The Today Show
E&OE
Subjects: North Korea; Drug Testing
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Let’s get a reaction to that now. Government Minister, Christian Porter, joins us.
Good morning to you, Christian.
MINISTER PORTER:
Good morning Karl.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Okay, should we all be worried?
MINISTER PORTER:
Well, I mean, it’s an extremely serious set of circumstances. I think we have got some way to go before we can test the full effect of sanctions but it is clearly a very serious set of circumstances.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
What do we do about it then?
MINISTER PORTER:
Well, I think that we follow the line that Julie Bishop has been promoting for Australia, which is that we ensure that countries – particularly China – do everything that they are supposed to be doing to place pressure on the regime so that it amends its ways. And historically there have been any number of regimes where really well enforced trade sanctions have actually had an effect. That’s yet to be seen here but that has to be given every opportunity to work.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
He’s just blustering, isn’t he?
MINISTER PORTER:
Well, it’s a pretty strong sort of a bluster, and the bluster itself creates a whole range of issues and problems that arise. But again I think that we’ve got a set of sanctions that should be in place, and obviously we need to make sure that those countries which are most influential with North Korea impose those sanctions as they are supposed to.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Let’s move on to your portfolio. Thank you for answering that by the way.
It’s revealed Sydney’s south-west will be the first area to test welfare recipients for drugs.
Why have you identified that area?
MINISTER PORTER:
We’ve looked at three things. Obviously we’re looking for places where there large number of newly unemployed people entering the system. Secondly, we’ve tried to find places where there’s enough on-the-ground service providers to cope with any uptake in demand. But thirdly, we’ve looked very closely at areas where there are clear problems with drugs, but particularly the drug ice.
So, for instance, in the area that we’re now in – and this community is no orphan in this respect – but there is a big problem with ice. So you’ve got data showing, for instance, a 2000 per cent increase in hospitalisations due to amphetamine use in the last four years.
So those three things together make this a great place to trial a new test for welfare recipients to try and get them the help that they need.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
What if they fail a test, what happens?
MINISTER PORTER:
If they fail the first test, they’ll go on to income management with a Basics Card. The idea being that we are going to try and use the welfare system to get people into the help that they need, rather than just pushing out the cash that so often makes things worse.
A second positive test and you’ll be assessed by a medical professional who, if appropriate, is going to design a treatment plan and, as part of your mutual obligation in accepting welfare, you’ll be required to undertake that treatment plan.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Okay, and when will it roll out across the country if it’s successful?
MINISTER PORTER:
We’ve got this legislation before Parliament at the moment, and if that’s passed then we’re going to have the rollout starting 1 January next year, and there’ll be two other trial sites that we’ll announce in due course.
But this is a trial; we are simply exploring ways to try and make the welfare system work better, work to actually help people rather than just push out the cash that so often makes things worse.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Your opponents say this will have a negative effect on these people who are just addicted to drugs.
MINISTER PORTER:
Well, we have not done anything near enough – successive governments – to try and identify the people who’ve got barriers to employment which are drug-related and actually do something about it.
So this is a genuine attempt by a government to try and identify those groups. We’ll measure the success of the trials. So that’s yet to be seen. But when we’ve got communities with a 2000 per cent increase in hospitalisations due to ice and high unemployment, doing nothing isn’t really a proper option.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Christian, thank you for your time today.
(ENDS)