The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights has handed down their Inquiry report into Compulsory Income Management, calling for a transition from compulsory income management to a voluntary system. While this is a step in the right direction, the National Network believe it falls short of addressing the deep seated issues inherent in these policies.
‘Some people will be calling this report a win, the National Network believe it does not go far enough,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘We support Senator Lidia Thorpe’s calls for the complete abolition of all forms of compulsory income management, including the removal of all punitive, mandatory mutual obligations,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘The National Network strongly oppose the imposition of income management under the pretence of it being ‘voluntary’, when in reality, communities end up being coerced into participation. So- called ‘voluntary’ systems are just a disguise for continued control, leaving people with no real choice but to comply,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘There is an assumption that systems like Income Management can be ‘voluntary’, yet experience and history has demonstrated that oftentimes access to programs, services, and opportunities can be contingent on participation in punitive schemes like income management,’ said Tabitha Lean. ‘This is why the National Network supports Senator Lidia Thorpe’s calls for the Income Management system to be abolished entirely,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘For example, the current framework allows any Social Services Minister to make the SmartCard—Labor’s replacement for the Cashless Debit Card, which they previously campaigned against—compulsory at the stroke of a pen. This is the crux of the problem: a voluntary system can quickly become coercive, stripping individuals of genuine choice and autonomy,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘If the government insists on pursuing a voluntary model of income management, it must be based on the principles of full, free, prior, and informed consent through an opt-in system. This means that those who choose not to participate should not be denied access to any services or opportunities, nor should they face any form of disadvantage or punishment,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘Moreover, all policy approaches in this area must align with the principle of free, prior, and informed consent as outlined in Article 19 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘Beyond transitioning to a voluntary system, we join Senator Thorpe’s call for reparations for those who have been impacted by compulsory income management,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘Income management in Australia has deep colonial and racist roots, reflecting longstanding policies aimed at controlling and assimilating Aboriginal people,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘Income Management is a continued wave of colonialisation where Aboriginal people are treated as wards of the state rather than autonomous individuals, and it has exacerbated the severe challenges of low income and poverty within these communities,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘Poverty is a significant factor in the criminalisation and subsequent incarceration of specific population groups in our communities, and the economic marginalisation of Income Management has no doubt led to increased criminalisation and incarceration, perpetuating a cycle of disadvantage and systemic injustice, and this is why we argue for its abolition,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘People in this country are locked in poverty. Rates like Newstart are not enough to live on and families are living in abject poverty, with barely enough money to pay their rent, let alone feed themselves and their families,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘We need to start having some serious conversations about introducing a national framework for a guaranteed liveable basic income, much like the one being discussed in Canada if we want to improve the substantive quality of people’s lives,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘The National Network argue that what we need is not more coercion, but an increase in social security rates—particularly Newstart Allowance and other allowances to substantially alleviate poverty,’ said Tabitha Lean.
For further comment, please contact Tabitha Lean on 0499 780 226 or Debbie Kilroy on 0419 762 474
