Opened the debate
Penfold argued that the push towards digital payments and digital ID leaves vulnerable populations, particularly older Australians in regional electorates, behind. Penfold highlighted issues with unreliable power and mobile networks in towns like Nabiac, Minimbah, and Harrington, which render cashless payments unusable during outages or peak seasons. Penfold stated that cash remains essential for emergencies such as floods and bushfires, and for women escaping domestic violence who require discreet transactions. Penfold criticised the draft cash acceptance regulations as inadequate because they allow exemptions and exclude essential services like medicine and utilities. Penfold called for a broader mandate covering all retailers without exceptions and urged the government to address the decline in banking infrastructure.