Drug testing welfare recipients?

[V8Ian]

Should we, what will be gained? I think nothing, it's a stupid idea. I have no idea what percentage of welfare recipients are addicts or regular drug users, but druggies have a way of obtaining their fix regardless. These people will resort to rolling soft targets, burgaling houses or holding up businesses.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Having worked in Kings Cross for the Dept of Health for a number of years, I can tell you the crims and particularly sex workers were mostly on welfare to be able to prove to the ATO that they had a means of support. The dole paid for their housing department flat, gas and electricity and their assault/rob crime, burglary and prostitution paid for their drugs and spending money!

I don't know about you but if they work in any industry, be it crime or sex work, they don't need the dole.

(How hard have I become?)

[Benz]

I agree Ian

While I don't like the idea of tax payers inadvertently paying for someone's drug habits through welfare, testing welfare recipients and cutting them off if they fail tests won't work in my eyes.

It is a bit of a touchy subject isn't it...

which ever way you look at there will always be grey areas.

[V8Ian]

Career Dole bludgers will always find ways to rort the system. I see your point Diana, but how many more people will be forced into that situation if drug testing is introduced? How many people don't buy drugs, either because they grow their own or accept a single joint as a gift.
Poppy seeds on a bread roll, some cold and flu OTC medications and goodness knows what else will cause a drug test fail.
I think more effective would be to give recipients 6-8 weeks to find work, then they spend eight hours a day under supervision, as if they were working. This would make the dole far less attractive as it is a pittance for the same hours as getting a job.

[Bigbjorn]

Having worked in Kings Cross for the Dept of Health for a number of years, I can tell you the crims and particularly sex workers were mostly on welfare to be able to prove to the ATO that they had a means of support. The dole paid for their housing department flat, gas and electricity and their assault/rob crime, burglary and prostitution paid for their drugs and spending money!

I don't know about you but if they work in any industry, be it crime or sex work, they don't need the dole.

(How hard have I become?)

I worked at DSS as a Fraud Investigator (Field Officer) There were close links between prostitution and the drug trade. Pro's were mostly users and pro's and/or their hoons were dealers. Now if they were receiving unemployment payments and we could show they were selling their attributes then they were not unemployed, but self-employed, so the benefit could be cancelled.

However in the case of pensioners, Sole Parent and Disability, they are still eligible for the payment but their income had to be assessed.

In the nineties a directive came around that drug addicts and alcoholics were not eligible for payments.This did not work as these clients were mostly not solely disabled by their bad habits. They usually were walking medical museums. Hepatitis various, HIV, AIDS, cirrhosis, brain damage, etc. so they still got a payment.

[cartm58]

What issue are we trying to address by the policy

If we are trying to catch drug addicts than sure drug test everyone in the community and charge and prosecute the addicts who refuse to undergo supervised treatment and come off drugs/

If we are trying to stop welfare recipients spending money on drugs wasting the welfare why not extend it to gambling, alcohol and cigarettes as well and if they can't manage their money stop giving them money and only issue vouchers which can't be exchanged for anything except the goods stated.

It is another right wing christian politician dream policy, they did this in the USA in Florida and they spent more on the cost of testing than they did in reducing welfare fraud or removing drug recipients from welfare and the number of drug welfare recipients was less than 1%.

If they cannot stop drug traffic within our prisons with a controlled population of inmates, restricted contact with outside population who can all be checked prior to admission to prison and controlled and checked workforce l don't see how they are going to make this policy work

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Drugs cost a lot more than the dole pays and if they can afford to drug, they are likely suplimenting their income and not entitled to the dole or at least all of their dole.

I'm not an advocate of enforced drug rehab programmes because thay don't work if the user doesn't have the motivation to attempt stopping.

The whole question is too big and there are so many people invested in it what ever programme they institute, you can be sure there will be some who profit from it financially and the bottom of the chain end user will be still out selling themselves or your stuff!

[Sleepy]

If I didn't know better Ian I would say you are trolling.

This is obviously a controversial proposal created by some spin doctor to divert our attention. (Or as they say "****ing in the wind")

You want to see the process I have to go through to drug test my 17 staff. It aint simple and to find a positive (sorry, Non-negative) result then requires another huge protocol.

Put aside the morality or reasonableness of drug testing dole recipients, the logistics would be a nightmare and end up costing us more than it was worth.

I would say the spin doctors are busy trying to stop us worrying about the bad press created by:

• rejigged carbon tax (quietly announced today),
• boat people continuing to make ALP govt. look bad
• ALP poor result in NT election
• Slipper affair (mmm that's gone quiet)
• Craig Thompson affair (mmm that's quiet too)

It'll never happen - but may fill up the first few pages of the Herald Sun or Sydney Telegraph while we have useless polls and argue amongst ourselves. It is also good fodder for Today Tonight and ACA.


Next they'll pick on Teachers (Shift working Schools is always a good one) and Nurses (They are overpaid - aren't they?)


Sorry, I'm a cynic but I see straight through this type of crap.

[101RRS]

Sleepy this was a Qld LNP member that raised this not the Labor party.

[V8Ian]

If I didn't know better Ian I would say you are trolling.

This is obviously a controversial proposal created by some spin doctor to divert our attention. (Or as they say "****ing in the wind")

You want to see the process I have to go through to drug test my 17 staff. It aint simple and to find a positive (sorry, Non-negative) result then requires another huge protocol.

Put aside the morality or reasonableness of drug testing dole recipients, the logistics would be a nightmare and end up costing us more than it was worth.


I would say the spin doctors are busy trying to stop us worrying about the bad press created by:

• rejigged carbon tax (quietly announced today),
• boat people continuing to make ALP govt. look bad
• ALP poor result in NT election
• Slipper affair (mmm that's gone quiet)
• Craig Thompson affair (mmm that's quiet too)

It'll never happen - but may fill up the first few pages of the Herald Sun or Sydney Telegraph while we have useless polls and argue amongst ourselves. It is also good fodder for Today Tonight and ACA.


Next they'll pick on Teachers (Shift working Schools is always a good one) and Nurses (They are overpaid - aren't they?)


Sorry, I'm a cynic but I see straight through this type of crap.

No Paul, I'm not deliberately trolling. I heard the proposal on TV this evening and thought what a dumb idea. I think you've hit the nail on the head with your second sentence. Dole bludgers* do get my back up though.
*Not all welfare recipients are dole bludgers.