Michael Sukkar MP

CHILDREN MISS OUT ON FOOD AND CLOTHING DUE TO LABOR’S DECISION TO AXE CASHLESS DEBIT CARD

THE HON MICHAEL SUKKAR MP
Shadow Minister for Social Services
Shadow Minister for NDIS
Shadow Minister for Housing
Shadow Minister for Homelessness

MEDIA RELEASE

7 July 2024

CHILDREN MISS OUT ON FOOD AND CLOTHING DUE TO LABOR’S DECISION TO AXE CASHLESS DEBIT CARD

A federal government report has exposed the sad truth that Labor’s ideological decision to abolish the Cashless Debit Card is having devastating consequences on some of our most vulnerable communities – just as the Coalition warned it would.

Not only has violence, public drinking, intoxication and gambling increased as predicted, but we are also seeing children not being fed or clothed property, failing to attend school and roaming the streets unsupervised at night.

The tragedy here is not only for the communities experiencing a spike in alcohol-fuelled violence, but for the children that are being neglected and put in harm’s way as a result.

This report is a reminder of the need to address the real causes of harm and disadvantage in Indigenous communities, and it also highlights that the majority of stakeholders were disappointed with the cessation of the CDC and the insufficient support services to assist people transitioning off income management.

Despite this, Labor deceivingly attempted to keep these findings out of the media, having released the report late at night after a fortnight of parliamentary sitting weeks.

Labor repeatedly ignored the Coalition’s warnings that abolishing the CDC would give the green light to drug and alcohol-fuelled violence in the vulnerable communities that once had it, and now we are seeing the aftermath of this Government’s neglect.

No children should go without food, clothing and basic necessities, and if the Government truly cared, it would have done everything in its power to address these societal issues after more than two years of political games.

For the sake of children’s safety and the prevention of abuse, the Minister for Social Services needs to let go of her ideological opposition to the CDC and reinstate it immediately – as every day of inaction just means more children will suffer abuse and neglect as a result.

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