is that it is used to unfairly discriminate against two sections of our population. Against the Aboriginal people and Centrelink recipients, all tarred with a racist, classist and ableist brush. It is illegal to discriminate against anyone on the basis of income source or race or ability. The Indue CDC program segregates people. This is Australia not South African apartheid.
What has been proven is that it is part of a political agenda. A cruel punitive and divisive policy that contravenes many human rights and consumer protection laws and privacy laws, which this submission will discuss in detail.
4 What has been proved is that the Indue CDC program is a profligate waste of money when better and more cost effective and targeted solutions exist that satisfy current laws from multiple perspectives and work within existing human rights, consumer, privacy and security laws and frameworks. This Indue CDC program is fraught with many concerns from a number of perspectives on which this submission discusses and will rationalize a solution. Solutions that work within the existing laws of human rights and consumer protection laws and privacy laws.
The Indue program will cause a massive economic drain for no perceivable benefit.
The donations to the LNP by Indue have apparently unduly influenced the government’s decision to implement this card. Even if the government earns profit in one hand it loses in the other hand as people can’t spend their own money!
There is a reason why it’s said a person is a recovering alcoholic or gambling or drug addict. There is no cure and always a danger of relapse when life gets tough. Restricting one’s money, taking one’s freedom to manage ones money is not conducive to recovery (unless there is severe impulsive behaviour).
Addiction is a medical issue and not a social security issue.
If the government is truly caring for its citizens and providing a surplus PROMISED at the election then it will action their words and put a stop to this useless, expensive program.
5 Main Submission
I am writing to you to in response to your call for submissions on the Indue Cashless Welfare Card, forthwith abbreviated to (CDC). Indue Pty Ltd
I do declare l have no known conflict of interest and I write as a concerned citizen of Australia l am writing of my own free will. I am disclosing my qualifications and my findings in this submission and it is hoped that a satisfactory conclusion can be made for the benefit of the Australian public.
Scope
I submit to you that you the sitting Government of the Commonwealth of Australia has stated for the public record that this card known as
The Indue Cashless Welfare Card (CDC) herewith restricts the purchase of alcohol, tobacco, pornography, illegal drugs and gambling products for those on Jobseeker, Old Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carers Allowance, Parenting payment -partnered, Parenting Payment – Single, ParentsNext, Family Benefit A and B, Austudy. Bereavement Allowance, Remote Learning Allowance.
To stop Centrelink recipients in words to the effect that they are all alleged to be buying drugs and alcohol on the *taxpayer dime*.
At least two Federal ministers have gone on public record in support of the Indue CDC program.
on October 3rd 2020 one Federal minister claimed that Centrelink income support recipients would use their increases to Newstart (now called Jobseeker) “to pay drug dealers or go to the pub.” The Minister has supported the Indue CDC program in the past and appears to share and promote the popular public view that Centrelink recipients are addicts. This view is not only wrong, it enables bigotry and stigma against this income cohort.
As this is on public and media record it is assumed that the committee have prior knowledge of the incident. Link to verify this incident follows.
Link for your consideration.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/02/raising-newstart-would-give-drug- dealers-more-money-social-services-minister-says
It is these false narratives that have helped bring about the Indue CDC program. This Indue CDC program is based on a false narrative and therefore is a false premise. The Indue CDC program further entrenches this falsehood, thus. entrenching bigotry, unwarranted defamation and stigma against Centrelink recipients.
I submit that this view promoted by this federal minister must be challenged and corrected for the public good and for the health and safety of the Australian public.
This Indue CDC entrenches stigma and enables abuses of human rights, contravenes consumer and privacy and security laws, and enables hate speech and defamatory inflammatory speech. This is not Australian, nor is it humane or legal under UNCHR laws.
6 Many recipients of income support are offended by these comments.
There are no statistics about the numbers of these people who are smokers, gamblers, consumers of drugs or alcohol, have been declared incompetent or bankrupt or have a criminal record, but it is extremely unlikely that all recipients fall into these categories, which is what the Indue card and its promoters are inferring. Welfare advocacy groups have rightfully slammed these comments.
It is my understanding of discrimination laws that someone making such comments in a professional working environment would consequently risk or incur a defamation of character lawsuit for such comments. One would expect parliamentary privilege would not extend to patently false and misleading comments.
2 It is also a public concern in recent years about another Federal minister being embroiled in a controversial situation after being photographed with the President of Indue Pty Ltd in 2016 in violation of lobbying laws. This photograph was put on the Senator’s Twitter account. That senator received a lot of backlash on the Twitter account and lost voters. The Public see it as a betrayal among other nefarious adjectives.
Parliament law states that Australian Law requires that there be:
No contact between government representatives and unregistered lobbyists.
1) A government representative shall not knowingly and intentionally be a party to lobbying activities by: a lobbyist who is not on the Register of Lobbyists.
This contravenes the law on consorting outside parliament. Said Minister was apparently disciplined for this. This raises concerns about how effective induction training is. One cannot do their duty if they are unaware of parameters obligations and rights.
3 Indue Pty Ltd is owned by a billionaire and is a for-profit venture – the profits coming from the taxpayer. Another controversy in the media.
4 Indue Pty. Ltd. Is a donor to the LNP – an indication of the advantage gained by private business by lobbying and donating to a political party.
The Foundation Chairman of Indue Ltd was a former federal LNP Social Security Minister who lost his seat. Its major shareholder is Illangi Ltd, his Family Trust Company, and its registered office is John McEwen House, which is owned by the National Party. Its exorbitant cost , $12,000 to $13,000 per person for a card with no greater capabilities (It’s in fact less than a normal visa card as you will see in the Hansard Senate Enquiry findings quoted in another section) than ones banks issue for free. It is a blatant, unconscionable, corrupt racket to steal taxpayers' money. The Indue CDC program has been denounced by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and contravenes our international Human Rights obligations for being discriminatory and malevolent.
5 There is also the matter of a former federal minister of social services that has moved into directing Indue. The Public also see this as controversy as well.
Is there any record of individual LNP members owing direct shares in Indue LTD? NO.
Was the former sitting Nationals president a Director of Indue? YES.
Do the Anthony Family Trust linked company’s subcontract with Indue? YES.
Do Anthony Family Trust own one third of the SAS GROUP Lobbying firm? YES
7 http://lobbyists.pmc.gov.au/register/view agency.cfm?id=22
Does the former minister of social services currently sit as current director of Unidap Solutions Pty Ltd? YES.
Do Unidap Solutions provide IT and Smart phone App/Tech support for Indue ltd AND The Australian Government ? YES.
Does Illalangi Pty Ltd as trustee for the Anthony Family Trust subcontract to Indue LTD? YES.
Do SAS Group have Indue as a primary customer? YES.
Does this all mean the former minister social security minister have a fully invested financial stake in cashless card roll outs? YES
Is there any record of individual LNP members owing direct shares in Indue LTD? No.
Therefore it appears that Indue CDC has a conflict of interest.
This demonstrates that:
The Indue CDC program has had its integrity compromised. Public perception is that is a conflict of interest.
AND
The narrative that Centrelink recipients are addicts is untrue and the Indue CDC program premises are false. These policies have stigmatised two cohorts of people which contravenes human rights.
AND
This Indue CDC program continuation bill 2020 must not pass due to this legal technicality. I.e., breach of lobbying laws and unduly influence.
Facts of the matter
I submit to you Senators the following facts for consideration.
On 40 dollars a day no one on Centrelink can afford a hit of drugs, or alcohol or gambling products.
A cursory glance at the cost of said products at my local store:.
A bottle of wine can cost upwards of $30 - 120+
A slab of beer $50. Etc.
A tatts ticket costs anywhere from $18 for a 6 game Quickpick, to hundreds of dollars in a shared syndicate.
Media sources such as The Herald Sun quote $1K plus a day drug habits or more in stories published in recent years. Addicts who worked jobs whilst “high”. An addict can be anyone - professionals smoke and gamble and do drugs just as much as an unemployed person.
Addiction is not confined to income source or income level or postcode. Will it be that anyone regardless of employment status or income level or source be put on the Indue CDC program if
8 caught having drugs and alcohol or gambling products or pornography in their possession'? Why single out Centrelink recipients?
Are all people who are unemployed addicts or those who work all clean? Studies show these statistics.
23.6% unemployed people were found to have addiction issues vs 17.9% employed people who also had addiction issues*
The study did not specify whether those people were unemployed because of addiction to drugs or whether they became addicted to drugs because they were unemployed. If it is the former then it shows the Indue CDC program would make no difference.
The age group not specified. The difference between employed versus unemployed is only negligible. It also had not had equal numbers of people in each category to do an accurate comparison.
Link for your consideration.
https://ajp.com.au/news/fact-check-unemployed-aussies-use-illicit-drugs/
It is my understanding that the Government must not be seen to exclude intervention programs for those suffering addiction issues on the basis of employment or force third party income management on the basis of income or unemployment. To do so contravenes laws regarding discrimination.
CDC holders report stigma at shopping centres. Many report leaving groceries and items behind as the Indue card declines their purchases. Insults and jeers of ‘druggie card’, ‘bludger’ from retail staff members abound. Many people leave in tears. This isn’t the Australia of the fair go. How is this Indue CDC program helping them? It’s not. Stigma and discrimination and hate speech leads to anxiety and depression which in itself adds to the risk of addiction issues.
Link for your consideration
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/oct/15/australians-on-cashless-welfare-card- express-hopelessness-after-coalitions-plan-to-cement-scheme?fbclid=IwAR3NgXqqS- WMsp90JcCdFpnDIkT8scwPUfb2gQcSseuuSOv-d we0knh2WE
In addition.
It behoves the media journalists to be aware of facts and how the social security administration system operates and it behoves a sitting federal minister not espouse largely untrue stereotypes against the people one is serving in a portfolio capacity in the esteemed house of parliament.
The Indue CDC program is entrenching unfair and untrue stereotyping. It takes away all rights and any errors Indue make are listed against the recipient’s name who cannot access their money to manage it, thus besmirching their good name and character. That IS the very definition of defamation!
The great majority of Centrelink recipients spend their income support money on rent, bills, food and clothing like everyone else does. Being on Centrelink income support payments is not a crime. It is a human right.
9 Recent statistics from Anglicare show there is 1 job per 106 applicants. (October 14 2020) in Australia.
Centrelink recipients are paid an income that is below the poverty line.
Therefore the statement of recipients spending taxpayers dollars on drugs and alcohol is untrue.
Recommendations
I submit to you the following recommended course of action in helping reduce stigma against Centrelink recipients in the parliamentary and public arena and to better the lives of all Australians,. No matter what income source or level they are.
I respectfully submit my suggestion that amendments be made to parliamentary codes of conduct, if not done already, that to prevent repetition of these types of incidents occurring. Stigma coming from such a high office is not ethical and the statement made by the federal minister is untrue for the most part..
That any political party or member of parliament that engages in said casting aspersions, or making untrue statements and engaging in hate speech against one’s own portfolio or people because of their sources of income, put themselves and their party at risk of defamation of character lawsuits and as such should be facing the full force of the law. (This can be amended to include race and creed, gender identity sexuality and ability as well as income source or level) A penalty should include:
A sincere public apology and a probation period where one cannot vote for bills for a period of time.
If severe incitement has caused violence or personal distress - dismissal from their post effective immediately,
An elected minister demonstrating bigotry about their constituents must stand down for the good of the party and the Australian public and to be liable to incur penalties under civil law including up to and including issuing a public apology, to other penalties including fines and/or imprisonment for such breaches of human rights, and discrimination and hate speech.
A minister must not be unduly influenced by prevailing and outmoded and untrue attitudes of the day. Such actions may be construed as bias and unfairness. A minister must be as objective as possible when it comes to policy. Especially those policies that have the potential to affect millions of people..
An elected government minister must not be seen to be contravening laws that protect people from discrimination because of race income source or level or ability.
Ignorance on how the taxation system works at a federal level demonstrated by the media must be remedied also. It is the media’s duty to report facts as facts and opinions as opinions. Failure to do so constitutes the inability to do the job and therefore one who cannot discharge their duties should be dismissed.
Any media journalist who partakes in said misconduct including stating untrue and defamatory inflammatory speech against the people should also be facing legal repercussions. Hate Speech is not free speech. Free speech is not free of consequences if it’s untrue and hateful. Professional misconduct is not acceptable at any level, in any sphere of the workplace, or in society.
10 The Indue CDC program has also emboldened people to make disparaging and untrue comments in all arenas. Many people on income support do the right thing and want to better their lives. Most want to find a job or get better if they are sick. No one wants to be seen as lazy or a drug or alcohol addict or gambler, which is, unfortunately, the unwarranted presumption that users of the Indue card are subjected to.
It is unlawful and not the Australian way.
Points and questions for your considerations Senators.
As previously stated the Indue CDC program raises concerns on many different aspects of human rights and consumer protection laws and privacy laws that impact the everyday life of Australians. Often to the detriment of the people. Regardless of addiction status.
Herein are some questions that will be addressed. Any further correspondence is welcomed. I would be delighted to offer any further assistance in this case if needed.
Also supplied herewith is independent research findings and links for your consideration, and there will be additional commentary and facts and recommendations.
Question 1
If this is true that the CDC quote "it only stops the purchase of drugs, alcohol and gambling products",
then why are other businesses such as cafes, op shops, hotels, motels, farmers markets or FB groups for buying and selling among hundreds of other businesses such as book stores, art and craft supplies banned from the Indue CDC? This also includes medical specialists and medical supplies. Why does a recipient have to be pre- approved with their own money?
Senators. You are going to pass a bill so that this Indue CDC program only restricts the purchase of drugs, alcohol and gambling products and doesn't allow cash. This is done to prevent buying illegal drugs.
Yet on the Indue website it lists over 20 pages of banned businesses, Blocked Merchants. These banned businesses include Dick Smith, Betta Stores. The Deaf Society of Queensland, and buying money orders from Australia Post, hotels and motels and, caravan parks, among many others. People can't even buy a bus fare.
Why have they been banned when they have nothing to do with drugs and alcohol or gambling products?
Quite frankly this makes for some incredulous reading. Surely this had to be a mistake. Government bureaucracy gone mad and absolute overkill.
Alcohol and gaming products on most shop gift cards is excluded by default if you look at the very fine print. No need to decline Just Jeans over supplying drugs and alcohol or gambling products. One woman on the Indue CDC trial was denied a pair of jeans at Just Jeans. Another person was denied something in Bunnings. It was not for insufficient funds nor for banned products like alcohol or gaming products.
11 Retailers like Petrol Stations, Australia Post and Dick Smith are not allowed on Indue CDC. They do not sell alcohol or gaming products, as they are not licensed to do so. To do this would be in breach of their business licence.
Why are they excluded? They do not sell alcohol or gambling products...
These businesses among others are all unfairly targeted and excluded from accepting the Indue card. Businesses that have nothing to do with illegal drugs and or selling alcohol and gambling products.
This forces businesses both online and offline to discriminate against paying customers on the basis of income source. Which is discrimination and against business and consumer law and best business practice. This will have a devastating impact on the economy and therefore employment prospects.‐
The two things a government prides itself on is the economy and employment opportunities.
This CDC will undermine and devastate both fronts. Businesses applying for exemptions is not the solution, it costs time money and application fees. So again it’s costing money and customers.
Customers bring money, profit and demand generate jobs! Take one factor out and it all goes in common vernacular up the creek.
I personally use the self serve checkouts when l purchase certain toiletries. I could not imagine calling up the bank and then have to beg them to allow me to use my own money to buy a bra or knickers.
What an absolute disgraceful invasion of privacy. It’s also demeaning and humiliating.
Question 2
It is promised via this policy all Centrelink recipients will be on the card within the decade.
if 8 million people on the various income support are all restricted from buying at other businesses other than Coles and Woolworths and Aldi then how will this help the economy?
Coles and Woolworths and Aldi all sell alcohol. Yet Dick Smith and Betta stores which only sell white and electronic goods are BANNED. These businesses are on the blocked merchant list. Along with EBAY and PAYPAL! People have to pay for bills and online shopping via PAYPAL Otherwise it’s cash, the Indue CDC program doesn’t allow cash in some cases or 20% is allowed. People can’t pay their bills if the daily limit is $11 at its maximum.
People have shown on TV on A Current Affair that they have bought alcohol, cigarettes, gift cards, on the Indue Cashless Welfare Card!
Link to A Current Affair for your consideration.
https://youtu.be/mEg2PFxhZPM
Therefore it fails its purpose - in common vernacular *to do as it says on the tin*.
Why then are you supporting a failed product?
It’s easier to buy alcohol or gambling products on this card than it is to pay the rent and bills!
This bill must not be passed as the product fails its purpose. It is unfit for purpose!
12 Under consumer law the government is entitled to a refund. Indue Pty Ltd has failed to deliver the CDC as required by the government!
What’s that? Indue CDC program is exempt from all laws?
It doesn’t work and is a definition of being scammed! Well isn’t that reasonable cause to pursue Indue Pty Ltd for failing to provide services and breach of contract?!
There have been many reports of the Indue CDC failing and randomly declining. Errors in the system that should have been picked up in the Beta testing stage of implementing it! These errors are not acceptable especially when Indue is an established third party income management system company and has other successful database systems in place. Whoever programmed the App was not doing the job. Should l have implemented such an App at University they would have failed me. Even at TAFE level they would have failed me. Software Development teams are held to strict exacting standards.
These errors have become life threatening and job threatening, Indue CDC program has failed people by declining to pay the rent and bills on several occasions. An elderly disabled man, for instance, was left homeless by the Indue card failing to pay his rent- he has now died. He died in a mouldy tent after back surgery. He got an infection due to his atrocious living conditions. Another woman has had a stress induced heart attack.
When l saw this social media report on No Cashless Welfare Card Facebook page l was appalled and have never been so ASHAMED to belong to the human species. Especially to a country where a government allowed a third party income management program to ruin innocent peoples reputation and basically contribute to someone’s hardship and demise.
In another case a mother and 5 children including a baby were stranded miles from anywhere in deadly heat, when her car broke down. Indue Pty Ltd declined the $150 mechanic fee. This could have turned to an appalling tragedy. This is wholly unacceptable!
NO letter of comfort can undo these outcomes.
Another case was when a man could not access his car and tools to begin his job, further undermining government efforts to help people transition to employment.
Today (19/10/20) on Facebook a disability pensioner details his efforts to buy a load of firewood using the Indue card. It will take a minimum of 2 days to – hopefully – be granted permission, plus a huge amount of running around by the Indue user – to try to source a vendor that will accept the card and then to try to find out if the vendor is acceptable to Indue. If and when he manages to buy the firewood, it means, of course, that he will not have anything left over for useless extravagances like food, power and medicines.
What an absolute disgrace Senators. This is not what Australia is about. Australia is not about leaving old men to die in mouldy tents. Leaving a mother with a baby to be stranded in deadly heat.
Australia is not about compromising a man’s ability to go get his tools so he can begin work and provide for himself and his beloved family. Or one to buy a load of wood to keep them warm at night. The Indue CDC program has left people high and dry in many cases. It has the potential to leave hundreds of thousands homeless or dead, suicidal or self harming, or jobless and trapped.. It is a heartless callous policy and not in the spirit of the fair go. It is a slap in the face to those who fought for our freedoms.
13 Link for your consideration
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6605945/amp/Mother- stranded-37C-heat-cashless-welfare-card-crashes-leaving-thousands-without-cash.html
It is recommended Senators you find your humanity in this. Be better than this atrocious inhumane policy and vote it down. Do not let the Indue CDC program continuation bill 2020 pass. For this reason alone do not let this bill pass! It is a vile piece of legislation that has no place in a country whose values are mateship and the land of the fair go. To pass it contravenes all esteemed values Australians hold dear, and it’s betraying the ANZACS and Veterans who died for our freedoms!
Question 3
Why spend at a national minimum 51 billion dollars for this Indue CDC when the same result can be achieved without any further expenditure?
Coles and Woolworths and Aldi all have an option on their website to restrict a person's card on buying alcohol, one only has to fill in their bank card number on the secure webpage and set it to restrict to bring in the same effect without costing the government a cent!
Wouldn’t it be simpler to separate products? Reclassify alcohol and gaming products as adult and restricted products? Take out the bottle shops out of retail stores and gaming out of newsagents and make them their own business. Same online. Cigarettes as well. Problem solved.
The NT has a drinkers list were they won’t serve ALCOHOL to a customer. The same objective achieved for free, and of their own free violation. No rules broken. No controversy. No wasting time back and forth on bills. No monetary outlay or upkeep costs. Apply this nationwide if you must. The indue CDC is not needed!
There is also a gamblers list where people can register to not gamble. Upgrade and expand this, too, don’t reinvent the wheel.
Picture this. Old Age pensioners denied a drink on their birthday or special occasion
Not even provisions to buy alcohol for recipes where one can enjoy a beof burgonine, or crepes and white wine chicken. No more Christmas cake or mince pie making, vanilla essence or other essences or Japanese cooking. Trifle or Tiramisu anyone? Can’t have that. Denied are potatoes and grapes too. You may as well ban most fruits as well. They can be made into alcoholic beverages too.
People are denied hand sanitizer in the age of the coronavirus...
This is reminiscent of Sharia and Prohibition laws in other religio-fascist countries and states. People protested and went to war against these dogmas and regimes.
14 Question 4
Newsagents sell gambling products.
Will a person be denied to buy a newspaper or magazine from the newsagent because they sell tattslotto and scratchies?
Well going by the fact it sells gambling products the newspaper will be refused too...
This CDC policy is ridiculous and frivolous.
Senators please realize this Indue CDC program undermines people trying to live their lives. No one wants it and very few even need it. This Indue CDC program cannot be implemented on a large scale. At best it’s an option for certain limited circumstances. It’s scope is too limited for it to work on a large scale if it undermines freedom of movement and to manage one’s own finances. There are other private companies that do the same job for less and are less invasive of privacy.
Question 5
It is a fact that small businesses and medium businesses and other enterprises stimulate jobs growth and the spending economy does it not? Including the cash economy.
People want freedom of choice. A scroll on Facebook and other social media comments overwhelmingly want free choice in this matter. They want control of their money. Australia is not ready to become a cashless society. Very few countries are. If they are they haven’t stripped of peoples rights.
I submit to you Senators this Indue CDC program must not be expanded or implemented any further. It must be rolled back and cheaper more effective solutions found and implemented. Or leave things as they are.
Facts of the matter
You must be seen to be financially/fiscally responsible in this and not waste taxpayers MONEY on frivolity and circle jerking.
This Indue Cashless Welfare Card program is not cost effective.
It is not targeted at those who need assistance in aiding recovery from addiction.
It is a blanket approach and punitive.
It assumes guilt of substance abuse, fiscal delinquency and moral failing without any proof whatsoever. Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law! To do otherwise is tantamount to false accusations and defamation of character.
A good 98% of people on income support do NOT need this draconian intervention. It is patronising and superfluous.
It is too restrictive. The Australian Public Trustee laws state in the case of third party income management that the least restrictive options be used. Yet another law contravened in the use of the Indue CDC program.
15 Indue CDC program is rife with legal consequences. It’s too high risk on an economic scale and risks the health and safety of the Australian public.
The 2018 Hansard Senate Enquiry where the Central Land Council speaking in Senate hearings testified to the fact that:
The cost of compulsory income management over a billion dollars with no result but harm.
Communities TOLD not consulted, and were not part of decision making process.
Aboriginal/community solutions to problems ignored.
The Indue Cashless Card (CDC) is NOT “Just like any other debit visa card” as claimed.
Under oath the government itself was forced to admit the Indue Cashless Welfare Card was and is not the same as other debit cards in the Senate during 2018 debates.
There are many differences between the Indue Ltd cashless debit card vs other visa cards.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Can be used to purchase money orders, store vouchers, gift cards and digital currencies. The CDC cannot do this.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Are not driving their users to suicide or to prostitute themselves or another human being for access to cash. The CDC is subject to bypassing..
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Do not subject the card user to social stigma, demeaning or dehumanising abuse from store keepers or the general public. The CDC does.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Can be used to make purchase on eBay and PayPal. The CDC cannot.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Do not remove or impinge upon a card users Banking/Economic/Consumer Rights or impinge upon a user’s Human Rights, Contract, Privacy and Civil rights. The CDC does.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Have fraud, charge back and investigation/redress protections that apply to all card users equally. The CDC does not.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Do not require you to be subject to third party partitioning of your income, that restricts spending transfers and payments to nominated ‘categories’ you did not choose for yourself. The CDC does.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Cannot be forced onto you by coercion and duress. The CDC can and is.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Do not block your access to cash advances or freedom of bank transfers between accounts. The CDC does.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Do not undermine your life long credit rating, limit banking choices and housing opportunities. The CDC does.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Do not require card users to ask for permission from the State, to spend, transfer or redirect personal income. The CDC does.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Are not an instrument of ideology or government policy. The CDC is.
16 ◦ Normal visa debit cards: Do not remove a card user’s political agency in their community. The CDC does.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Do not morally judge or presume a card users fiscal, financial, physical, social or moral competency. The CDC does.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Do not impinge upon a person’s right to autonomy. The CDC does.
◦ Normal visa debit cards: Do not usurp legal ownership of your income. The CDC does.
Ongoing problems with Indue Ltd include
(a) The fact that Indue Ltd is not a bank, and as a shareholder based for-profit ADI, they are not able to provide the full range of banking protections or services to their clients. They are not held to the same standards as banks, nor regulated in the same manner as banks are.
(b) Indue Ltd is not a subscriber to the Centrelink Code of Operation.
(c) Indue Ltd is not a subscriber to any industry code of conduct, like the Code of Banking Practice or the Customer-owned Banking Code of Practice.
(d) Indue Ltd does not have any experience in retail banking.
(e) Indue Ltd does not have any experience in social welfare or working with people in poverty, vulnerable populations or people in crisis situations.
(f) Indue Ltd is an un-elected, non-representative body acting as a government agent, yet they remain unaccountable to our Senate.
(g) Indue Ltd has suffered several systems failures and has made significant errors with payment handling in the current zones that have created life threatening incidents for forced participants. As stated above.
Indue Ltd has not been held accountable for these or any other incident.
(h) The LNP’s intimate relationship with corporate entity Mindaroo actively promoting the government’s policy in Tennant Creek with a federal Minister.
(I) People exempted from the CDC Trials are being harassed by Indue Ltd staff demanding they reactivate their cards.
(j) Two independent reports of Indue staff asking people if they have posted against their company and CDCT policy in social media and if a participant says yes their requested cash transfers were declined.
A shortlist of complaints received by the SNS administration team via email and messenger, including those already reported to Hansard Senate inquiry on several previous occasions include:
◦ Increases in successful suicides, attempted suicide and self-injury that have not been investigated or openly addressed.
◦ No monitoring of ‘at risk’ participants and the lack of reporting processes in place to address critical and cumulative mental health issues concerns of compulsory CDCT participants.
17 ◦ Families reporting a lack of food/going hungry due to random card declines and an increased need to access food banks and charities.
◦ Indue Ltd is not consistently meeting Rental, Direct Debit and BPay payments on time.
◦ Families of trial participants reporting they are ‘covering’ expenses and providing needed cash for necessities to make up shortfalls.
◦ Indue Ltd not making loan, credit card and child care payments on time (multiple reports)
◦ Indue systems failures leaving people homeless, or physically stranded on the side of the road, in shopping centres and schools.
◦ Loss of income by way of increased bank fees and $10 “inbound fees” that are being applied to some participant cash and emergency transfers. Including Visa’s transaction fees, and in store visa use fees.
◦ Legitimate Banks are not recognising more than the 20% component as lawful recipient income.
◦ Inability of domestic violence victims to flee family violence.
◦ Inability to engage in every day cultural and social practices.
◦ Minimum spends at local shops impacting cash portion and quarantined portions of income. Split incomes are too unwieldy to manage.
◦ Indue LTD has not been investigating lost payments or late payments.
This is in no way democratic. In fact this system smacks of feudalism and slavery. A two tier system is asking for class warfare. We know from history that feudalism leads to rebellions and insurgencies and militia.
Centrelink recipients are suffering under this oppressive policies.
Including:
◦ People are unable to pay council rates, school fees, child care costs’, bus fares, special medical supplies, loans.
◦ Hunger strikes.
◦ Miscarriage and low birth weight.
◦Marriage and kinship group breakdown.
◦ Homelessness, evictions due to landlord’s unwillingness to access Centrepay.
◦ Inability to access basic shopping services such as Woolworth and Coles online, eBay, PayPal, Pay Wave and Australia Post.
◦ The refusal of many people to activate cashless debit cards leaving the most vulnerable in extreme and abject poverty, and off grid entirely.
◦ Ongoing stigma and harassment online, in media, in parliament, and socially.
◦ The ongoing issue of lack of consultation with participants, and entire communities in Ceduna and Goldfields that were not consulted at all (example: Kambalda WA)
18 ◦ Increased social and financial predatory behaviour inflicted upon those on CDCT by other community members and visiting criminals including: rape, assault, bullying, fiscal manipulation, card on selling, physical abuse, elder abuse, racism, theft and grafting by store owners.
◦ Increases in participant and targeted community mental health distress across the board.
◦ Increases in youth crime and disaffection.
◦ Increases in anger, frustration, desperation.
◦ The impact of daily media poverty shaming.
◦ Increased depression, social dislocation and despair.
◦ Impacts of aggressive policing, move on orders that are leading to the isolation of many communities and many individuals within communities.
◦ The bullying, stalking, doxing and active ‘trolling’ of anti-card dissenters by minsters, paid political activists and a specific group of LNP allied members of the general public one of whom has been reported to the police for offline and online stalking of a No Card Hinkler group member.
◦ Reports from participants of increasing inability to emotionally and physically cope with every day budget management given the complexity of split incomes.
◦ NIDS: People are reporting difficulties with being on Indue Cards and negotiating with NIDS service providers for travel expenses.
◦ Indue Ltd transfer restrictions and the reality of no joint access on couples who must ‘financially divorce’ to continue to receive payments and pay bills, along with a plethora of other stress inducing issues being reported widely in media and in community forums by CDC Trials participants themselves.
◦ Experiences of the bullying and ‘strong arming’ of local shop owners, service groups and businesses by the Department in trial regions and targeted regions.
◦ Inconstancy: Indue LTD staff at shop fronts in trial locations saying one thing to CDCT participants and the Department saying another.
◦ Increases in Domestic Violence.
◦ Increased racism and racial attacks.
◦ Increases in crime and alternative drug use.
◦ Loss of dignity and equality.
◦ Inability to purchase lifesaving medical equipment.
◦ Frequent failure of Indue card technology.
◦ Landlords not signing up to Centrepay for rental accommodation /ongoing cash and third party renter issues.
◦ Direct debit and BPay Payments not being met on time, honoured or missing and money missing from private accounts without notice.
19 ◦ Ongoing impacts of economic segregation/ongoing social exclusion from every day cash only family outings.
◦ Complaints Job Search Australia and Parents Next staff members were using the existence of the cashless debit card as threat and tool for compliance and bullying.
◦ Reports of increased schoolyard ‘poverty’ bullying incidents from parents.
The governments continuing media sound bite is "It's just like any other visa debit card" - when clearly, it is no such thing. If everyone's visa debit cards had this many flaws impacts and abuses, no one would have them.
Source. SNS Resources
Social security payments once it is put in a recipients bank account is their own money.
The prime minister on the public record stated “we don’t tell people how to spend their own money”.
It’s recommended that you Senators be seen to hold the Prime Minister to his word...
Recommendations for consideration
Option 1
Upgrade and expand Centrepay. It has numerous advantages over Indue CDC program.
Centrepay works. It’s pre existing and proves that it works. Centrepay is free for recipients and is a lower expenditure than the CDC is.
It costs $1 for a business to use it per account. It is free to all Centrelink recipients.
No start-up costs on the Federal level.
It has no documented history of being hacked, or breaching privacy or security laws.
Whereas the Indue CDC has breached recipient’s privacy and is prone to hacking and identity theft and money going missing. It has been bypassed as well. It is new and Centrelink recipients find it unwieldy. Costs in training staff cost time and money. Declines for approved items and not one decline was over buying a prohibited item. The start up and maintenance costs of this Indue CDC program is anywhere between 8 to 12 per person is exorbitant and an irresponsible waste of money. Even 1K is too expensive when other pre existing and working systems are in place.
Centrepay complies with existing human and consumer rights, as it’s voluntary, and can be exited if wanted to, which the Indue CDC does not do. The exit process for Indue is onerous, long and frustrating.
Option 2
Coles and Woolworths and Aldi all have a page where one can nominate to restrict or exclude alcohol on their ordinary bank card linked to their account. This is free and takes a minute online to do.
20 Or as stated above to separate products. Reclassify alcohol and gaming? Take the bottle shops out of retail stores and gaming out of newsagents and make them their own business. Same online. Cigarettes as well.
If you're serious about helping curb what you perceive as “people wasting their income support money on alcohol and gaming etc.” then I submit to you that if you don’t want to use Centrepay then there is another option within the framework. Again for less expenditure.
Centrelink recipients as part of their mutual obligations must, by law, restrict their own bank card on all retail webpages to exclude alcohol or gambling products, and to list their names on pre existing no drink and no gaming registers, a police check on application of benefits, then once a year, checking for drug use and criminal conduct. This must be witnessed by a Centrelink staff member that can verify it's done. This costs the government nothing. As it operates within the existing system and framework. It will boost jobs in this sector.
This is the least restrictive option and by law the government and Public Trustee must comply with this.
The CDC has been projected on a national level to cost anywhere between 51 billion to a trillion dollars. It has already cost 1.9 billion for 30 K people.
Option 1 and Option 2 are virtually free.
Senators, l submit these alternative options as more cost effective and targeted and a more humane option than the Indue CDC. Which studies and lived experience of the Indue CDC in trial and program areas demonstrate how it is rife with issues as stated above and below this section.
Social media reports can be found on the link below for your consideration https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story fbid=2696955253875698&id=1668608406710393
Facts of the matter
Not many people on income support can afford to shop at, or have access to a Coles and Woolworths and Aldi. No one can afford to drink or smoke or gamble on Centrelink payments by the way. Even if they could, buying a beer or a tatts ticket they are legal products and by purchasing these items break no laws unless prohibition laws under the alcohol and gaming laws are retroactive.
Why does it matter to the government or to anyone else if they do buy a drink or a tatts ticket? Or they have issues when you don’t care to prevent or allow access to help proven by the fact this government has been cutting government funding to social and mental health issues?
Where are the promised wrap around drug and alcohol addiction services and public housing gone? Say for example Hinkler region among others. So far nothing had been said or proposed on any government level.
The Government collects taxes and excises from alcohol and gambling products. The government risks losing money in this arena as well as sinking billions into a never ending black hole to prevent what they’ve essentially banned.
21 Harm reduction programs need to be expanded such as responsible use of alcohol and gaming products. Education and traditional culture counselling. But putting people on these programs who do not engage in social harm behaviour is not the way to solve the issue, the Indue CDC program will not solve it, in fact studies show its not working, this is a punitive system helps no one in the long run. The solution must be targeted to those who need it. To do otherwise is creating a paradox.
Link for your consideration
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.acoss.org.au%2Fwp- content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F10%2FCashless-debit-cards- 1.pdf&h=AT3l4n7lz60bMx2IgGmXzzkyKG-M- hwzu RN39PaNBVjc5UX1fhWp8pPW2TkovnhyZKQroVCqolALNX7- yNIq2RmMfkwbHENbdvOwYWN PDz0gY52AUZEcPTyocn4mrSU Y&s=1
Just because some people cannot prioritize their money or spend an excessive amount of money on alcohol or gambling products or even illegal drugs doesn’t give any one company or government the right to control every one else's money to try and cure a problem that is far more complex than quarantining money.
There are financial literacy courses one can take at TAFE level and High Schools could in fact implement such a course nationally for a lot less money and together with awareness of drugs and alcohol or gambling products dangers. Addiction is a medical issue and as such students need to know the symptoms of it. Addiction is a form of OCD. This solution would reduce stigma and shame and encourage one to get help. The aforementioned drug and alcohol addiction services should be widely available and as common as a chemist shop.
Overseas countries who have tried drug testing of welfare recipients found only a small percentage in that population was doing the wrong thing. The US scrapped it as it was unjustified.
Prohibition in the past has been ineffective and makes criminals out of people who have mental health issues with addiction. We don’t sneer at and belittle diabetics who need insulin and ban needles because other people need them for different reasons. We wouldn’t treat sick patients like dirt and addicts have mental health issues. They need and deserve support to recover from their trauma and addiction.
No-one likes the criminal and bad behaviour aspect of addiction and in no way is any criminal behaviour being condoned or justified here in this context. If you want to weed out a problem then you must address the root of the problem! The Indue CDC program does not address the underlying issues. Such as poverty, trauma depression and anxiety, etc. It’s a Band-Aid solution to a wound that needs stitches.
Single parent families are especially vulnerable to the damaging effects this Indue CDC will bring. Homelessness has increased within this cohort in trial and program areas, along with women turning to prostitution and risking children as well. Domestic violence is also an issue. Victims have no way of getting out.
Divorce and or losing one’s partner is not a crime. Single parent families have it hard enough as it is.
Remote and farming communities are also left high and dry over this. Their cash base has shrunk in already hard times due to the COVID19 pandemic.. The Indue CDC will compound this. It has already in trial and program areas. Unemployment remains high and Socially harmful behaviour has not decreased in any appreciable amount.
22 Why should anyone be labelled guilty as an addict by virtue of receiving income support?
The way you treat your constituents will tell at the ballot box. 1/3 of the population of Australia is a very large voting bloc. The Indue CDC program has received public backlash. Mostly negatively.
Question 5
The state of the Northern Territory has also implemented Dry Towns.
If it’s a DRY state - meaning no alcohol can be purchased because of it being unavailable - then why are they continuing with or implementing the CDC? Why is it even needed? Why this double up?
If you have met your aims of the NT being a dry state, then why double up over it, costing the economy billions of dollars in the process?
Issuing the Indue CDC to the NT is a frank admission that this venture to curb alcohol addiction has failed.
The Indue CDC unfairly targets Aboriginal people. Almost 90% of people on the card are from this cohort. This is racist and it’s discrimination. It's against Australian law and also against human rights. Alcohol and gambling and drug addiction crosses all national, gender, and income boundaries. Targeting the Aboriginal people for this is racist and outright discrimination.
The CDC seem be part of or an adjunct to the NT intervention.
The NT intervention is assuming that Aboriginal people can't look after their children or themselves. Another stolen generation Mk2 in the making. It’s assuming that they are all no-hopers, that is discriminatory and is legally defamation of character and overt and covert and subliminal racism.
Racism is against the law in this country and is also a personal and moral failing. Enabling a private company to break the laws is also complicity.
https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2020/10/09/new-intervention-indigenous-groups-slam-plans- expand-cashless-debit-card-scheme
Question 6
Why are you privatizing social security?
SOCIAL SECURITY IS NOT FOR PROFIT. By either the government or a third party. The only reason for this appears to be to provide profits to Indue Pty. Ltd. Why? Is it because they contributed to the NLP?
The Government of the Commonwealth of Australia is a signatory to the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and must uphold these laws. That is the duty of government.
Your loyalty or affection must not lie with non-elected lobbyists or donors to your party.
23 Facts of the matter
No nation on earth has solved addiction and social issues, because none address the real issue, instead they blame the victims. These issues are a symptom, not the cause, of social harm behaviour.
Instead of having justice served to the perpetrators of crimes, including issuing life sentences to murderers, assaulters, sex abusers and paedophiles, DVA, drug cartels and gambling cartels, that enable or gaslight people into addiction issues, they fail at funding social services like mental health prevention issues. There is little to no counselling for victims.
Links for your consideration.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/cashless-welfare-card-trial-not-working-drug-and-alcohol- centre-says-20190910-p52pv5.html
https://www.4bu.com.au/news/local-news/131969-drink-driving-spikes-in-bundaberg
Question 7
Why should perfectly healthy capable people be subject to treatments and programs they don’t need?
Addiction is classed as a mental illness. ICD 11 and DSM 5. This means it's caused by bad brain wiring or brain injury through abuse and trauma. Trauma can include rape, incest, physical violence, attack, robbery, attempted murder, war, abduction, slavery, Domestic violence, child abuse, and psychological abuse, poverty. Also human and sex trafficking. Pimps and Dons forcibly inject their victims with drugs to keep them addicted, dependant and compliant and turning to crime and prostitution to feed their addiction therefore keeping them under their thumb.
Social harm issues such as addiction and domestic violence exist in all cultures and nationalities.
Addicts will kill, lie, and steal and beg to get money from other sources if money is not available by other means. Addicts will prostitute and do crime to feed their habit regardless of the CDC or not.
Points for consideration
There is the issue of human rights.
What laws has Indue CDC program violated?
Centrelink is a human right. Absolutely inalienable. Criminals in prison have more rights than Indue CDC program forced participants.
Indue CDC contravenes many rights including but not limited to:
It contravenes section 117 of the constitution
117 Rights of residents in States.
A subject of the Queen, resident in any State, shall not be subject in any other State to any disability or discrimination which would not be equally applicable to him if he were a subject of the Queen resident in such other State.
24 And the SS (admin) Act clearly states
60 Protection of social security payment.
(1) A social security payment is absolutely inalienable, whether by way of, or in consequence of, sale, assignment, charge, execution, bankruptcy or otherwise.
But the government saw fit to override that INALIENABLE right.
This card discriminates against those on social security as well as breaching their dignity as it’s embarrassing to be forced to use this card to buy needed items. and is actually in breach of the Australian Bill of Rights Bill 2017.
Users of the Indue CDC report discrimination against them at the shops by staff themselves. Recipients have been called druggies and driven out of shopping centres in tears. According to the SNS resources page. The indue CDC has declined well over 400K x in the trial period. For a trial size of 13 K persons that is an appalling statistic. No bank would survive such technical failures and whoever coded and implemented it must fix it.
The Indue CDC breaches the privacy act as it discloses someone’s financial reliance on welfare every time they use the card. Calling the Indue CDC program bank to beg for purchases is another breach and in any other context it’s financial abuse.
The CDC is a travesty of justice and freedom.
The CDC breaches several human rights and constitutional laws, social security laws, privacy policy laws and assumes without reasonable cause a whole income cohort are criminals and incompetent.
This card is Australia’s Star of David. Look where the Nazis took that idea. Segregation of any kind contravenes international human rights laws.
The Government must not be seen to allow these abuses and laws to be broken or contravened.
Question 8
Innocent until proven guilty. That is the law of the land, is it not?
This program assumes a Centrelink recipient’s guilt without preamble i.e. reasonable cause or legal process, credit check I.e. defaulting, bankruptcy, or testing drug and alcohol or other addiction, or by a psychiatric evaluation to determine if people are competent.
Centrelink recipients on the Indue CDC are not free to make purchases as they see fit.
Facts of the matter
If the Indue CDC program violates laws it also violates freedoms.
Will you dishonour the ANZACS by allowing these violations to occur?
The diggers who fought for our freedoms died for us all regardless of financial status.
To implement this Indue CDC program desecrates the sacrifices and desecrates the graves of the ANZACs and other veterans who fought for our rights and freedoms.
25 They fought for our all our freedoms, including the right to spend income regardless of source as one sees fit. They never put the clause to exclude those with addiction issues... So why is it that you The Government see FIT to treat any one this way? Addiction is a medical issue and no one would DARE treat any other people with any other illnesses this way.
By passing this legalisation you are desecrating the graves of the ANZACS and Veterans.
If you pass this Indue CDC continuation bill 2020 then they all died in vain.
The Indue CDC program have made a mockery of their sacrifices.
You must presume innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.
If you do not one has not upheld the principles of justice and due process. Therefore it is a failure to discharge ones duties. As stated elsewhere this Indue CDC program defames those innocent people that do not engage in social harm behaviour..
You must govern for all and discharge your duties in a fair, equitable, unbiased, non racist, non classist, non ableist way for all residents of this country. Uphold your sworn oath. Do not pass this Indue CDC.
There are too many breaches and contraventions of constitutional law and human rights and consumer protection laws and privacy laws.
Alternatives to the Indue CDC program exist. For less cost and controversy.
Do not pass this Indue CDC program continuation bill 2020.
Facts of the matter
The ANZACS and Veterans died for us. As patriots it is our solemn duty to honour the ANZACS and thank them all for their sacrifices and lives by speaking up against this travesty of justice and freedom and equality. They fought, believing what they were doing was for the greater good and to defeat bad governance. This Indue CDC is bad policy and it’s bad and unjust governance.
Refuse to pass the indue CDC bill and honour your word and action your patriotism.
Take the opportunity to also thank the Aboriginal people of all the nation's in this great wide land for allowing us to stay on their sacred lands for free and without limitation or statutes. Thank them by giving them their freedom. Stop asking on forms if they are aboriginal. They are human beings and as such have RIGHTS! Pay them their Centrelink monies and help them as you would anyone else! They have suffered the most under cruel racist policies in the past! White Australia Policy. The Stolen Generation. Now this. Then the destruction of the sacred sites because of mining recently.
How DARE any government or company treat these people so poorly. Hiding behind “helping" them when there is no infrastructure in place to help, out in the middle of the sticks on the road to nowhere. No roads, proper hospitals, food out of reach costing 3 x as much as in other capital cities. A leg of lamb cost $63 dollars for example. The same leg of lamb that cost $34 in my capital city. There is no pools skate parks or general suburban amenities. Conditions resemble a third world country. No jobs either except mining. Not everyone is cut out for mining.
This Indue CDC program is a slap in the face to the Aboriginal people. These people are the original custodians of this land – a land that we have appropriated. You know there is a word for people who move onto someone’s land and they don’t pay rent or some form of restitution. Squatters!
26 I reside on the lands of the Kulin Nation. I personally am sorry that the colonists were harsh and meted out inhumane treatment and I am appalled by the attempted genocide and the suffering of the Aboriginal people in the past and for Indue CDC program in the present.
Senators, it is up to you to ensure that atrocities and abuses against the Aboriginal people do not have the opportunity to repeat itself. Be on the right side of history. You did it with GLBT equality so you can do this! They are Australian and they are our EQUALS!
The CDC violates human rights. It will enable bigotry and atrocity! The CDC targets, for now at least, the Aboriginal people.
Honour the Aboriginal people as equals of this country. Saying sorry is one thing. Actioning it is another. The CDC strips all of autonomy and rights. Aboriginal or not. Closing the Gap programs are also at risk as the CDC undermines efforts to help the Aboriginal people break the poverty cycle.
If l stand here before you Senators this is what l would stand up and say.
To the Aboriginal people of this land and of all the nation’s of this land.
I acknowledge you all past present and emerging. I promise l will do my best to look after and respect this land.
I recognize your autonomy and I regard you as my equal as a human being, I recognize your hopes and dreams for a united future. It is my hope it will be a future of promise and equal opportunity for you. You have looked after this land for more than 60K years, far better than the Europeans that took this land, that was in fact never ceded.
We the people of Australia must not ever tolerate hate speech, or crimes against any one else. Regardless of background or income level or support. This kind of bigotry against a racial and income cohort must never be tolerated from the playground to parliament.
To do so diminishes us all. We must be better than this. This Indue CDC is not who we are as a people and as a nation, the ANZACS and Veterans didn’t die for this., It’s not something we should aspire to be either, bigotry and stigma are not values we should be proud of. Controlling some one’s finances is not the Australian way. Addict or not!
The Governments must also respect the will of the people, to be the best we can be and to do right by all. No matter where they come from.
I was prepared to join the military in some capacity. I tried for the RAAF, the RAN and Army. My brothers and father ALL did National Services. My nephew did a tour of duty in Afghanistan. If it were not for my numerous physical health issues l would have willingly served and died for my country.
I look in dismay at what we may become if this card passes. A hard hearted, cruel, racist, punitive and very ugly headed country that l cannot in all good conscience be proud of, because of the Indue CDC policies and what it stands for. The Indue CDC program stands for a punitive system that resembles fascism and not democracy. It stands for oppression of a whole race and an income class.
This is not the country l grew up in. My country was once the country of the fair go.
The country of freedom. The country where we were the ENVY of the world!
The country were people dreamed of making a happier life.
27 The country that valued intelligence, science the arts, compassion, mercy, kindness. Support.
The country that was diverse and tolerant of ideas.
The country that gave you a hand up if you was were down.
The country where you could spend money as you see fit.
The indue CDC destroys lives and breaks the spirit of those who lived and died for us all.
Question 9
Senators you have the power to implement a fair, just, kind and compassionate country. A country you can be proud to fight for and to serve!
Why would you risk all this for a card that goes against all we value, such as freedom and a fair go? Innocent until proved guilty with due legal process?
Why throw away what we have fought for?
Why belittle and patronize the Aboriginal people? Centrelink recipients?
Why besmirch the memory of our fallen ANZACS and Veterans?
This card is a slap in the face, nae a coward’s punch in the head, of all those who laid down their lives for us and for our freedoms.
It’s a slap in the face for human rights and autonomy, for it’s against democracy and free will.
It’s a slap in the face for those women and children who lost partners and their fathers. For those widows so heartbroken at the loss of their beloved that they never found happiness again.
It is a slap in the face for those Centrelink recipients who have done no crime, nor taken any drugs or drunk any alcohol, for those who have never gambled or were fiscally irresponsible. Just because they lost their job or got sick or old, had an accident or other trauma or lived through a disaster.
This card will devastate this country on so many negative levels. For all. Aboriginal or not. Businesses that have nothing to do with drugs and alcohol or gambling products will also perish. The CDC will cost billions and finish the job COVID19 did.
You must not pass this cashless welfare card bill if you value your life of freedom and the lives sacrificed to keep us free.
Question 10
The burden of proof.
The Indue CDC program has not met the burden of proof. Doesn’t this make them liable for defamation of character?
The Government cannot prove ALL Centrelink recipients are drug and alcohol or gambling addicts in a court of law. Until such time that they can prove this discriminatory ableist assertion beyond a reasonable doubt this CDC is superfluous.
28 The Indue CDC program is taking the job of the public trustee.
The Public Trustee does the money managing in the case of financial incompetence, so not only have the government stepped outside it's boundaries, it will potentially interfere in processes that are outside it’s realm and scope, I.e overreach. The government is reinventing the wheel on this issue costing the economy a lot of money to implement a program that for most isn’t needed, a program and a policy that is unjust and punitive. It is trying to fill a hole that's already been filled.
By implying that all Centrelink recipients are incompetent or addicts, it is defamation of both a cohort and personal character, seeing as it targets for now the Aboriginal people. It is also racist and its ableist in assuming all Centrelink recipients are incompetent a priori.
This could procure future class action lawsuit costing billions in restitution and settlements, risks any sensible, reasonable, competent, fair government would be at pains to avoid.
Recommendations for consideration
Scrap the CDC in its ENTIRETY!
To proceed would incur a high risk of, to actual class action lawsuit or defamatory class action.
It is a thinly disguised racism and ableist policies.
It contravenes anti discriminatory and race laws. Why risk it? No amount of profit is worth it.
Fully implement and upgrade the pre existing free/low cost Centrepay instead.
This must also have the clause Centrepay is an accepted method in paying rent and Estate Agents and Landlords must not discriminate against Centrepay or its recipients in finding suitable rental properties.
A proposed solution
Option A. Centrelink payments in a recipients bank account as is free to self- manage - on the proviso they do not meet the other criteria set out below.
Option B. A Centrelink recipient can volunteer.
Include
Section A volunteer OPTION. This can be exited at anytime.
Section B Centrepay made compulsory for 12 to 24 months for those who are having issues with budgeting issues such as that outlined in section C and can be extended for an indefinite time if the criteria outlined in clause 2D is met.
Or Section B in conjunction with a court of law order. Or self-reported addiction issues.
Centrepay can be made compulsory on.
PROOF of excessive purchasing of alcohol gaming products as supplied with
29 1a proof of purchase of excessive* amount of alcohol and gambling products from bank account statements. This order must be made from a court of law to subpoena bank records. This can be done to audit or satisfy enquiries from a Law enforcement officer or Centrelink staff member who holds the appropriate qualifications, from both a legal standpoint or for taxation purposes.
"Excessive" meaning the person spends more than 5% of income on a regular basis for a period of 6 months or more. AND with Section C clause 1b
OR - Law enforcement having reasonable cause to suspect illicit drug and alcohol abuse.
Documented illicit drug use. See clause 1F and exemption.
OR putting oneself or family members at risk. I.e. pending or actual police record of DUI. DV. D&D. SA. DO
1b Conviction of drug offences in a court of law/or pending charges. (DO)
1c Conviction of/pending charges of being Drunk and disorderly. (D&D)
1d Convictions/pending charges of DV or assault. Including GBH & SA.
1e Convictions/pending charges of Licence suspension due to being 0.05 or over. (DUI)
1f A positive blood test result AND a positive preliminary screen test (breath and saliva) for illegal drugs and alcohol. (Exemptions apply on medicinal cannabis with a medical prescription issued by the recipients treating medical professional. Same for patients with ADHD and taking Ritalin. midodrine for those who suffer POTS and those on government approved methadone programs)
Section C
Financial Incompetence can be assumed legally by:
1 a bankruptcy more than once in a decade. Exemptions of no fault such as being a fraud victim.
1 b Defaulting more than 3 x on a loan or rent: within the previous 12 months
Unless (exemptions) it was a documented banking or IT error or a failure of the bank such as database failure, or failure of estate agent to notify recipient of new fees, charges, rent rises, or account charges.
2 c mental incapacity as evidenced by a court of law order and a psychiatric evaluation.
On an individual basis.
2 d Permanent and profoundly Intellectually disabled persons (IQ 85>) must be assigned a power of attorney or carer that is deemed to be competent.
2 e In the case of permanent physical incapacity including Traumatic brain injury, and terminal illness the recipient must be assigned a power of attorney or carer that is deemed to be competent.
2 f Mental health crisis. Such as psychotic disorders and *breaks* such deeming on incompetence must only last 6 to 12 months. Renew or discharge as deemed fit by psychiatric evaluation to determine recovery and court order being satisfied the recipient can manage their own financial affairs, whichever is sooner.
30 Important considerations
Drug testing of welfare recipients was voted down in parliament because of breaching human rights. If that cannot pass muster then neither should the Indue CDC continuation bill 2020.
Without this COMPULSORY drugs and alcohol testing to uphold lawful permanent changes to the social security administration this CDC bill should not pass.
Question 11
Indue must be held liable and comply with the consumer and privacy laws. Its not.
Why not? Why has this company been given a free pass to basically ruin peoples lives and credit ratings?
This indue card is rife with issues. Why would anyone support it?
Security issues are not satisfactorily resolved.
Complaints on social media abound. Hacking and losing funds. Identity theft.
The indue App is buggy. App is often down, some are unable to log in. It’s down for days at a time.
Poor internet connection may preclude some from using it. If the power goes out there is no access and in disasters people cannot access any form of income to buy food and pay rent and bills. The fires last January saw people steal and loot shops because of no EFTPOS and cash being available to them. The Indue CDC program would be in the same situation if no power was available.
Whoever programmed it needs to debug it properly.
From a software engineer developer point of view the coding needs re-evaluating.
The UI or user interface must be more intuitive and accessible for those with disabilities. It must also in other languages or easy picture forms.
Instantiate more conditions in the program and clean up the coding across platforms. Including provisions for Apple, Android and Linux. Use a more stable underpinning platform like PHP or JAVA.
Several amendments must be in place.
Such solutions cost money-money that can be better spent elsewhere.
Recommendations for consideration
Should the Indue CDC program pass it must be heavily amended from a technical standpoint. My experience in software development comes to bear here.
Such fixes and amendments include:
It must get rid of the 28 day cycle. This cycle is why rents are failing to be paid.
Get rid of the zero limit. Limit >0.
Get rid of the categories as well. A transfer option and push icon is easier.
E.g. sample below. Structured English for coding.
31 Transfer / house/ rent $500 include an editable amount. Choose 7 days 14 days 28 days 30 days Select date.
Utilities
Transfer / bill / phone $100 include an editable amount. Per month.
Transfer / bill / Gas $ 90 per 2 months /set dates per month. Or if on a payment plan as above.
Transfer / bill / electricity $130 per quarter set date.
Transfer/ insurance/ health/ $20
Let the customer at least to be able to enter an amount for bills. A PIN number to verify transfer of funds different to the access PIN.
Current issues with the Indue CDC program app.
It’s unwieldy to use and difficult for those with dyslexia and dyscalculia (inability to add or subtract), splitting income is too hard to manage. Some people cannot cope with convoluted math. A split income is convoluted and not easy to keep track of.
Cycles should be optimally set on a 7 or 14 or 30 day cycle in line with the set payday the client wishes to set, and also with rental and or loan repayments. Bills should be paid on time when a recipient submits them before or on the due date. Regular bills should be paid on a set monthly date.
People on the Indue CDC program report difficulties in paying rent and bills as it’s delayed or not paid at all. This is not an acceptable performance.
If other banking apps can do this without failing then the Indue App must be bought to the same high standards. If it cannot then it fails to perform its duties as tendered to the government and therefore must be abandoned.
People in remote areas with poor to non-existent internet connection needs to have better internet infrastructure in place, not all have phones or a computer. 4G network. Again lack of infrastructure and facilities are going to cost more money.
NOR some have adequate literacy or language skills.
Education and especially technology literacy among the Aged disabled and Aboriginal people is poor.
Also those who speak another language other than English must also be accommodated.
No provision for these scenarios or even a user- friendly interface exist.
No provisions for large icons to help those with sight issues.
This must be addressed.
The Indue App therefore is in breach of accessibility law.
It does not provide large icons or voice options for sight impaired people.
Consumer law demands both parties understand and consent to the contract. If consent is not reached by way of fair use or understanding in simple language in the recipient’s language of choice that consent is invalid.
32 Privacy breaches. Each time it's used shop owners know the person is a Centrelink recipient.
Theft of funds.
Internet access in remote areas that are poor to non-existent must be addressed.
Online Privacy policies must be upgraded to accepted international standard.
Security issues must be fixed to accepted international security standard. Reports of hacking and identity theft and money going missing are prevalent. Monies to this day have not been returned.
Aldi’s own system with Indue has crashed in Bundaberg and it was such an issue the supermarket put a sign on the door telling Indue card holders not to use the card there. According to the SNS social media page.
Fraudulent transactions must be remedied by returning stolen funds to the rightful recipient. A woman reported to the Say No to Cashless Welfare Card administration team she had lost over $940. A thief hacked her account and took all her money and tried to access her superannuation.
This will cost millions to billions of dollars to fix on top of all the other costs.
Australia cannot afford this card. Not in the post COVID19 economy.
It's a projected yearly 51 billion to 1T dollar black hole. It's money wasted when that money could be spent doing good. Like medical research and redevelopment.
Centrepay is the better and more cost effective and targeted option. It is more streamlined and efficient. It works and can be expanded.
Question 13
This CDC has religious elements. The elected government of today have many sitting parliamentarians that hold Evangelical and patriarchal beliefs. Why are ministers pandering to the religious sentiments?
Alcohol and gambling products and tobacco products are legal products to any one over the age of 18 years. By prohibiting these by restricting access, it is a form of prohibition by stealth.
Fundamentalist religions often have the dogma of abstaining from gaming and alcohol and all drugs, imposing beliefs upon the public or a group under any pretext including restricting and or withholding said legal products is a breach of constitutional laws separating church and state, government’s must not favour one religion or fund or espouse in any form whatsoever any dogma.
This government claims to be Christian and follow Jesus Christ in actions. The Indue CDC program is not what Jesus did. Jesus gave the people bread and fish to feed them no matter where they were at. Rich poor etc. He did not demand tests or ask if they were on drugs or gamblers etc. He did not tell them where they could eat or if they could eat or who they give their share to if they want to.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is on the public record has stated "we don't tell people how to spend their own money"
The Indue CDC does exactly this. It tells people where and if they can spend money. Hold him to his word please Senators, otherwise if you pass this bill you are not only accusing him of lying , but also
33 of supporting that lying, and basically by passing the CDC it's tantamount to undermining and a no confidence motion. Voters don't like leadership changes and backstabbing.
The CDC violates Free will.
Christian tenets include the notion that God gave all people free will. Are you trying to be greater than God and take that free will away?
Satan was prideful and tried to do that. Look where he ended up according to your own book. Do any of you who believe this doctrine wish to imperil your own soul over this issue? If that's indeed what you truly believe in.
Free will includes body and financial autonomy. If your God can't take away free will what makes you think you mere mortal humans think you can?
Australia doesn’t favour one religion over another and the government must not be engaging in proselyting or setting up programs using them as a back door to espouse religious rhetoric and dogma.
Business will not stand for being undercut or outcompeted by government policies on trying prop up businesses at the expense of smaller companies. to monopolize. The backlash at the ballot box will see to that.
Why should people vote for you if you support this ineffective and inefficient policy that does not reflect values of a fair and inclusive community? Or espoused Christian values? That is punitive and patronizing to people that through no fault of their own found themselves in hard times.
There are not enough jobs. People get sick, have accidents, have traumatic experiences and people grow old. Why should they be treated like criminals or children over something over which they have no control?.
Recommendations for consideration
As outlined, this Indue CDC program is Prohibition by stealth for a certain section of our community. Outright ban alcohol and gambling, which would be cheaper, but of course the revenue gathered by the government that such things engender. Moreover, you know by banning a drink or a flutter across the board you will lose at the ballot box. Its wowserism at its worst excesses.
OR
All people must register their nominated bank card to restrict or LIMIT alcohol and gaming product spending on their own bank issued card. No matter what your income level or source is. Fair is fair.
Coles and other retailers could issue a separate alcohol gift card and can only be limited to $50 to $100 per month for example. Other gift cards cannot buy alcohol or gambling products. In conjunction with a person’s own bank card being restricted or limited it would ensure it couldn’t be bypassed.
OR
Scrap this Indue CDC program card. It's more trouble than it's worth. It’s not worth the plastic.
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Conclusions for consideration.
I submit to you the following recommendations and conclusions.
Obviously the Indue CDC has been shown to have many issues from a cost and ethical point of view as well as technical difficulties. It appears to be too hard or too complex or too expensive for the Indue company and the government to remedy these issues even if tendered out, so it should all be scrapped.
Remedy costs threaten to blow out, costing billions more on an already multi billion to 1 T costs in administrations costs alone. 8 K minimum established fee vs a $50 bank establishment fee.
Expand the pre existing Centrepay with addendums as outlined previously.
This Indue CDC fails on many levels. As outlined here in this submission.
This Indue Cashless Welfare Card (CDC) bill should be scrapped and deemed both unlawful and unconstitutional, it is immoral, it is racist, it is classist, it is defamatory, it is ableist, it is a breach of human rights, it is breach of security, it is a breach of privacy, it’s prone to hacking, and bypassing, there have been cases of identity theft, and funds going missing, according to the Say No Seven page there were over 400k declines in the 5 year trial period alone. It failed to pay the rent and bills on several occasions, leaving many vulnerable people homeless and with ruined credit, whereas prior to the use of the card these were not issues.
This Indue CDC risks the health and safety of Australians. It risks vulnerable sick people. It has rendered hundreds homeless and caused suicides and at least 1 death. A suicide or 1 death is too high a price to pay, all life has value so your pro life stance leads the public to believe. People matter, not companies that have numerous iterations of the same thing, without people society and an economy won’t exist.
Homelessness is a big issue and in of itself can cause drug and alcohol addiction. The Indue CDC program will compound homelessness and therefore increase risk of addiction and the attendant crime rate goes up with it. It’s a trap in which people have no hope of breaking the cycle.
Splitting society is a sign of a failed state and the result of dangerous divisive policies that induce class warfare, and the cause of rebellion as history as taught us. Australia is a peaceful country and l for one would like to see that continue and to see Australians of all strata’s not have people being treated like animals because life was not kind to them for whatever reason.
This CDC risks the personal and financial reputation of honest people who have found themselves on Centrelink for a myriad of justified reasons.
35 The trial sites now have the highest rate of homelessness and suicide in the country. One region has also recorded alcohol abuse the highest it's been for 20 year's. Clearly failing the people it's meant to help.
If this case does not shock or outrage you parliamentarians then nothing will.
One very simple question you need to ask yourselves.
Would you want to be on it?
Do you want to see your loved ones on it? To be belittled and defamed?
Should anything happen to any of you senators and you had to have the CDC program would YOU want to be assumed to be a drinker? a druggie? A gambler? when that was untrue. Because fortune was not kind to you?
Life has a way of turning fortunes around. Floods, fire, earthquakes, pandemics, crime, divorce, trauma, accidents, illness, job loss, mental illness, happens.
As a voting taxpayer l expect and demand the very best of you. Regardless of your policies or political beliefs.
The Australian public expect the government, regardless of political party lines, to govern in a fair, equitable, unbiased, non-racist, non-ableist, non discriminatory way and on its merits, policies and practices to be passed using ethical and lawful standards and uphold both commonwealth and international law including human rights to be observed at all times.
The CDC is abuse of consumer rights and does not meet the criteria of best business practice,
Therefore the CDC program continuation bill 2020 should cease immediately! It must not pass. It must be voted down.
Recommendations
Implement and expand Centrepay and impose restrictions in the case of proven criminal or financial incompetence. Others who don’t have issues should be allowed to be as they are.
Do not try and change existing working laws within peoples existing human and consumer protection laws. It wastes time and money and doubles up. Australia is not a feudal system.
I hereby submit my recommendation from the research into law, and talking to people currently on and going onto the Indue CDC and recommend that it be scrapped in its ENTIRETY and that the existing Centrepay be expanded and upgraded and offered as an OPTION to all, without compulsion or penalties forthwith, and only imposed upon a Centrelink recipient that has been proven guilty in a court of law of drug and alcohol offences, or has been deemed to be incompetent by at least 2 registered Psychiatrists. In such case the income support will be managed by the Centrepay system for an initial period of 12 to 24 months, or extended indefinitely in the case of a mentally disabled person with an IQ of less than 85, in conjunction with the power of attorney or approved carer.
People have died because of this indue welfare card. Some are ill because of it, one woman had a stress induced heart attack., Suicide and self- harming rates in the trial/program areas are among the highest in the country.
36 Why are you risking a robodebt mk2 again, costing you both money and your reputation?
This Indue CDC is causing unnecessary grief and anxiety and fear among the aged and disabled and vulnerable.
This Indue CDC is unfair and not in the interests of the majority.
Final Thoughts
In your hands you hold the lives of 8 million people.
People that are old, sick and vulnerable. Men, women and children.
Indeed it is a grave and heavy responsibly.
But with great power comes great responsibility.
Use that power to be great and to protect and serve and uphold everyone's rights and dignity. Uphold your oath to govern for all Australian and discharge your duties in a fair equitable unbiased non racist, non ableist, manner for everyone.
I hope you find it in your hearts and minds to serve this country with honour, integrity and dignity in letting people keep their dignity and rights too. Let’s honour the ANZACS sacrifices for our freedoms.
Regards.
Stella Bell
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Information on Author
Stella Bell
Qualifications & Experience
Diploma in Business Studies. Victoria University
Diploma in IT & Software Development. Victoria University
Diploma in Graphic Design Victoria University
I have experienced the Centrelink system.
I have volunteered in social services and health charities.
Headspace
Hearts4Hearts
The Shed Magazine
Information on Co contributor
Dr. Gloria Lappin,
Qualifications
PhD Law and literature La Trobe University.
Social Justice Australia.
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