Communities welcome welfare card as a helping hand.

Senator Pauline Hanson has concluded her visit to Western Australia to attend a Senate committee hearing investigating the merits of the Cashless Debit Card and is more convinced than ever of the program's benefits.

Senator Hanson and One Nation’s Senator for Western Australia, Peter Georgiou, joined the Senate’s Community Affairs Legislation Committee in Kalgoorlie-Boulder where they were presented with clear evidence of the programs positive effects.

“The facts and figures show that everywhere this card has been trialled we see a huge drop in crimes such as burglaries, public drunkenness and domestic violence,” Senator Hanson said.

“In places where the card is trialled we also see a significant drop in instances of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and problem gambling.”

Senator Hanson explained that communities across Australia were crying out for the card because something needed to be done about high levels of crime and substance abuse hurting tourism and small businesses, in communities like Kalgoorlie-Boulder across Australia.

Senator Hanson also highlighted the fact that the card does not reduce welfare payments but only how those payments are made, providing that those on welfare directed their funds towards essentials and other items that would be of the most benefit to themselves, their children and the community.

“Welfare exists as a safety net and should be viewed as a helping hand. It is supposed to reduce crime and protect vulnerable people, so when the reverse starts occurring, and welfare begins to enable crime and addiction, then it needs to be addressed.”

“It was disgusting to hear the Greens Senator Rachel Siewert argue that it should be a human right to be able to gamble away your entire family’s welfare payment or waste it on illegal drugs and alcohol,” Senator Hanson said

“The Greens and Labor are in denial about the negative effects that drug and alcohol abuse are having on communities. They talk about human rights but what about the rights of children to have food on the table and clean clothes to wear to school?”

Senator Hanson said that she would monitor the continued progress of the trials but was confident that the overall benefit to Australia’s most vulnerable communities would be extremely positive.