On August 28th Professor Gillian Triggs condemned the overreach of executive powers, distortion of truth and facts – Government propaganda / spin – and use of emotive terms rather than evidence at the launch of an Eminent Australians statement calling for an end the NT Intervention and its discriminatory measures.

She also spoke of the further roll out of the basic card. Prof. Triggs was concerned on several fronts – at the way in which the Intervention was rolled out, on the continued propaganda and arguments used e.g. by Governments to further roll out the basic card [which had its birth in the NT intervention and later modifications under Twiggy Forrest’s Creating Parity report, the healthy-welfare/ debit card] and more.

Prof Triggs spoke of Tony’s Abbott’s August 28th opinion piece (of that same morning) – Here’s a winner – cashless welfare will save lives- which he argued for the extension of basic card trials to other sites around Australia.

Tony Abbott spoke of its success and stunning potential of the card despite very contrary evidence on the ground. Triggs latter said such distortions of the truth are very difficult to dispel in the mindsets of the public. On this all this listen to her speech from approximately 20 minutes at https://www.dropbox.com/s/j4bk03jf02nem1a/cA%20Intervention%20Statement%20August%202017.mp3?dl=0

Gillian Triggs concluded,

We need to stand up to challenge Governments … And so I strongly support this statement… it is an important statement by many people putting their names to it. I think we need to have a national discussion to bring an end to this disgraceful legislation and that we attempt to deal with problems in our communities generally … in ways which are much more humane and which are based on evidence not on .. emotive and false premises.

Each of us, including the media, have a job to scrutinise falsehoods. At the end of each policy is the impact and human cost on people and communities.

The BASIC card and its more recent evolution continues to be discriminatory and disempowering. No wonder it has it roots in fowl begininings. Some important reporting and information from experts in their fields can be found at,

1. THE CASHLESS WELFARE CARD MAY NOT BE QUITE THE SUCCESS IT SEEMS, Sept 7th, Peter Martin -economics editor for The Age, based at Parliament House http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-cashless-welfare-card-may-not-be-quite-the-success-it-seems-20170905-gybm0q.html
as a friend added, An excellent and clear expose of the new basics card, the PM’s act of practical love!

2. MUCH OF THE DATA USED TO JUSTIFY THE WELFARE CARD IS FLAWED, Sept 7th Eva Cox, [an academic, political adviser, public servant, and runs a small research and policy consultancy. A sociologist by trade, she promotes ideas widely and eclectically in books, online, in journals and other media. Eva has been recognised in various ways: Australian Humanist of the Year, a Distinguished Alumnus at UNSW and an Edna Grand Stirrer award. She is also a fellow of the Centre for Policy Development and a professorial fellow at Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning (UTS)] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/07/much-of-the-data-used-to-justify-the-welfare-card-is-flawed?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Georgina Gartland