Thread by @Julieoz836

Dear Senators
Jacqui Lambie
Senator Rex Patrick,
I am writing to ask that you both vote against the legislation to extend the Indue card trials to any further sites and to end those currently on foot.I outline my reasons in the body of my letter and ask that you give my words

2. your serious consideration.
The Liberal and National parties have an ideological obsession with paternalistically controlling the lives of our First nations peoples and the unemployed. Demonizing both groups by constantly referring to their alcohol and drug abuse

3., gambling addiction and supposed high incidence of domestic/family violence. Other vulnerable groups have already been added to this list, those in receipt of a disability support pension (DSP) and students on Youth Allowance who also apparently need to have their income

4. controlled by Indue.
Without having any conclusive evidence that quarantining 80% of an individual’s social welfare payment to the Indue debit card prevents the purchase of alcohol or participation in gambling the Morrison government wants to continue the so called

5. "Indue card trials" and extend them to other sites experiencing social disadvantage.
More troublingly they also wish to extend the use of the Indue card to other social security recipients such as Aged Pensioners. There are only two groups who will benefit from

6. the rollout of the Indue card to more sites and to more Australians in receipt of welfare payments from Centrelink.
Obviously its’ the Indue company itself that charges a $10,000 admin fee per client to set up an account & an ongoing fee to manage each account.

7. The large participating retailers like Wesfarmers, Coles, Aldi, K-Mart, IGA etc who will accept the Indue card at their registers.
Of course, there will be smaller retailers and others who cannot (because they do not have the technology) or do not wish to participate

8. in accepting the card in payment for goods or services. This card will create a social apartheid as those forced onto the card will have no choice as to where they can shop. They will be corralled to shop at certain major retailers, retailers not of their choosing,

9. and often not necessarily the cheapest option for food or clothing. If the individual on their card wishes to make an online purchase they will have to phone and get prior permission from a clerk at Indue co. Indue arbitrarily controls the spending of their welfare benefit

10. and infantilizes adults. It is an "we know what is best for you" attitude that is the overriding philosophy.
If the internet goes down due to power failures, as happened during last summer's bushfires, those on the Indue card were unable to make essential purchases

11. such as food, drink, and petrol. This situation also arose on remote Elcho island and Nhulunbuy settlement NT when a cyclone knocked out their Wi-Fi and the sole store could not process payments.
Lastly people living in a "test site" are compulsorily put on the Indue card.

12. Applying to be removed from the program is made both difficult and time consuming by Centrelink and the Indue company. The Liberal party preaches freedom of choice and individual liberties. Apparently, these liberties only apply to the wealthy and our politicians.

13. Anyone in receipt of a social security benefit is made to feel like a second-class citizen by such an impost on their lives as the Indue card. @MichaelWestBiz @MichaelPascoe01 @lenoretaylor @BernardKeane @PasForg