A digital welfare system, without careful implementation, could exacerbate these pre-existing inequalities. It underscores the pressing need to place Indigenous communities at the forefront of decision-making processes, ensuring policies holistically support their welfare rather than further alienate them – which whether consciously or unconsciously we are doing when pushing aggressively towards a cashless society.
To get political for a moment, this is also why I will be voting yes to recognise Indigenous Australians in the referendum because we need to listen more to our Indigenous communities about matters affection their communities, and make a practical difference with concrete results.
Australians will vote on a referendum to amend the Constitution to recognise First Peoples of Australia and establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to parliament. Credit: James Elsby/ Getty
Listening to the radio on the way into the office this week, Jase Hawkins drew a brilliant comparison about the way we treat our First Nations peoples in comparison to how New Zealand has seamlessly integrated Māori culture into its national identity through official recognition of the Māori parliamentary seats, and the establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal to address historical grievances, which was a stark reminder that Australia’s approach towards its Indigenous communities remains more fragmented.
And he’s absolutely correct, we should be drawing inspiration from New Zealand to ensure direct political representation for Indigenous Australians, but I digress. The argument for increased digital transactions remains though, and rests largely on ever-evolving technology, convenience and safety.
However, this convenience is periodically compromised due to technology failures (like we saw on Friday with Square going down), and safety being compromised by cyberattacks, scams and fraud. Additionally, the RBA has noted that many still have privacy and security concerns ..
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