Media Statement: Labor must end its campaign of lies targeting Age Pensioners

Labor are running a shameful scare campaign aimed at age pensioners based on blatant lies.

Let me make it crystal clear - the Morrison Government will not force age pensioners onto the Cashless Debit Card. We were never going to, and never will. 

This Government understands pensioners have worked hard to help build the Australia we live in today. That’s why I, as the Social Services Minister, want to personally reassure all age pensioners of this.

In fact, the Government voted with the crossbench last year to support an amendment to legislation which explicitly ruled out ever forcing age pensioners on to the Cashless Debit Card. But Labor opposed the amendment. Therefore, the Bill the Opposition has introduced today is simply an attempt at rewriting history.

But Labor’s Bill goes further and introduces a reckless plan to end a program that is helping unemployed Australians of working age stabilise their lives and their communities.

Bizarrely, this plan was not put forward by Labor’s social services spokesperson Linda Burney who understands the complex challenges facing the communities where the program operates.

It was put forward by backbenchers from Melbourne and Byron Bay who have not bothered to consult with the communities it will affect.

Labor has clearly demonstrated they don’t care about supporting communities. They just care about playing politics, so much so they’ll simply lie to people and scare them into voting for them.