Scott Morrison has sensationally shut down speculation a controversial cashless debit card scheme could soon be expanded to include pensioners.
Multiple Labor politicians have claimed the Morrison government would expand the scheme to aged pensioners if re-elected.
But speaking on Tasmanian radio on Thursday, the Prime Minister said it was all “smoke and mirrors” to distract from Labor’s lack of economic plan.
“xjmtzywThey've been doing this all around the country, trying to frighten pensions,” Mr Morrison said.
“That's just an out and out lie and it’s been pushed around on social media and I have no doubt they’re calling pensioners homes and telling them this and trying to frighten them.”
The government’s cashless debit card program quarantines up to 80 per cent of welfare payments into a restricted bank account. It is designed to prevent cash withdrawals or spending on certain items such as alcohol and gambling.
It is being trialled for welfare recipients in six areas – including Cape York and the Northern Territory.
The trial was extended until December 2022 after the government was unable to win support to make the program permanent.
Despite ruling out extending the cashless debit card to aged pensioners on several occasions, Social Services Minister Anne Ruston has been plagued by a comment she made in March 2020.
Addressing a parliamentary inquiry, Senator Ruston said she was “open to a conversation with the nation about further use of the cashless debit card as a welfare measure”.
Under existing legislation, aged pensioners can go onto the card is either voluntarily or under state and territory vulnerability provisions. An expansion of the card would require a vote on the floor of parliament.
But it has not stopped Labor from seizing on the comments, who have claimed Scott Morrison not only wanted to make the card permanent, but expand it to pensioners.
Mr Morrison claimed it the claims was another example of Labor trying to scare the electorate, as it did with it’s successful Medi-scare campaign at the 2016 election.
“These disgraceful and deceitful lies trying to scare pensioners, is exactly what we saw Bill Shorten tried to do back in 2016,” Mr Morrison said.
“And because he doesn't have an economic plan, and today is working away in the darkness, trying to frighten pensioners at night about the cashless debit card in the same way they did on Medicare.”
Labor has vowed to remove the cashless debit card if it is elected.
