Mandurah’s drug tests for dole one step closer

Mandurah was one of three locations, including Sydney’s Canterbury-Bankstown and Brisbane’s Logan, chosen for the two-year drug testing trial.

The bill will go before the Senate after being passed unanimously by the coalition, despite opposition from the Labor Party.

If the motion is passed, Youth Allowance and Newstart recipients may be required to undergo a random drug test, to receive full-access to their payments. 

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The payment of a recipient who tested positive would not be cancelled, however, they would have 80 per cent of their payments managed and be unable to withdraw cash.

If tested positive twice, they would be referred to a medical professional and treated for substance abuse. 

Canning MP Andrew Hastie supported the bill arguing it was part of a “multi-pronged approach” to tackling drug use in Mandurah.

“The Drug Testing Trial provides further funding for local drug treatment services, and, crucially, it helps keep taxpayers money out of the hands of drug dealers,” he said. 

Mr Hastie said the trial’s design would help job-seekers become “drug free and job ready”.

“Drug addiction is a huge barrier to long-term employment,” he said.

“Many jobs today require regular drug tests. I was tested in my previous career. Even the City of Mandurah, who has opposed this trial, drug tests its employees.”

However, Palmerston chief Sheila McHale said the proposed bill failed to recognise the difficulties of overcoming addiction and that relapse was “inherent” to the issue. 

Ms McHale said the government was advised by the Australian National Advisory Council on Drugs five years ago, that there was no evidence to support the trial. 

“The paper clearly stated there is no evidence that drug testing welfare beneficiaries will have any positive effects for those individuals or for society, and some evidence indicating such a practice could have high social and economic costs,” she said. 

Ms McHale said Palmerston, one of the largest drug treatment centres in Mandurah, had not yet been approached by the Department of Social Services to be involved in the trial. 

“A recent Senate Inquiry recommended the department establish the methodology and metrics before the trial begins,” she said. 

“The Department committed to this so we hope, and anticipate, our advice will be sought.”

Ms McHale said stakeholders and service providers nationwide had raised issues with the trial including: