Vladimir Poutine posted:

During the Hawke years they were 17%, which prompted a recession and 1 million+ people becoming unemployed.

quote:

An app that alerts parents when their children aren’t at school, as proposed by the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, could help reduce truancy rates in Indigenous communities.

Anidav posted:

For starters, wouldn't the communities need 4G for that sort of consistent GPS tracking and toast notifications?

Is Malcolm indirectly promising 4G for remote indigenous communities?

Anidav posted:

Lol the app will be rushed and barely work and keep saying little Billy isn't at school when he is.

ewe2 posted:

The centrelink app indeed keeps thinking one hasn't reported for days. But it's more interesting that our glorious PM has such faith in the mobile network that an app of this nature will be of such great use in a remote community.

Les Affaires posted:

Maybe you'll have to invest that money into productive enterprises instead. Have you considered venture capital?

quote:

The Senate has cleared the way for the Turnbull government to proceed with the trial of its cashless welfare card designed to restrict access to alcohol and gambling.

The bill passed the upper house without amendments on Wednesday evening, prompting the government to hail the “watershed moment in how we deliver welfare”.

The final vote – 37 in favour to 10 against – reflected the Labor opposition’s decision to support the legislation after it said it had gained assurances about the details. The government also persuaded most crossbenchers to back the plan, despite some of them expressing reservations about the adequacy of community consultation.

The legislation will allow the government to trial the card in three sites, including Ceduna in South Australia from early next year.

Welfare recipients will have access to only 20% of their funds through their normal bank account, including cash withdrawals.

The remaining 80% of payments will be available only via the special Visa Debit card. People will be unable to spend the restricted portions of their payments on alcohol products or gambling services or withdraw those amounts as cash.

Alan Tudge, the assistant minister to the prime minister, praised the Senate for passing the legislation.

Tudge said the trials aimed to “reduce the welfare-fuelled alcohol, drug and gambling abuse that unfortunately occurs in some of our communities”.

All working-age income support recipients within a trial site would be part of the trial and receive the card, he said. Aged pensioners and workers were not required to participate, but could volunteer to opt in.

“A local authority will be established in a trial region which will have the power, on application, to adjust the amount that is placed onto an individual’s debit card,” Tudge said.

“The individual would need to satisfy the authority that basic obligations are being met, such as regularly sending children to school.

“The trial will be accompanied by additional investments in drug and alcohol and financial management support in each location, to assist people reduce or eliminate their dependence on alcohol, drugs or problem gambling.”

Labor, which had raised concerns about “the lack of detail” about the trial, supported the legislation but vowed to hold the government to account.

Labor’s payments spokeswoman, Jenny Macklin, and its Indigenous affairs spokesman, Shayne Neumann, said the opposition had gained assurances “that there will be a robust evaluation framework agreed, made public and in place ahead of the trial commencing”.

But the Greens senator Rachel Siewert said welfare management did not work, and there should be a greater focus on support services.

“The legislation is an evidence free zone; we have no evidence that this top-down measure will reduce disadvantage in the trial zones,” Siewert said.

“There is a huge loss of dignity with this measure, and people having control of their own lives. We know finding employment and overcoming the causes of disadvantage is aided by people having control over their lives.”

The card was first proposed by the mining magnate Andrew Forrest in a report on Indigenous employment.

Pickled Tink posted:

Senate votes in favour of cashless welfare card trials with Labor backing
I am so glad all that change from within happened to meaningfully distinguish the ALP from the LNP.

Lid posted:

Have we tried kill all the poor?

Pickled Tink posted:

Senate votes in favour of cashless welfare card trials with Labor backing
I am so glad all that change from within happened to meaningfully distinguish the ALP from the LNP.

Cleretic posted:

So what do people expect to happen with this? I mean, I know Ceduna will hurt from this, this is blatantly only going to cause harm, but I'm wondering what will actually happen. Country towns aren't exactly Melbourne, I can't imagine they've got the same sorts of people out of work or the same sorts of services, both essential and non. Is this going to look enough like a victory for them to take it as evidence? Or is it even going to crumple and fail there, like literally every economic model says it would fail in places with big unemployed populations?

EDIT: Is there a way I can find out who voted for this on an individual basis? My area's both Labor and has a huge unemployment population, if he voted for this I'd love to rip him a new one somehow.

Cleretic posted:

EDIT: Is there a way I can find out who voted for this on an individual basis? My area's both Labor and has a huge unemployment population, if he voted for this I'd love to rip him a new one somehow.

Urcher posted:

It's on the last page of this PDF: http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo...plication%2Fpdf

The noes were:

Hanson

Jumpingmanjim posted:

Pickled Tink posted:

Senate votes in favour of cashless welfare card trials with Labor backing
I am so glad all that change from within happened to meaningfully distinguish the ALP from the LNP.

Also, a secret conspiracy meeting by Les Affaires' most hated creature:



Those monsters!

Mithranderp posted:

Uhhh

how will people pay their rent under this system? even if the local real estate agent has an eftpos facility, it'd require physically going in and paying your rent at the office. What if you don't have access to reliable transport? Unless your rent is <20% of your payment, in which case, the entire system is still needlessly invasive and punitive.

Tokamak posted:

"minor implementation challenges"

Mithranderp posted:

Uhhh

how will people pay their rent under this system? even if the local real estate agent has an eftpos facility, it'd require physically going in and paying your rent at the office. What if you don't have access to reliable transport? Unless your rent is <20% of your payment, in which case, the entire system is still needlessly invasive and punitive.

Solemn Sloth posted:

nanny state - restricting the importation of rapid fire shotguns
not nanny state - quarantined income

david lionhat

Mithranderp posted:

Uhhh

how will people pay their rent under this system? even if the local real estate agent has an eftpos facility, it'd require physically going in and paying your rent at the office. What if you don't have access to reliable transport? Unless your rent is <20% of your payment, in which case, the entire system is still needlessly invasive and punitive.

Beetphyxious posted:

Centrepay deduction.

It costs $.99 a transaction.