There's a rumour doing the rounds that the Rudd Government intends to make income management compulsory for Centrelink and Vet Affairs income recipients.
Income management for all is expected to;
tie up a good percentage of any pension, unemployment benefit, family tax benefit, austudy, carer allowance, other allowance or payment - possibly 50% or even higher;
link this amount to a Basic Card which can only be used at approved stores for government approved purchases - merchants of course having a right to reject the card simply because they can't be bothered or refuse to sell certain goods if a card is presented;
have a daily limit on the amount which can be spent;
and then probably (as soon as technology is ready) allow the card to be tracked so that bureaucratic sticky beaks can see just how money is spent.
And all this expected to happen sooner rather than later, with no respect for a person's dignity or standing.
Here are some of the things which can't be done with the Basic Card now.
You cannot use your Basic Card:
* at an ATM;
* for "cash out" transactions;
* to purchase gift or store cards, or vouchers;
* to repay debts or credit;
* at merchants that are not Approved Merchants;
* for internet, mail order or telephone-based purchases;
* for direct debit transactions;
* for BPAY transactions;
* for transferring any funds;
* to purchase alcohol, cigarettes or other tobacco products;
* to purchase a lottery ticket, Lotto entry etc;
* for instalment payments on goods and services, such as a "lay-by" payment scheme;
* to purchase goods or services from a petrol station (other than petroleum, other fuel products and automotive goods and services); or
* to purchase goods and services from an Approved Merchant utilising a paper based or manual transaction procedure.
* at an ATM;
* for "cash out" transactions;
* to purchase gift or store cards, or vouchers;
* to repay debts or credit;
* at merchants that are not Approved Merchants;
* for internet, mail order or telephone-based purchases;
* for direct debit transactions;
* for BPAY transactions;
* for transferring any funds;
* to purchase alcohol, cigarettes or other tobacco products;
* to purchase a lottery ticket, Lotto entry etc;
* for instalment payments on goods and services, such as a "lay-by" payment scheme;
* to purchase goods or services from a petrol station (other than petroleum, other fuel products and automotive goods and services); or
* to purchase goods and services from an Approved Merchant utilising a paper based or manual transaction procedure.
According to the National Wefare Rights Network, one of the things you're apparently allowed do with a Basic Card is pay for a funeral - not that you'd have enough money on the card to do so.
Boy, Kev - you really know how to create the mother of all vote losers for Janelle Saffin (Labor MP for Page) and Justine Elliot (Labor MP for Richmond) both of whom have large blocs of voters receiving pensions, family allowance etc. in their NSW North Coast electorates. The things is, mate - you'll deserve every vote loss if this rumour is indeed true and a stake through the heart for being such a callous bloodsucker.
7 comments:
Surely if such a rumour exists you have an obligation to tell us where you heard it? Methinks you are the one trying to start this alleged 'rumour'.
Your post is irresponsible scaremongering of the worst possible kind, presumably done at the behest of the Liberal Party who have always been happy to terrify the elderly into voting for them.
Well, Ken L.
For starters there's yesterday's Crikey lead story via its daily email, "Income management to go Australia wide".
Then there's Granny Herald's
"Government considers tracing welfare money" article from 10 October and The Government Monitor article of 5 October 2009 which talks of the WA trials expanding income management.
None of this is exactly new and has never been denied outright by the relevant ministers or goverment departments.
As for the Libs - don't know 'em, don't want to know 'em.
Coping with Kev's enough for me at the moment.
And the fact that fellow Australians have been living under this law for almost three years means what? What's good for the goose etc.
Oh please, they haven't denied it so there must be something to it? You don't provide any links so I have no idea what the 'rumours' actually consist of but the whole notion is risible. Like I said, typical 'scare the credulous into voting Liberal' stuff on a par with Tuckey's rubbish about the refugee boats being full of terrorists.
One of the less attractive features of blogs is the ease with which people can simply invent the most moronic stories and persuade a few simple people they are true. Expect the local Liberal candidates to be spruiking "We promise not to touch your pension" nonsense next year and a few old souls will nod wisely and think yes we read about Rudd doing that in that nice blog with pictures of the Clarence River.
Now Ken_L. (who I think is probably an experienced blogger and comment maker of many years standing) objects to a lack of links here.
Apparently Google has fallen off the radar for Ken and he can't get his keyboard to do the walking. Although I have to admit that the Crikey article is behind a paywall and therefore not readily accessible.
The other articles will all come up using the search term "income management". So go for it, Ken!
As for my mention of the lack of denial that he finds so amusing - well I've gone to the trouble of speaking with various ministerial offices over the last couple of years concerning this matter and the language used by staffers has always been very careful not to close the door on a universal Basic Card.
And as Ken should know - it was the Howard Government which first floated the idea of quarantining part of every pension etc.
So a Lib candidate wouldn't have a leg to stand on if they tried to get people to believe that they would reverse any Basic Card policy which might've been introduced by Rudd.
So once and for all, Ken_L. I didn't invent this rumour. It grew legs and began to move about years ago and keeps resurfacing whenever the Federal Government is considering its position on cash transfers as it is now.
Ken also appears to think that some blog readers might be "simple people". A characterisation which is condescending to say the least.
As for Anonymous' "what's good for the goose" - locking up part of every fortnight's welfare payment is not good for goose or gander as far as I'm concerned.
Yeah I am an experienced blogger and I would never dream of writing a post like yours without providing links to my sources. If you can't be bothered doing it and you expect readers to go and do their own research to try to find out WTF you are writing about you shouldn't waste time blogging at all.
I don't suggest you invented this ridiculous story. I do suggest you are giving it credibility by promulgating it as if it is serious.
"Methinks you are the one trying to start this alleged 'rumour'." {Ken_L 12.26pm 22nd October 2009}
"I don't suggest you invented this ridiculous story."
{Ken_L 8.46am 23nd October 2009}
Ah, what a difference a day makes!
Lol, rofl........
Grow up, Ken_L.
Feel free to keep chattering away, but I've scheduled the next few posts and am outta here for a long weekend fishing.
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