The Australian Greens said today that plans for a cashless welfare card are essentially a pumped up BasicsCard, continuing and expanding income management.

"Income management is a punitive, discriminatory measure that does not work, and the introduction of a welfare card will have adverse impacts on the people affected," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on family and community services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues said today.

The Australian Greens will move to facilitate a separate vote on each schedule of the wide-ranging Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2013 when it comes on for debate in the Senate today.

This will allow an individual vote on each of the measures contained in the omnibus legislation.

"It is a bad sign that in the lead up to Christmas, the Government has tried to rush this complex patchwork of legislation through the Parliament without proper scrutiny," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on families and community services said today.

The Australian Greens have today ensured that the measures contained in the wide-ranging omnibus Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2013 will be scrutinised by the Senate.

"The Government wanted to push these significant changes through the Senate without any scrutiny. This Bill contains a range of measures on income support, income management, gambling, student loans, and the child care rebate that need to be carefully reviewed," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on families and community services said today.

Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert says a study released today by the Salvation Army emphasises the need for a review of our social security system.
 
The Salvation Army’s study, ‘Economic and social impact of cost of living pressures on people accessing emergency relief’ shows the significant and far-reaching impacts of financial hardship.
 
“A very high percentage of people needing emergency relief are doing without the essentials,” Senator Siewert said today.
 

Community Affairs - 1/6/2011
Senator SIEWERT:  Can we deal with income management here?

Senator SIEWERT (2.22 pm)—My question is to Senator Evans, the Minister representing the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous