Organisation says it is frustrated with government’s use of vouchers in scheme that takes away farmers’ ‘dignity and choice’

This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

The Coalition ignored warnings from the Country Women’s Association before setting up a drought-assistance scheme that compels farmers to attend public events in their small communities to ask for $500 vouchers.

The federal government on Friday announced it would provide $5m to the CWA to provide drought assistance to farmers using vouchers of up to $500. Details are scant, but the CWA believes the vouchers are restricted to specific stores – a problem in small country towns where choice is limited.

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To collect the money, farmers will also have to front up to public events put on by the CWA members in their communities.

The CWA’s concerns, first reported by the ABC, are that the program denies farmers dignity and robs them of the choice of how to spend their money.

CWA’s national president, Tanya Cameron, told Guardian Australia her organisation was approached by the government for advice on how to deliver the drought assistance. She said the CWA advised that its criteria for drought-assistance programs ruled out voucher systems, which have largely been abandoned by state governments because of their deficiencies.

The federal government not only ignored that advice but instituted a scheme that relied on the CWA handing out the vouchers it was opposed to. The government then gave it less than 24 hours’ notice before publicly announcing the voucher scheme.

“In a normal logical world, it doesn’t sit right,” Cameron said. “I’m not sure whether they just assumed we would toe the line, or tag along, but to be treated in that way when we have actually been delivering assistance for longer than the government has … it’s just totally frustrating.

“If the government is prepared to sit down at the table and nut something out, we’re happy to do that. Because at the end of the day we want people to be getting assistance, but in a way that doesn’t take away people’s dignity and choice.”

The CWA is now refusing to participate in the program. Cameron said she had recent conversations with the deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, who indicated he would try to resolve the issue.

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“He called the other day and I let him know in no uncertain terms that we weren’t happy, and he was going to see what he could do.”

The National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency said the government had wanted to establish a genuine partnership with the CWA and Rotary. A spokeswoman said initial discussions were held with both organisations and that the funding announcement was subject to a Cabinet decision, so further details about how the scheme was to operate were still being worked through.

“The National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency and Rotary Australian Worldwide Community Service (Rotary) have already started talking about how the outreach sessions and vouchers can work to the greatest benefit of the people they’re designed to support,” the spokeswoman said.

“Regrettably, the Country Women’s Association (CWA) has subsequently declined to participate.”

The agency said vouchers were a good way to get immediate financial assistance to those who need it, and enabled them to support local businesses.

“There are several examples of successful ‘shop local’ initiatives using vouchers, including Bingara Bucks, Coonamble’s ‘Drought Buster Dollars’ and the ‘Why leave town Tenterfield’ initiative,” she said.

The CWA has been front and centre in distributing drought assistance. It typically does so in tandem with state governments. In NSW, for example, it puts drought aid funds into the bank accounts of farmers. That not only removes any loss of dignity but gives farmers complete agency to spend the money however they deem best.

The organisation has been seeking more federal funding for its existing drought-assistance programs for almost six months.

McCormack’s office was approached for comment. A spokeswoman told the ABC McCormack had discussed the issue with the CWA president during the summer.

“Minister Littleproud, as minister for drought, will be responsible for administering the funding in due course,” the spokeswoman said.