Last night, the Morrison Government did a deal with Centre Alliance to pass its #CashlessDebitCard legislation through the Senate with the support of One Nation. This Bill extends the Govt's ability to forcibly control the money of predominately First Nations people. 1/n

"Cashless Debit Card" is such a misleading name. It sounds like the cards we all have in our wallets. It's not. It's a card that has been forced on mostly First Nations people in 'trial sites' around Australia. It allows the Govt to control up to 80% of a person's #Centrelink 2/

Centrelink is already diabolically low. People already struggle to pay rent and put food on the table with the Govt's pathetic $40 p/day #jobseeker payment (which we're due to return to). Imagine not even being afforded the dignity to control THAT pathetic amount of income.

The Govt says it's doing this, to predominately First Nations ppl, not because of racism but to address health and social problems in communities.

This has been demonstrated to be untrue.

The #CashlessDebitCard has made poverty worse & increased financial hardship

There have been spikes of family violence in some trial sites, there has been no discernible downward trend in crime, and participants have reported that life is HARDER with the card, not easier. The shame and humiliation this card causes devastates lives.

Compulsory income management is recognised internationally as a) ineffective and b) a breach of human rights. Make no mistake, the Cashless Debit Card is another paternalistic, cruel, racist and anti-poor policy of a government that has already made its mark with #RoboDebt

Last night the Senate could've ended the travesty of the government forcibly controlling money that belongs to members of our community - taking away their right to dignity and choice. It chose not to. Shame. /end