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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/22/welfare-recipients-in-south-west-sydney-first-to-be-targeted-by-drug-testing
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| Welfare recipients in south-west Sydney first to be targeted by drug testing | Welfare recipients in south-west Sydney first to be targeted by drug testing |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Welfare recipients in Sydney’s Canterbury-Bankstown area will be the first to be targeted by the federal government’s drug-testing regime, which could push them on to cashless welfare cards. | Welfare recipients in Sydney’s Canterbury-Bankstown area will be the first to be targeted by the federal government’s drug-testing regime, which could push them on to cashless welfare cards. |
| The social services minister, Christian Porter, announced on Tuesday the first of three trial sites for the drug-testing regime to begin in 2018. | The social services minister, Christian Porter, announced on Tuesday the first of three trial sites for the drug-testing regime to begin in 2018. |
| Porter told ABC’s AM the area in south-west Sydney had been chosen because of the “real problems with drugs in the community” shown by a wide range of data, the presence of support services for drug users and the “large number of people entering the welfare system”. | Porter told ABC’s AM the area in south-west Sydney had been chosen because of the “real problems with drugs in the community” shown by a wide range of data, the presence of support services for drug users and the “large number of people entering the welfare system”. |
| He said there had been a 2,000% increase in hospital admissions owing to amphetamine use in the past four years in Canterbury-Bankstown. | He said there had been a 2,000% increase in hospital admissions owing to amphetamine use in the past four years in Canterbury-Bankstown. |
| About 15% of new dole and youth allowance recipients, or some 1,700 people, will be forced to take a test. | About 15% of new dole and youth allowance recipients, or some 1,700 people, will be forced to take a test. |
| After one positive test, welfare recipients will be subjected to income management with a “basics card” that will limit the amount of cash they can withdraw to 20% of their welfare. Porter said this would stop them from feeding “what might be drug use”. | After one positive test, welfare recipients will be subjected to income management with a “basics card” that will limit the amount of cash they can withdraw to 20% of their welfare. Porter said this would stop them from feeding “what might be drug use”. |
| After a second positive test, the commonwealth will provide a medical assessment that could result in a mandatory treatment regime if they want to continue receiving welfare. | After a second positive test, the commonwealth will provide a medical assessment that could result in a mandatory treatment regime if they want to continue receiving welfare. |
| The drug-testing regime is contained in a welfare bill that has been introduced to the lower house but the government is still negotiating with the Nick Xenophon Team to secure its passage through the Senate because it is opposed by Labor and the Greens. | The drug-testing regime is contained in a welfare bill that has been introduced to the lower house but the government is still negotiating with the Nick Xenophon Team to secure its passage through the Senate because it is opposed by Labor and the Greens. |
| Xenophon said on Tuesday he would continue negotiating “in good faith” with government, but expressed some concern about the proposal in its present form. | Xenophon said on Tuesday he would continue negotiating “in good faith” with government, but expressed some concern about the proposal in its present form. |
| He said he wanted more investment for overstretched and underfunded drug treatment services. “There are literally ... thousands of Australians who want to get help, who want to beat the habit, who want to beat the addiction, but can’t get the relevant and requisite help, the intensive help that they need,” Xenophon said. | He said he wanted more investment for overstretched and underfunded drug treatment services. “There are literally ... thousands of Australians who want to get help, who want to beat the habit, who want to beat the addiction, but can’t get the relevant and requisite help, the intensive help that they need,” Xenophon said. |
| “So if we’re going to do this properly, we need to expand rapidly – and well – the sorts of drug treatment programs that are out there because there simply is a massive black hole in patient beds to deal with this,” he said. | “So if we’re going to do this properly, we need to expand rapidly – and well – the sorts of drug treatment programs that are out there because there simply is a massive black hole in patient beds to deal with this,” he said. |
| Porter told ABC News Breakfast drug testing was a “commonsense approach … to identify people who have this problem and use the welfare system as a lever to require them to move into treatment”. | Porter told ABC News Breakfast drug testing was a “commonsense approach … to identify people who have this problem and use the welfare system as a lever to require them to move into treatment”. |
| He said there was “lots of evidence” that compelling people into treatment programs could have a positive result but conceded: “No one has quite done particularly what we’re doing here in Australia anywhere else in the world.” The trial was designed to gather evidence about its effectiveness. | He said there was “lots of evidence” that compelling people into treatment programs could have a positive result but conceded: “No one has quite done particularly what we’re doing here in Australia anywhere else in the world.” The trial was designed to gather evidence about its effectiveness. |
| The program includes an extra $10m for drug treatment programs in the trial sites to deal with bottlenecks if services are overrun, although Porter promised that “people won’t be penalised if they’re on a waitlist” and couldn’t get treatment. | The program includes an extra $10m for drug treatment programs in the trial sites to deal with bottlenecks if services are overrun, although Porter promised that “people won’t be penalised if they’re on a waitlist” and couldn’t get treatment. |
| Welfare advocates say the plan will stigmatise recipients and drug experts have warned that the trial could have “unintended consequences” on those in the throes of addiction, including driving them into criminality. | Welfare advocates say the plan will stigmatise recipients and drug experts have warned that the trial could have “unintended consequences” on those in the throes of addiction, including driving them into criminality. |
| Anglicare Australia’s acting executive director, Roland Manderson, said the real problem faced by jobseekers in western Sydney was a lack of jobs. | Anglicare Australia’s acting executive director, Roland Manderson, said the real problem faced by jobseekers in western Sydney was a lack of jobs. |
| Manderson said there were now five disadvantaged jobseekers for every vacancy at their skill level in western Sydney. | Manderson said there were now five disadvantaged jobseekers for every vacancy at their skill level in western Sydney. |
| “That’s the real problem –people are competing for jobs that just aren’t there,” he told Guardian Australia on Tuesday. “Forcing people to take drug tests before they can get help won’t achieve anything.” | “That’s the real problem –people are competing for jobs that just aren’t there,” he told Guardian Australia on Tuesday. “Forcing people to take drug tests before they can get help won’t achieve anything.” |
| Drug researchers, frontline workers, psychiatrists, physicians and drug policy experts have all now warned the policy will not help reduce drug and alcohol addiction. | Drug researchers, frontline workers, psychiatrists, physicians and drug policy experts have all now warned the policy will not help reduce drug and alcohol addiction. |
| Manderson said similar measures abroad had proven costly and ineffective. | Manderson said similar measures abroad had proven costly and ineffective. |
| “The countries that have trialled random drug testing have found that it’s costly and doesn’t achieve anything. In the US, it has cost up to $1,600 USD per person. | “The countries that have trialled random drug testing have found that it’s costly and doesn’t achieve anything. In the US, it has cost up to $1,600 USD per person. |
| “This plan has been rejected in Britain, rejected in Canada, It’s now up to the crossbench to look at the evidence and reject these changes.” | “This plan has been rejected in Britain, rejected in Canada, It’s now up to the crossbench to look at the evidence and reject these changes.” |
| Porter said the program was not designed to stigmatise and millions of Australians worked in industries that require drug tests, such as transport and construction. | Porter said the program was not designed to stigmatise and millions of Australians worked in industries that require drug tests, such as transport and construction. |
| Malcolm Turnbull said the drug-testing trial was “all about love … and looking after our fellow Australians”. | Malcolm Turnbull said the drug-testing trial was “all about love … and looking after our fellow Australians”. |
| “If you’ve got a friend who is on drugs, what do you want to do? You desperately want them to get off it,” he told 2Day FM. | “If you’ve got a friend who is on drugs, what do you want to do? You desperately want them to get off it,” he told 2Day FM. |
| The prime minister said the aim of the program was that recipients “won’t have the same freedom to spend [welfare] on drugs” and would only be able to spend on necessities such as food and rent. | The prime minister said the aim of the program was that recipients “won’t have the same freedom to spend [welfare] on drugs” and would only be able to spend on necessities such as food and rent. |
| He said the program was not founded on “making assumptions about people” but evidence showed people on the dole and youth allowance were “2.4 times more likely to be on drugs than those in the general community”. | He said the program was not founded on “making assumptions about people” but evidence showed people on the dole and youth allowance were “2.4 times more likely to be on drugs than those in the general community”. |
| But the chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Service, Cassandra Goldie, said the policy demonised welfare recipients while doing nothing to address addiction. | But the chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Service, Cassandra Goldie, said the policy demonised welfare recipients while doing nothing to address addiction. |
| Goldie said many welfare recipients would try to avoid testing, driving them away from the welfare system and leaving them “destitute without any income”. | Goldie said many welfare recipients would try to avoid testing, driving them away from the welfare system and leaving them “destitute without any income”. |
| “This will risk driving people into homelessness and crisis, exactly the opposite of what is needed to support someone dealing with an addiction,” Goldie said. | “This will risk driving people into homelessness and crisis, exactly the opposite of what is needed to support someone dealing with an addiction,” Goldie said. |
| “For the people who are subjected to testing for no reason, this will just add further to their humiliation and sense of personal degradation,” she said. | “For the people who are subjected to testing for no reason, this will just add further to their humiliation and sense of personal degradation,” she said. |
| Goldie said putting more people on income management would not drive behavioural change. | Goldie said putting more people on income management would not drive behavioural change. |
| “We need the government to focus on addressing the lack of paid work available for people and making sure that people’s incomes are adequate to meet the cost of living,” she said. | “We need the government to focus on addressing the lack of paid work available for people and making sure that people’s incomes are adequate to meet the cost of living,” she said. |
| The Greens senator Rachel Siewert urged the crossbench to block the trial. | The Greens senator Rachel Siewert urged the crossbench to block the trial. |
| “The minister has said he is optimistic that the Senate will support the measure, but I urge crossbenchers, including the Nick Xenophon Team, to consider the evidence that is available from overseas experience and particularly to look at what the drug and alcohol experts are saying,” Siewert said. | “The minister has said he is optimistic that the Senate will support the measure, but I urge crossbenchers, including the Nick Xenophon Team, to consider the evidence that is available from overseas experience and particularly to look at what the drug and alcohol experts are saying,” Siewert said. |
| Labor’s Matt Thistlethwaite said the policy would not get more people into rehabilitation. | Labor’s Matt Thistlethwaite said the policy would not get more people into rehabilitation. |
| “If there was evidence from other jurisdictions in the world that these sort of programs work, then it would be worth considering. But that’s not the case,” he told Sky News on Tuesday. | “If there was evidence from other jurisdictions in the world that these sort of programs work, then it would be worth considering. But that’s not the case,” he told Sky News on Tuesday. |
| “It didn’t work in the United States when they had similar programs. New Zealand instituted a similar program, it didn’t work there, it’s quite costly.” | “It didn’t work in the United States when they had similar programs. New Zealand instituted a similar program, it didn’t work there, it’s quite costly.” |
| Welfare in Australia | Welfare in Australia |
| Christian Porter | Christian Porter |
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| New South Wales | New South Wales |
| Malcolm Turnbull | Malcolm Turnbull |
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