Morrison government faces battle over welfare drug test plan

Social Services Minister Anne Ruston urged the crossbench to look at the plan as a way "to help people who have a problem with drugs".

Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston said the plan shouldn't be viewed as a"punitive measure".Chairman of the Australian Medical Association's ethics committee, Chris Moy, said the policy conflicted with the government's own National Drug and Alcohol Strategy for 2016 to 2025, which "basically says we're not in the game of stigmatising and criminalising drug and alcohol addiction".

Australian Council of Social Service director of policy Jacqueline Phillips accused the government of "trying to deflect from the overwhelming, broad support for an increase to the appallingly low rates of Newstart and Youth Allowance after 25 years without a real increase".

Just another GIMMICK JacquiLambie to excuse the fact that you can't see further than keeping your job & its cushy lifestyle. Start thinking about people for once, airhead.

And they can wait for their super like every one else .good one

Skellor Drug test them all ...no excuse

Don’t be numb Jackie. Seriously one works one doesn’t. Make you you keep the brain switched on when making decisions. Otherwise correlations like this are insultive to the public or at least the ones that have half a brain

What is good for the goose must be good for the gander as well.. they get paid by commonwealths funds and hard tax dollars paid by hard working Australians ... so test them all .. you can’t have one set of rules for one when it all comes out of the public purse 👛 ..😉

Jackie Lambie shouldn’t hack this Bullshit discrimination under any circumstances the whole thing smacks of dehumanising oppression

İnclude alcohol

banas51 And definitely alcohol testing!

banas51 Won't back it until she gets her way....how many times have we been here before....

We are with you on this, Jacqui

They will never catch a politician! The testing will never be random or unannounced!

Why dress up a stupid policy with stupid window dressing? Just say 'no, that's stupid and punitive and divisive.'

She won’t rat out her dealers

Go Jacqui 😀

These deals are stupid, and if she thinks the Libs have any intention of following through on their promises to her she's really gullible. It basically boils down to attention-seeking on her part and nothing else.

Why do PaulineHansonOz Patrick and the others on cross bench support drug testing? Happy with the grifters shell game laundering public money into private hands then into donations

The mother of a Junki said that?. That's surprising 😲🤔😁

JacquiLambie And how about anyone in receipt of Govt funds/assistance?

Good, do both

And let’s do the same with your pensions & superannuation, yeah?

The military do it, and I'm sure a number of other professions do as well, so why not social security recipients. This is JL grandstanding. No need for our pollies, we know our current batch are of no benefit to our society, however I'm confident they are not drug users.

KellieTranter

Thats the reason I never vote for independent

I’m not so concerned about drug-testing our politicians. But I certainly would like to see their IQ results!

Jacqui for drugs

Jacqui for PM.. I love this idea.

Yep 👍

The politicians results, to be of value, will have to be made public.

👍

Not enough beds, services for drug testing results. Waste of time $. Do something sensible

Smoke screen; Economy TANKING LNP is funnelling money offshore like nobodies business Rampant wage theft Drought emergency Climate emergency Power emergency Gas emergency Capital cities are on water restrictions Hospitals in crisis Suicides exploding DRUG TEST WELFARE RECIPIENTS?

Will she pass the tests?

Cheers to that. Well done JacquiLambie

Yes!!!

Drug Testing MPs too is a Faustian pact. Does anyone think for one moment that they will not be able to get around it?

Fair enough. All public servants should be tested

Jacqui I think we have had enough in bowing to the PC and NS morons that seem to be running the country. If grants to people on the dole are used to but illegal drugs we need to address it.

And screened for working brains 🧠

Bring it on

There goes the Greens.

deceased jackxmitchell

She is an example of who should not be in parliament POORLY EDUCATED, BLUE COLLAR JOB, NO BUSINESS EXPERIENCE, 3 PEOPLE IN State that voted her in

That's a fair compromise. They should agree to it and pass the legislation.

No alcohol at parliament either.

Brilliant

I guess thats only fair .....

Facial recognition would immediately pick out most of those who take illicit drugs. Pitted death like face with missing teeth yelling abuse to some far off individual... ya scum ya ow me mony ya dog....

She's just posturing and will back it as soon as the Coalition promise to do something in nebulous in the near to far future as a possibility for her electorate. Regardless, this whole notion that testing welfare recipients is OK as long as pollies are as well, is still shitty.

Crankie58 Hey!! JacquiLambie has Scummo come good on his promise... remember this👇👇 'Lambie said that she trusted the government would waive the debt, which costs the state $15m in interest repayments a year'

Since they are paid by us making life changing decisions I would like to think they and their staff should all be tested part of their job.

She has my vote

Jackie looks like she’s just had a few cones.

At least someone shows a backbone and calls bullshit when she sees it

Go you good thing Jacqui! Still a thorn of sanity in the side of the Liberals. A position she's held unchanged for the past 12 years the Libs have wanted this. 'The results of politicians' drug tests might help explain some of the policy decisions made in Canberra.' - JL 2007

rationaliza I would like to see that how many would pass

This could be our mini - mini Brexit moment. What are the proposed penalties for failure for those tested, be it welfare recipients or politicians. This is a dopey smoke screen when are we going to get serious political action about the economy & jobs and failing businesses.

Zero tolerance 4 ALL Politicians Suspend Or sack if a repeat offender It’s only fair

Yes, that's only fair but I think politicians should have breath tests after their long lunches. I recall John Howard admitting in his earlier days being drunk when he was in parliament, that's why he started his walking. At least he was honest.

What a great idea!

Politicians are not on welfare. Whenever I see her I think of the British parliament and the rabble that's restricted Brexit. I think there are new theories on Democracy; let's hear them.

Good on her.

Cocaine in parliament? Never!?!?!? Sarcasm

Now what about Rex

Jacqui is just waiting for her pay check...she’ll bend over backwards when the Libs pay

The PM's already been caught using drugs while we pay for him to be working. Drugs aren't legal/illegal bcos of risk of danger or misuse. Tobacco very addictive!, as is alcohol & pharmaceuticals. Drug test results mean very little. Don't waste our money, put into Health Auspol

High Court judges snort coke off of young men's bums --at lunchtime. Apparently.

Stop whinging lambie

Love this

😂😂😂😂😂 The Greens and half of Labor will fail them

Imagine, too, if every pollie also took a pay cut and had their basically unearned wages reset at the inflation rate like others, which is still better than Newstart. Maybe then they could also divert money to fixing the public housing crisis and get homeless off the streets.

Absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. Should be easy to sort yes?

Go jacquilambie

Go jacquilambie

Politicians aren’t screened 😳

Don't normally agree with old Jacqui, but I do with this one.

Good idea , what’s good for the goose ...it is our money afferall

Imagine if we were investing the money being spent on Christmas island into rehab for the people who need it. What a massive difference it would make in our communities. Not only do drugs destroy the user they also destroy family networks.

Can they test to see which one's are hooked on lobotomy pills? Can't be just the alcohol that's affecting Barnaby_Joyce 🍺👍🤪 🤣😂🤣 JacquiLambie

Common sense approach. Should also extend well into the rank & file public servants if applied to welfare recipients

Lots of pillheads in parliament.

Totally agree, anyone working in Mines would be subjected to Drug and Alcohol testing, they should be mandatory for our pollies

Great call. Why should they get any exception..

Alcohol too, or is that cool while legislating our lives?

Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

'Proved a failure': Labor, health experts reject welfare drug testing planLabor and the Greens have joined health experts in condemning the Morrison government's plan to revive drug testing for welfare recipients as 'ineffective'. Dana_Adele No, no more mothers. Dana_Adele LindaBurneyMP Is upset most of those on welfare are voters for the Labor Party. She knows if she agreed she would lose votes that keep her living the high live unlike all the Indigenous people she doesn't give a stuff about. Dana_Adele The purpose is to demonise welfare recipients, not help them . So, on that score, the plan will be a complete success.
Source: smh - 🏆 6. / 80 Read more »

‘A cancer has spread’ in NSW Labor | Sky News AustraliaDarwin Bureau Chief for Sky News Matt Cunningham says “a cancer has spread” in the New South Wales Labor party and that the public believe they are “beyond redemption”.\n\nThe Independent Commission Against Corruption is investigating whether the party broke donation laws after an Aldi shopping bag filled with $100,000 cash was delivered to NSW Labor headquarters in 2015 by Chinese billionaire and prohibited donor Huang Xiangmo following a fundraising dinner.\n\nSpeaking to Peta Credlin Mr Cunningham said the party has been “riddled by issues for years” and after hearing from members of the public he said “trust in our politicians is at an all time low”. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n mattcunningham so blind to the corruption in NSW Liberals How easily they dismiss the cricket team of Liberals found corrupt and taking China bribes and working with Obeid by the same ICAC. mattcunningham She should have spent the money on plastic surgery mattcunningham I don't give a stuff about the NSW Labour party, when I see the total Betrayal of the Right wing voters by Gladys and her crew. People stop looking at the left hand of the Libs, so we don't see what their right hand is doing.
Source: SkyNewsAust - 🏆 7. / 78 Read more »

Swan’s comments on Labor policy ‘manna from heaven’ for govt | Sky News AustraliaSky News host Jane Marwick says Labor’s National President Wayne Swan comments on policy Labor took to the election is “manna from heaven” for the government. \n\nThe Weekend Australian’s front page covers Mr Swan’s recommendation to Labor leader Anthony Albanese to “Stick to ‘tax and spend’ plan”, saying Bill Shorten lost the May election due to progressive social issues.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n Swan was one of the dumbest ministers it was ever the misfortune for this country to have I only hope Albo listens to him. That should ensure a decade of Liberal rule. Close the loopholes but not all at the same time and do it properly not like franking refunds. If you don’t know how, ask me. Yes, the social issues were a loser. Well we now know the 'world's greatest treasurer ' was a lie
Source: SkyNewsAust - 🏆 7. / 78 Read more »

Murnain admits she ‘cast a shadow’ over Labor | Sky News AustraliaThe dumped boss of New South Wales Labor Kaila Murnain has accepted she has 'cast a shadow' over the entire party by not disclosing what she knew about a suspect donation for three years.\n\nThe Independent Commisson Against Corruption is investigating whether the party broke donation laws after an Aldi shopping bag filled with $100,000 cash was delivered to NSW Labor headquarters in 2015 by Chinese billionaire and prohibited donor Huang Xiangmo following a fundraising dinner.\n\nMs Murnain's tearful admission after four days on the stand came as the Chinese billionaire denied being the source of the illegal donation.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n At least they're consistently corrupt? She doesnt look good from this perspective
Source: SkyNewsAust - 🏆 7. / 78 Read more »

Welfare drug testing just 'mean and nasty', cautions LaborLabor believes rather then drug testing people trying to gain employment, the government should be providing them better support through a review of Newstart. We should drug test politicians instead Can’t you do both? Rubbish.
Source: SBSNews - 🏆 3. / 89 Read more »

'Proved a failure': Labor, health experts reject welfare drug testing planLabor and the Greens have joined health experts in condemning the Morrison government's plan to revive drug testing for welfare recipients as 'ineffective'. Dana_Adele No, no more mothers. Dana_Adele LindaBurneyMP Is upset most of those on welfare are voters for the Labor Party. She knows if she agreed she would lose votes that keep her living the high live unlike all the Indigenous people she doesn't give a stuff about. Dana_Adele The purpose is to demonise welfare recipients, not help them . So, on that score, the plan will be a complete success.
Source: smh - 🏆 6. / 80 Read more »