National Party proposes random drug testing for Jobseeker benefit recipients

National's Social Development and Employment spokesperson Louise Upston unveiled a new element of the party's five-point plan to boost employment, proposing random drug testing for Jobseeker Support recipients. The scheme would begin with 10,000 tests in its first year and expand thereafter, costing an estimated $1.5 million per year while delivering projected savings of more than $580 million from 2027/28 to 2030/31. Under the rules, a first failed test is logged; a second failure would lead to a clinical alcohol and drug assessment and could trigger standard sanctions, including benefit reductions.

Weekly cuts would be around $48 for single claimants without children, about $82 for childless couples, and roughly $24 for households with dependent children, adjusted for future rate increases. The plan also calls for lower payments to those on the benefit for two of the past three years, a longer non-entitlement period for repeat job leavers, and an increased residency requirement for main benefits. Upston framed the measures as a way to ensure claimants meet reasonable expectations rather than punish unemployment.