The Australian Greens have welcomed the dismissal of the Northern Territory's Corrections Minister and the decision to establish a Royal Commission in response to the Four Corners report into abuse in youth detention facilities.

"This Royal Commission needs wide terms of reference to determine the full extent of abuse both in the Northern Territory and elsewhere," said Greens Leader Senator Richard Di Natale.

“It is unsurprising that the person who helped advise the Government on the unfair cashless welfare card would try and promote it in their capacity as liberal candidate for Burt”, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

The Greens say today will be a tough day for income support recipients in Kununurra and Wyndham, with the cashless welfare card trial beginning today despite community opposition.

“Today throughout Kununurra and Wyndham income support recipients will start receiving the cashless welfare card. There may be recipients who still don’t know that the card is coming.

“The card is going to make life harder for working age income support recipients, including those on the Disability Support Pension and Carers Payment.

The Coalition and Labor party have knocked back a Greens motion calling on the Government to ditch paternalistic income management that doesn’t work.

“The Government is rolling out cashless welfare card trials in Ceduna and the East Kimberley, despite evidence a top-down approach to alcohol and drug abuse, gambling doesn’t work. This is what prompted the motion today.

“We have already trialled income management. It’s called the Basics Card and has been going for early nine years in the Northern Territory. Evidence shows it has not delivered on its objectives.

The Australian Greens support rallies in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane as part of a national weekend of action against the Cashless Welfare Card.

“This weekend communities in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are rallying against the cashless welfare card - which is effectively income management on steroids.

Estimates has revealed the cashless welfare card trial set for South Australia and the East Kimberley still has logistical issues and loopholes that need to be addressed, Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

“This card is going to make life even more difficult for those on income support and is likely to entrench poverty.

“The trials were set up to test whether the cashless card will reduce gambling and drug and alcohol abuse. As part of the trial process $1 million is also being injected into the community for wrap around support services.

With the Government’s clear ideological intention to expand the cashless welfare card trials throughout regional Australia, Senator Rachel Siewert has announced plans to move to disallow the Ceduna trial when Parliament resumes next week.    

“There were many concerned that the three trial sites supported by both the Government and Labor would see the rollout of this so called trial across Australia. Unfortunately it looks like those concerns were well founded”, said Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert.

“It is outrageous and offensive that Minister Terry Redman has told both media and the Shire of Halls Creek that refusal to take part in cashless welfare card trials will result in a loss of future funding”, said Australian Greens spokesperson on community services, Senator Rachel Siewert.

“Halls Creek should be allowed to oppose opt-in trials without sacrificing access to good services that are essential to overcoming disadvantage. Communities are crying out for services and here the Government inappropriately pressuring them in order to get access to better services.