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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsEconomyStarted 11yrs agoActive 7hrs ago

Should welfare recipients be tested for drugs?

In 2014 the government denied a proposal to subject welfare recipients to drug testing. Proponents including Liberal-National Party MP George Christensen argued that anyone receiving taxpayer funded benefits should be able to demonstrate that they are drug-free. Opponents, including Greens MP Adam Bandt, argued that if welfare recipients were subject to testing MPs should be as well.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 394k Australia voters.

68%
Yes
32%
No
59%
Yes
26%
No
6%
Yes, but provide treatment for those testing positive
5%
No, only if they have a criminal history related to drug abuse
2%
Yes, test anyone receiving money from the government including employees and politicians
1%
No, this is a waste of time and money
1%
Yes, and immediately terminate benefits for anyone testing positive

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 394k Australia voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 394k Australia voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from Australia voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @9VPTBW3answered…2yrs2Y

No, only if they have a history (criminal or otherwise) with class A illegal drugs. I would not waste the time or money to include anything legally prescribed aka cannabis.

 @9HKY377answered…3yrs3Y

Yes, but only if a trained employee sees the typical signs of addiction/substance abuse, and after they refer this recipient to an onsite specialist who comes to the same conclusion should they be tested (or voluntary)

 @9HJY34Ranswered…3yrs3Y

Yes, if they have a history and are exhibiting the signs of drug abuse after an interview with a professional

 @9JJBTWFanswered…2yrs2Y

if they have a history of drugs, there should be a way to track spendings from the goverment point, so they can see if they are evn buying drugs

 @9JXWD39answered…2yrs2Y

Yes, provide treatment for those who test positive, and test everyone earning money from the government, including employees and politicians.

 @BDZQG89answered…2wks2W

Yes but if people have medical perscriptions for drugd that would come up flagged in the system it should bypass them.

 @BDX3G3Tanswered…3wks3W

only if they have a speculation of drugs or someone is in danger

 @BDR93CFanswered…1mo1MO

to immediately assume that people are on drugs because they cant afford anything in this economy is stereotyping people who need that wellfare check to survive. Its just monitoring things that don't need to be.

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 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...…2yrs2Y

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About This Data

Based on 394k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

iSideWith is non-partisan — we don't advocate for any party, candidate, or position. We report what the public tells us.

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Cite This Poll

iSideWith. (2026). “Should welfare recipients be tested for drugs?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://australia.isidewith.com/polls/1405748003

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