Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

We've just listened to 10 minutes or so of no useful contribution to this debate whatsoever, because, as usual from those opposite, it's a culture of complaint, whingeing, whining and putting no practical solutions on the table—once again, we see those opposite put no practical solutions on the table. I'm proud to stand in this chamber today and speak in support of the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Bill 2017, as a member of this parliament who is having a trial in my electorate, in the City of Logan.

I want to start today by directly addressing some of the criticisms from those opposite. I ask a couple of simple questions. Do you support struggling families or do you not? It is a simple question, but it goes to the very heart of what is being discussed here today. This government is proposing a bill with a wide range of reforms to our welfare sector, but the most important thing is that these changes are designed to support those living in hardship and to help them ultimately break free of the cycle of welfare dependency. These are people living in very difficult circumstances, and these people are crying out for assistance. These are people who need a new strategy that will help them deal with a very difficult time in their lives.

Ms Husar interjecting—

I appreciate the fact that the member for Lindsay continues to interject, but her contribution that we just listened to added nothing substantial to the debate. What do we get from the opposition? Only time-wasting and cheap attempts at political point-scoring. We certainly hear no realistic alternative solutions to a situation that at least we can all agree is real in many, many people's lives.

The second question I will ask those opposite about this bill is: do you support taxpayer dollars funding drug habits? I suspect none of them over there would support that particular notion either. We know that those opposite know, and that everyone knows, that taxpayer dollars should not in any way be funding the presence of drugs on our streets. We know, sadly, though, that it is happening, and we know hardworking taxpayers out there are demanding that their money be used to improve their communities and not drag them down. Yet, while this government works to deal with that reality, those opposite whinge, moan and complain, and again provide no other solution as to how we can fix it.

Opposition members interjecting—

I say to those opposite: here is the solution. This bill directly seeks to address both of these incredibly important issues. If you care about struggling families breaking free from the welfare cycle, you will support this bill. If you care about taxpayers' dollars being used appropriately, you will support this bill.

It was announced some two weeks ago that Logan in my electorate of Forde will be one of the three sites undergoing the drug-testing trial included in this bill. I want to emphasise at the outset that it is a trial, and I strongly support the Logan community being included as one of the trial sites. It is a community that I grew up in and I know very, very well. It's a community I love, and I do not and cannot shy away from the fact that drug addiction issues exist in the city, and that those issues must be addressed if we are to move forward.

To begin with, unfortunately, Logan has a higher than average inflow of entrants on to the two welfare payments included in this trial, and that alone makes it an ideal location to seek to properly establish through this trial whether the strategy that we are proposing works. On top of this, data from the Department of Human Services also indicate that the proportion of jobseekers in Logan with a drug or alcohol vulnerability indicator is above the national average. Furthermore, jobseekers in Logan that are granted a temporary incapacitation exemption due to a drug dependency diagnosis increased by some 162 per cent from December 2014 to December 2016.

Now, I'm the first to acknowledge that Logan's existing drug and alcohol services do a fantastic job in very difficult circumstances. The challenge we face, however, is how to get those that are truly in need of these services to access them. This trial is designed to identify jobseekers with drug addiction issues, where that is a barrier to employment, and then ensure they are connected to the treatment services appropriate to their individual circumstances. I note with interest that Logan City Council, which has been one of the more vocal critics of this proposal, utilises drug testing for their employees to ensure that they meet council employment requirements.

Under this bill, the government is committed to investing up to an additional $10 million to support the treatment of drug users identified in this trial. That is on top of the Australian government's commitment of almost $685 million over four years from 1 July 2016 to reduce the impact of drug and alcohol misuse on families, individuals and communities across Australia. Some $7 million of that figure has been spent in Logan over the past 18 months in providing additional services to Lives Lived Well and their facility at Logan House, and also for a support service that has been set up more recently in Beenleigh.

Income management has already been used in Logan, and it is a proven and effective tool to help welfare recipients manage their money. Income management ensures that the basic living needs of welfare recipients are met and consequently limits the amount of cash available to fund illicit drugs.

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