Written Questions (re Credit Cards)

Snapshot of Question 3: 

Do the states and Commonwealth Govt. that fund $43m to 44 charities circa annually obtain data (from these community organisations) of the number, indebtedness and demography of Credit Cardholders that these community organisations try to assist?

Question 3      

Does Commonwealth Financial Counselling services or any of the State governments that collectively fund $43 million annually to pay for Financial Counsellors at Australia's major charities require these community organisations (or at least the larger community organisations) to provide periodic returns/reports to these Government agencies which inform 'inter alia' the -

1.         number, indebtedness and demography of the Credit Cardholders (which may include a husband and wife collectively) that the Financial Counsellors are assisting; and

2.         number of Credit Cardholders that are carrying Credit Card Debt Accruing Interest over the following brackets of indebtedness and the average number of Credit Cards that the Credit Cardholders in these six segments carry indebtedness?

·         $10,000 but less than $20,000 - (eg. 2,556 Credit Cardholders ( individual or couples) own 10,767 Credit Cards (= 4.2 Credit Cards per person or husband and wife/partner) across 10 largest community organisations)
·         $20,000 but less than $50,000
·         $50,000 but less than $100,000
·         $100,000 but less than $125,000
·         $125,000 but less than $150,000
·         $150,000 or higher

Will the Federal Treasurer request the Federal Govt. and State Governments agencies that fund $43m annually for financial counselling to provide the above statistical data on the -

A.)        number of Credit Cardholders; and

B.)        aggregate number of Credit Cards held by these Cardholders,

that carry the above categories of aggregate Outstanding Indebtedness for a sample month, quarter or year to the Federal Treasurer for presentation to the Commonwealth Parliament annually, commencing by 30 Sept 2017, and list the community organisations that provided this numeric data.

Grounds for Question 3      

Chapter 7 notes that "Total funding from governments in Australia for financial counselling service delivery is $43 million per annum."  The Federal Govt. funds $20m and the State Govts collectively fund a further $23m to 44 circa community organisations throughout Australia annually towards the salaries of approx. 500 Financial Counsellors that provide financial counselling, ostensibly to Australians carrying high Credit Card Debt Accruing Interest and others also suffering a gambling addiction. 

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