‘Sense of relief’: Hervey Bay’s Kathryn Wilkes urges patience after Cashless Debit Card win

A leading anti-cashless card crusader has celebrated Labor’s win and its promise to scrap the controversial trial but she and her rival have both warned change won’t happen overnight.

After crusading against the Cashless Debit Card for a number of years, a Fraser Coast woman has described her “profound sense of relief” after the election of a Labor government on the weekend.

Kathryn Wilkes has campaigned tirelessly against the controversial welfare card, which was introduced in the Hinkler electorate at the start of 2019 following trials in several other communities.

Ms Wilkes had long been an outspoken opponent of the card, since Hinkler MP and re-elected LNP candidate Keith Pitt put forward the possibility of introducing the card into the electorate for those aged 35 and under who receive Jobseeker payments, Youth Allowance and parenting payments.

While Mr Pitt was re-elected, Labor took national victory and the moment it did, Ms Wilkes said she was bombarded with questions from those on the card, hoping to find out when they would be free from it.

STOP THE CARD: Kathryn Wilkes says she will continue protesting against the card.

She said she had to explain to them Labor was yet to be sworn in and they would need to be patient.

However, she was determined to make ending the Cashless Debit Card program a priority for Labor by continuing to campaign as long as necessary.

Ms Wilkes described the program as a “waste of money”.

“LNP and One Nation loved this card and they didn’t care who it hurt,” she said.

“It was never about helping people – to do that you need services.

“People who had addictions before the card are the same people who have addictions now.”

Ms Wilkes said people felt they were getting their lives back after years spent on the card.

The card, which was being trialled in the Hinkler electorate, quarantines 80 per cent of the recipient’s Centrelink payment, which can’t be used to withdraw cash and can’t be used on gambling and alcohol products.

A spokeswoman from new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office said it had been promised by the then-Opposition leader that the card would be scrapped and nothing had changed.

Cashless debit card critic Kathryn Wilkes protesting the scheme at Bundaberg and Hervey Bay to raise awareness before the federal election.

At the start of the election campaign, Labor’s social services spokeswoman, Linda Burney, confirmed it would be voluntary.

“Our fundamental principle on the basics card and the cashless debit card, it should be on a voluntary basis,” she said.

“If people want to be on those sorts of income management, then that’s their decision.

“It’s not up to Labor or anyone else to tell them what to do.

“At the moment it’s compulsion and that’s not Labor’s position.”

Ms Burney said in the case of the cashless debit card – also being trialled in Ceduna, South Australia, the East Kimberley and Goldfields regions of Western Australia, as well as the Hinkler electorate – the scheme would be replaced by wraparound services such as financial counselling.

Hinkler MP Keith Pitt speaks in parliament. PHOTO: Gary Ramage INSET: Cashless Debit Card

Mr Pitt, who championed the introduction of the card in his electorate, said while Australia was now under the power of a Labor Government, there would still be hoops to jump through to have it scrapped altogether.

The MP fought to introduce the card as a result of the region’s high unemployment rate, particularly youth unemployment.

“It is a legislative position that the trial will come to an end at the end of this year,” he said.

“To change that would require the new Labor Government to put in new legislation into the parliament, both through the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“I think the results of the election are as clear as they were in 2019.

“It is strongly supported by the community, it makes a difference and that’s why, within Government, the Coalition delivered.”

Originally published as ‘Sense of relief’: Hervey Bay’s Kathryn Wilkes urges patience after Cashless Debit Card win