Joint Media Release Fletcher and Sukkar - LABOR CAN’T GET THE BASICS RIGHT ON INCOME MANAGEMENT 

The Albanese Labor Government’s plan to radically change income management is in chaos, with media reports suggesting that the Government’s own timeline to move participants from the BasicsCard to the so-called SmartCard will not be met, Shadow Minister for Social Services Michael Sukkar and Shadow Minister for Government Services Paul Fletcher said today.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Services Australia, the agency in charge of administering the new SmartCard, has advised the Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth about concerns it will be unable to meet the government’s self-imposed July 2023 deadline due to IT issues.

Does Minister Rishworth stand by her own Regulation Impact Statement which stated, “Current IM participants will continue to use the BasicsCard, and move to a new card with enhanced functionality from 1 July 2023”?

The Government’s decision to axe over 1000 ICT jobs at Services Australia and the recent revelations that up to January this year, more than 2.1 million Australians chose to terminate their call with the Agency rather than wait, does not inspire confidence in the capacity of the Agency to support vulnerable Australians managing the transition. 

Axing the BasicsCard flies in the face of compelling evidence that Labor’s earlier move to abolish the Cashless Debit Card has been a disaster. 

Laverton in Western Australia has been devastated by drug and alcohol-fueled violence since the Cashless Debit Card was abolished yet the Prime Minister hasn’t even bothered to visit the regional town. 

The Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten needs to urgently explain what advice his Agency has provided to Minister Rishworth about the problems associated with the transition over to the SmartCard and whether he supports the 1 July 2023 deadline.

Australians are suffering because of Labor’s managerial incompetence. 

ENDS