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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/22/drug-testing-of-welfare-recipients-may-be-delayed-christian-porter-says
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| Drug testing of welfare recipients may be delayed, Christian Porter says | Drug testing of welfare recipients may be delayed, Christian Porter says |
| (11 days later) | |
| The social services minister, Christian Porter, has indicated he may delay plans for drug testing of welfare recipients to help push a broader overhaul of the welfare system through the Senate. | The social services minister, Christian Porter, has indicated he may delay plans for drug testing of welfare recipients to help push a broader overhaul of the welfare system through the Senate. |
| The proposal to drug test 5,000 welfare recipients was due to begin in January at three trial locations across Australia but the measure has stalled in the Senate. | The proposal to drug test 5,000 welfare recipients was due to begin in January at three trial locations across Australia but the measure has stalled in the Senate. |
| Last week, Guardian Australia revealed the Nick Xenophon Team had formally resolved to oppose welfare recipient drug testing. | Last week, Guardian Australia revealed the Nick Xenophon Team had formally resolved to oppose welfare recipient drug testing. |
| Labor and the Greens are staunchly opposed to the plan, meaning the NXT’s decision denied the government crucial crossbench votes. | Labor and the Greens are staunchly opposed to the plan, meaning the NXT’s decision denied the government crucial crossbench votes. |
| The drug testing measure is wrapped up in a bill that makes much broader changes to the welfare system, including significant changes to the compliance regime for jobseekers. | The drug testing measure is wrapped up in a bill that makes much broader changes to the welfare system, including significant changes to the compliance regime for jobseekers. |
| Porter, during an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday, indicated he may split the bill to avoid delaying the “critical” changes to the welfare compliance system. | Porter, during an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday, indicated he may split the bill to avoid delaying the “critical” changes to the welfare compliance system. |
| “The sticking point, fundamentally in the legislation, has been the drug testing trials for welfare recipients,” he said. “That represents about seven pages of a 200-page bill. | “The sticking point, fundamentally in the legislation, has been the drug testing trials for welfare recipients,” he said. “That represents about seven pages of a 200-page bill. |
| “The bill is critical, so the welfare compliance system that we have at the moment is near to dysfunctional. | “The bill is critical, so the welfare compliance system that we have at the moment is near to dysfunctional. |
| “So the bulk of that bill, which reforms the compliance system, is so critical to what we are trying to achieve that I wouldn’t want to sacrifice the bulk of that, in terms of timeliness, while we are still negotiating around drug testing.” | “So the bulk of that bill, which reforms the compliance system, is so critical to what we are trying to achieve that I wouldn’t want to sacrifice the bulk of that, in terms of timeliness, while we are still negotiating around drug testing.” |
| But Porter also noted the “complexion of the Senate is changing rather rapidly”. | But Porter also noted the “complexion of the Senate is changing rather rapidly”. |
| On Wednesday, the NXT senator Skye Kakoschke-Moore resigned, the latest to fall to the dual citizenship saga. Kakoschke-Moore had expressed opposition to the drug testing measure in the past. | On Wednesday, the NXT senator Skye Kakoschke-Moore resigned, the latest to fall to the dual citizenship saga. Kakoschke-Moore had expressed opposition to the drug testing measure in the past. |
| The government’s welfare bill contains other measures, aside from drug testing, that have prompted criticism. Planned cuts to a bereavement allowance for low-income households could leave families $1,300 worse off, while about 200 women will lose wife pension payments allowance for living overseas. | The government’s welfare bill contains other measures, aside from drug testing, that have prompted criticism. Planned cuts to a bereavement allowance for low-income households could leave families $1,300 worse off, while about 200 women will lose wife pension payments allowance for living overseas. |
| The bill will remove intent to claim provisions, which are designed to help welfare recipients who are entitled to social security but are unable to lodge a claim due to personal circumstance. | The bill will remove intent to claim provisions, which are designed to help welfare recipients who are entitled to social security but are unable to lodge a claim due to personal circumstance. |
| But its most fundamental change will be to the jobseeker compliance system. The government wants to achieve $632m in savings by introducing a demerit point-style punishment regime for the small number of welfare recipients who refuse suitable jobs, or those who fail to attend job interviews or keep appointments with job agencies. | But its most fundamental change will be to the jobseeker compliance system. The government wants to achieve $632m in savings by introducing a demerit point-style punishment regime for the small number of welfare recipients who refuse suitable jobs, or those who fail to attend job interviews or keep appointments with job agencies. |
| Porter issued a plea to the Senate on drug testing, asking crossbenchers to consider the Coalition’s success in reducing the welfare budget. | Porter issued a plea to the Senate on drug testing, asking crossbenchers to consider the Coalition’s success in reducing the welfare budget. |
| “My plea to the crossbench senators is we are giving you results,” he said. “We are giving Australians results. | “My plea to the crossbench senators is we are giving you results,” he said. “We are giving Australians results. |
| “We are moving 140,000 people away from welfare into work. Let us continue that work. If it doesn’t work, and we will measure this rigorously, then we will move onto something else.” | “We are moving 140,000 people away from welfare into work. Let us continue that work. If it doesn’t work, and we will measure this rigorously, then we will move onto something else.” |
| Porter’s speech largely focused on the Coalition’s success in reducing expenditure on social security and welfare dependency. Spending on the six key working age payments grew at 9.1% a year for six years under Labor, compared with 2% under the Coalition, he said. | Porter’s speech largely focused on the Coalition’s success in reducing expenditure on social security and welfare dependency. Spending on the six key working age payments grew at 9.1% a year for six years under Labor, compared with 2% under the Coalition, he said. |
| A group of 140,000 people – comparable to Darwin’s population – had been removed from income support, he said, rejecting the notion that reducing welfare could be characterised as lacking compassion. | A group of 140,000 people – comparable to Darwin’s population – had been removed from income support, he said, rejecting the notion that reducing welfare could be characterised as lacking compassion. |
| “There is nothing compassionate about more of the same welfare approach that does not address welfare dependency,” he said. “More money in more welfare payments as a lazy means of demonstrating more compassion is not actually an outcome.” | “There is nothing compassionate about more of the same welfare approach that does not address welfare dependency,” he said. “More money in more welfare payments as a lazy means of demonstrating more compassion is not actually an outcome.” |
| The Greens senator Rachel Siewert said the government’s welfare proposal was a “mishmash of measures designed to once again erode the social safety net”. | The Greens senator Rachel Siewert said the government’s welfare proposal was a “mishmash of measures designed to once again erode the social safety net”. |
| Siewert said the changes also included making Newstart and youth allowance recipients wait longer before receiving their first payment. | Siewert said the changes also included making Newstart and youth allowance recipients wait longer before receiving their first payment. |
| “The most well-known measure contained in the bill is the plan to drug test 5,000 income support recipients, but there are cuts and changes beyond that,” she said. “I have to ask whether this is really worth the menial saving that the federal government is trying to scrape back”. | “The most well-known measure contained in the bill is the plan to drug test 5,000 income support recipients, but there are cuts and changes beyond that,” she said. “I have to ask whether this is really worth the menial saving that the federal government is trying to scrape back”. |
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