Dole pay rests on testing for dope

THOUSANDS of dole recipients could soon be tested for drugs, with those found positive shunted on to cashless welfare cards and into counselling.

But the Federal Government could hit a fresh snag as it tries to convince the Senate to back its twice-rejected plan.

Tasmanian crossbencher Jacqui Lambie is open to the reheated idea – but only if federal politicians are also tested.

Lead government negotiator Mathias Cormann said he was “completely relaxed” about her demand.

“If that is what it takes to get this very important reform through, I personally would be entirely open to it and I’d be quite happy to advocate for that within the Government,” he said yesterday.

Labor frontbenchers are split over the plan. Deputy opposition leader Richard Marles is open to the idea. “We are for anything that will get people off drugs,” he said. “We will look at the legislation, but we want to know this works and we are mindful of the advice of experts around this.

“We have to be careful whatever measures we put in place don’t demonise the most vulnerable.”

However, Labor’s social services spokeswoman Linda Burney is dead against it.

“We do not want to see the punitive measures of using people on Newstart and people on Youth Allowance as experiments in trying to treat a drug addiction,” Ms Burney said.

“This is ineffective, has proven to be ineffective in other countries, and is expensive. Frontline services is where the money should be spent.”

The Government wants to test Newstart and Youth Allowance recipients for illicit substances, quarantining payments for those who test positive and replacing their obligation to find work with drug-counselling sessions. The two-year drug-testing trial

WE WANT TO WORK WITH THESE PEOPLE … TO DEAL WITH THEIR ADDICTION SO THAT THEY CAN GET A JOB.

would be rolled out in three locations – Logan in Queensland, Canterbury-bankstown in NSW and Mandurah in WA.

Social Services Minister Anne Ruston says people on welfare who take drugs are denying themselves the opportunity to get a job.

“We want to work with these people to get them jobready, to deal with their addiction so that they can get a job,” she said.

A previous Bill stalled twice in the Senate, before the Coalition abandoned the idea.

Research shows the unemployed are more than three times as likely to use amphetamines as those with jobs.