‘They think they will lose their pension’: Shocking campaign tactic rocks key seat

A shocking campaign tactic reminiscent of the “Mediscare” scandal is scaring pensioners into thinking they will lose control of their spending, with a key seat in determining who will win the election the latest battleground.

Labor is falsely telling pensioners in target seats the government will put them on a cashless debit card that will control their spending, in a move reminiscent of the controversial “Mediscare” campaign.

Bribie Island, an area with a high pensioner population in the target seat of Longman, has been hit with a pamphlet claiming the government wants to “expand the cashless welfare card to include all aged pensioners”, while its Longman candidate Rebecca Fanning has posted similar claims to social media.

Labor candidate for Longman Rebecca Fanning. Picture: Lachie Millard

The seat is held by the Coalition one of the key seats could swing the election result.

The claims comes despite the Morrison Government repeatedly ruling it out and backing an independent Senator’s amendment in December 2020 which would have explicitly ruled out pensioners being put on the welfare card, while Labor voted against it.

A State MP has also been forced to apologise for misleading parliament for repeating the claims.

There have been similar claims made on social media including in Lilley, Flinders, Bass and Lyons.

The pensioner vote played a big role in the Palaszczuk Government’s re-election in 2020.

LNP Longman MP Terry Young said the tactic was “despicable” and “an outright lie”.

“We’ve had pensioners ring up concerned, thinking they’re going to lose their pension,” he said.

“It’s never even been discussed in the party room, it’s just made up.

“It causes unnecessary duress in old people for political gain.”

Labor did not comment in regards to its claims, but Ms Fanning said the party would scrap the cashless debit card if it won office.

“Let’s not forget that this LNP Government spent five years trying to increase the pension age to 70, and Anne Ruston has previously described the aged pension as ‘generous’,” she said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said it was an attempt to frighten pensioners, while Social Services Minister Anne Ruston has said the government “will not force age pensioners onto the Cashless Debit Card”.

Rebecca Fanning’s post.

The “Mediscare” scandal was a campaign tactic run by Labor in 2016 where voters were bombarded with text messages claiming to be from Medicare warning the government would sell-off the universal health care system.

The Coalition was accused of using similar tactics in 2019 with claims Labor would introduce death duties, despite the Opposition ruling it out.

Under the cashless debit card trial, under 35s on JobSeeker and Youth Allowance have 80 per cent quarantined on the card to be used at stores for products and services other than alcohol, gambling or withdrawing cash, with about $200 each 28 days available to be withdrawn.

LNP Longman MP Terry Young. Picture: Kym Smith

It is being trialed in a small number of areas across Australia, including Hinkler and Cape York in Queensland, with the trial due to end later this year.

On February 24 this year Labor’s state Keppel MP Brittany Lauga was forced to apologise and withdraw comments she made misleading Parliament that “the current federal coalition government was planning to force every age pensioner in Australia onto the cashless debit card”.