Labor is demanding answers after National Minister Paul Toole confirmed the Regional Seniors Travel Card has more than doubled its budget, in just the program’s first month.

Michael Johnsen and The Nationals have unfairly excluded seniors in Singleton on disability and carers pensions from the $250 Regional Seniors Travel Card that they were promised.

Veterans are again being left on the side of the road by the Nationals, with reports they will be forced to wait up to three months before they can apply for the Regional Seniors Travel Card.

Jo Haylen MP, Shadow Minister for Seniors and Cost of Living, has made an official complaint to the NSW Electoral Commission about the Nationals’ Regional Seniors Travel Card rort.

An expansion of the eligibility criteria of the $250 Regional Seniors Travel Card has failed to include seniors who receive a carer’s payment or disability support pension. 

In what appears to be another major issue with the card, only seniors in receipt of the Aged Pension are able to apply, leaving some of the neediest and most vulnerable seniors in regional communities without access to the $250 scheme.

The Nationals have delayed the card, excluded whole communities, underfunded the card by $135 million and now veterans are being turned away when they try to apply. It’s just not good enough.

A question to the Government about the trial of the Regional Seniors Travel Card.

Labor is warning that the Nationals are disadvantaging seniors in rural and regional NSW already hit by drought and fires, after delaying the Regional Seniors Travel Card until February.

A question to the Minister for Customer Service.