One Nation MLC Sarah Game’s “crusade for cash” hit SA Parliament this week when she introduced a Bill to protect the right of South Aussies to pay in cash, rather than be forced into electronic banking. 

Ms. Game’s Public and Audit (Cash Payments) Amendment Bill 2024 aims to compel designated authorities, including SA’s 68 councils, to accept payments of legal tender – in the form of cash—for any transaction under $10,000. 

 Ms. Game said her office had been “inundated with support” since her campaign for cash gained publicity. 

“Earlier this year I alerted the State Government to an incident involving a consumer who attempted to pay for their vehicle registration in cash at the Services SA outlet in Mount Barker, but was turned away,” Ms. Game said. 

“This is an example of what sort of practices would be outlawed via my Bill. 

“If we suddenly went to a system where all 13 metropolitan and nine rural/regional Service SA outlets went cashless overnight – and currently there’s nothing stopping them from doing that—a lot of people would be disadvantaged. 

“But it also goes to a broader trend of government bullying, monitoring, and control. 

“If people want to pay cash, particularly for government services, they should be allowed to. 

“But so many people have been contacting me, saying they feel like they’re being pushed towards digital payments, which is a restriction on their freedoms.” 

Ms. Game said her office had received information about SA councils refusing to accept cash from local ratepayers for parking and even library fees. 

“So, you dig deep into your pocket to cover your ever-increasing council rates every quarter, then you get told to take a hike when go to pay one of that same council’s other charges with cash,” she said. 

Ms. Game said in aiming to protect the freedom to use cash, it was worth remembering the chaos seen during the July 19 crowd strike incident, which temporarily brought the working economy to a halt. 

“Shoppers were impacted, being unable to pay for their goods due to the worldwide outage, while government services, including SA Power Networks and SA Water, were also significantly impacted,” she said. 

“We need protection from the vulnerability of our IT systems, and stopping money flow, and cash provides that protection.” 

While Ms. Game will seek the support of her fellow Upper House Members to pass the bill, introduced on Wednesday, she is adamant banks also have “a role to play” to ensure cash survives. 

“I believe banks have an obligation to provide cash services for their communities, especially rural communities,” she said. 

“We’re not going to target private businesses obviously, be we do encourage private businesses to keep using cash for the sake of their customers, but for themselves as well, because it actually gives them an operational advantage.” 

Ms. Game said her bill was a “first step” in fighting for the rights of people to use cash.