Submission: The cashless debit card is a discriminatory and coercive policy
The cashless debit card is a discriminatory and coercive policy that threatens to trap people in poverty. It’s a policy reminiscent of the days of rations and missions. A good government would support self-determination, rather than denying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people the freedom to control their own lives. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and Human Rights Law Centre have opposed the expansion of the cashless debit card, noting that:
it discriminates against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
it unjustifiably limit rights to social security, private and family life, equality and non-discrimination; and
there is a lack of evidence to support the interference with human rights and the expenditure of large sums to administer the CDC.