Email calls for cashless card support

Despite the expansion of the cashless welfare card trial bypassing the Pilbara, hope for future trials to come to the region have not been doused.

Pilbara residents have received emails from the Minderoo Foundation encouraging them to show their support for cashless welfare card trials by writing to Minister for Human Services Alan Tudge and other Government officials.

In the email, the foundation writes to “CDC supporters” outlining their intent to present Mr Tudge and other Government officials with a list of communities interested in trialling the card.

Minderoo Foundation manager of creating parity Dougall Ethell said the aim of the email was to create a “body of evidence” to show the community wanted the card in their community.

“What the Government have said is there needs to be obvious community support and so if we can provide a list of names and reasons why the community want to see the card in the region then that provides a body of support; we want to facilitate that,” he said.

“If this is left until April next year, it would miss the 2018 budget.” Email recipients were supplied with a letter template and asked to supply personal details, a statement as to why they support the card being trialled in the area, and reasons why a trial would improve the community.

Mr Ethell said taking a body of evidence to the Federal Government was entirely dependent on people emailing him back.

“You’re speaking on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves, the most vulnerable in society, the children that was to go to school and want to be cared for,” he said. One Hedland resident who received the email, who declined to be named for fear of community retribution, said they were of two minds on opening the email.

“The people I see and talk to need help, and they aren’t getting it themselves,” they said