Labor sides with Government as motion to abandon drug testing income support recipients voted down

A senate motion calling on the Government to abandon drug testing income support recipients has been voted down by the Coalition with the help of Labor.

“Labor has today made it clear what they think of drug testing people accessing the social safety net.

“They have been vague around this measure since it was announced but have taken sides with the Government today.

“This motion also gave members of the Government the chance to see sense and abandon this flawed approach.

“The Government has conceded they may need an exemption from the Disability Discrimination Act to roll out this measure, if that is not a red flag I don’t know what is. It is clearly discriminatory.

“Drug addiction needs to be treated as a health issue. Testing income support recipients has been a failed measure in the US and has been abandoned after proposals in the UK and Canada. It needs to be abandoned.”

June 14  2017