Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Labor has serious concerns about the government's proposed drug-testing trial of social security recipients. We have written to the Minister for Social Services with a series of questions about the proposed trial. We have also requested briefings from DSS and DHS. Those briefings have not yet taken place.

We are also consulting with key stakeholders, including health professionals and organisations that are on the front line of supporting drug addicted Australians. And we are still waiting to see the legislation. Therefore we believe that this motion being brought forward today is very premature and we cannot support it. We asked Senator Siewert if she would postpone the motion until we had been able to ascertain further detail and consider it through our processes. Unfortunately, she did not agree to do this.