This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, says he is “puzzled” by the widespread opposition to the idea of drug testing welfare recipients, as the government struggles to win over Senate support for the plan.

Saying he believed that drug testing those on Newstart and Youth Allowance could help people address substance abuse problems and get into the workforce, Morrison emphasised the proposal was a trial.

“We are trying to help people get off drugs and get into work and trial innovative new ways of doing that – it is worth a try,” he told ABC’s 7.30.

The recycled drug testing plan is just one more cruel and pointless diversion | Van Badham Read more

“This is a trial. We are trying to work out if this can work. I am really puzzled by the level of opposition to the government trying to tackle a problem of drug addiction for people who are not in work and helping them get over it with referral to proper services and funding those services in those trial areas.

“If that works, well, that gives us the opportunity to take that out more broadly, that seems like a good thing.”

When asked about concerns from experts that rehabilitation services were already underfunded, Morrison pointed to $10m allocated to trial sites aimed at supporting referrals.

Morrison also defended the government’s plan to roll out the cashless welfare card, saying the card was being embraced by communities as a way to help people “better manage their own affairs”.

The fate of the two proposals likely rests on the vote of the independent Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie, who earlier on Monday said she wanted to see more investment in drug rehabilitation and mental health services before supporting the drug testing of welfare recipients.

But she said unless the government could get “thousands of rehab beds” operating in the next fortnight, she would not support the bill as presented by the Coalition.

“This isn’t really about getting people off drugs. It’s about kicking people off payments,” Lambie said.

“You can’t punish someone for being on drugs if they don’t have the help available to get them off it. We have to get the services in place to help people.

Tony Burke denounces Coalition move to roll out cashless debit cards nationally Read more

“The government hasn’t done its due diligence here. It’s put the cart before the horse. We have bugger all in place to help people with mental health let alone drug and alcohol rehabilitation.”

The firebrand senator had also demanded a similar drug testing regime be applied to politicians, arguing “it’s one rule for them, one for everyone else”.

“They don’t want a breathalyser at the chamber doors after those long dinner breaks where half of them get on the sauce,” she said.

“Bottom line is I’m not going to punish people for seeking help and not getting it, because we’re not making it available to them. We can’t cut off a drug addict who’s done the right thing in seeking treatment only to be told they have to wait 12 months for a rehab bed.”

Without Lambie’s support, the government is unlikely to get the numbers to support the bill, as Labor and Centre Alliance remain opposed to the drug testing regime.