Welfare support and drug testing

[jasonu]

Great idea - but no Govt would do that while they depend on so many of their votes from beneficiaries

But that is the way it is done here. You get a check card (replaced food stamps) that is credited monthly with your benefit amount that you can use to buy food, nappies ect but not fags, booze, penthouse, Maccas or fush un chups. Can't (legally) get a cash advance either. Works great.

[mashman]

Random drug testing for ALL employees takes care of that.

A spectacular waste of money. I assume employers should be partially funded by the tax payer so that the tax payer can be drug tested? Or are you expecting the employer to pick up the tab? I suppose it's our own fault for allowing drugs to be available, so just take my random drug tests outof my salary, I won't miss the $$$.

[steve_t]

But that is the way it is done here. You get a check card that is credited monthly with your benefit amount that you can use to buy food, nappies ect but not fags, booze, penthouse, Maccas or fish un chups. Can't (legally) get a cash advance either. Works great.

So, over there, are there many issues with people eg swapping a pack of nappies and a frozen chicken for a pack of ciggies?

[jasonu]

A spectacular waste of money. I assume employers should be partially funded by the tax payer so that the tax payer can be drug tested? Or are you expecting the employer to pick up the tab? I suppose it's our own fault for allowing drugs to be available, so just take my random drug tests outof my salary, I won't miss the $$$.

The employer pays for it from the (hopefully) profits made and as it is one of the costs of doing business it is a tax deduction. It is required by the employers' occupational and health and safety insurance carrier.

[jasonu]

So, over there, are there many issues with people eg swapping a pack of nappies and a frozen chicken for a pack of ciggies?

Yes this does happen. The system is not fool proof rather it makes it more difficult for the beneficiary to piss away the money he gets from the tax payer on non essential items.

[steve_t]

Yes this does happen. The system is not fool proof rather it makes it more difficult for the beneficiary to piss away the money he gets from the tax payer on non essential items.

Yeah, I guess that's the best you can hope for. Any system will have ways to get around it or exploit it

[Bikemad]

Nonsense on extended stilts. If I have to submit to and pass a drug test to remain employed and collect my pay, why is it that people who collect unemployment don't have to do the same?

best question so far............how come none of the layabout sympathisers haven't answered it yet me wonders...........doh!

.........................anyone?

[Maki]

I have an idea. Let the people who want to give out money to people who are on the benefit and unfit for work because they are high on drugs pay for it. I am sure mashman would be delighted to contribute a few hundred $ a year so that some lazy person can sit on his or her arse, watch sky and smoke dope. If mashman were really sincere he would invite a family of them to come visit and do it in his living room for a few months. That would make him feel all warm and fuzzy, especially once he has changed their kid's nappies a few hundred times because they are stinking up the place.. I say let him but don't ask me to do it.

With respect to the argument that if their benefit was cut they would start running around doing crime, don't make me laugh. The sods are too lazy for that. They would take the easy way and STOP USING DRUGS.

So, put your money where your mouth is, or shut the f*** up.

[nodrog:Me]

[mashman]

The employer pays for it from the (hopefully) profits made and as it is one of the costs of doing business it is a tax deduction. It is required by the employers' occupational and health and safety insurance carrier.

Does the amount and quality of work a person does exclude them from being tested? I ask as employers could lose valuable members of staff because they had a smoke the night before.

[mashman]

why not both?

[mashman]

I have an idea. Let the people who want to give out money to people who are on the benefit and unfit for work because they are high on drugs pay for it. I am sure mashman would be delighted to contribute a few hundred $ a year so that some lazy person can sit on his or her arse, watch sky and smoke dope. If mashman were really sincere he would invite a family of them to come visit and do it in his living room for a few months. That would make him feel all warm and fuzzy, especially once he has changed their kid's nappies a few hundred times because they are stinking up the place.. I say let him but don't ask me to do it.

With respect to the argument that if their benefit was cut they would start running around doing crime, don't make me laugh. The sods are too lazy for that. They would take the easy way and STOP USING DRUGS.

So, put your money where your mouth is, or shut the f*** up.

no problem, as long as they're tax deductible. I'll keep them fed, watered and will happily buy them a bag of grass... in fact I'll get them to grow it in the house and blame them when the cops come calling. I ain't got no problem with changing kids nappies, even if they aren't my own, done it before, I'll do it again if need be.

I guess we'll see what happens when they bring it in... but what will happen when every job has been filled and there are still tens of thousands of unemployed people failing drug tests?

Waaaa waaaaa waaaaaa... why not just put them in concentration camps with broadband and nothing but job sites to search... oh, hang on, that's probably where we're heading... I guess it'll free up some property.

[mashman]

Nonsense on extended stilts. If I have to submit to and pass a drug test to remain employed and collect my pay, why is it that people who collect unemployment don't have to do the same?

For the same reason people like myself don't have to submit and pass a drugs test. It isn't needed.

[Maki]

Where does the absurd idea come from that "every job" has been filled? It may be news to some but New Zealand has a desperate shortage of workers, even in unskilled jobs like fruit picking. Why? People would rather sit on their asses and smoke weed and get payed for it. Suckers like mashman are happy to cough up, so why the hell not?

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/templates/custom/SearchskillshortagesPopup.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID={3B3850BF-FB16-43DF-9CCD-FE0342BFB73C}&NRORIGINALURL=%2fmigrant%2fstream%2fwork%2fskilled migrant%2fLinkAdministration%2fToolboxLinks%2fesse ntialskills.htm%3flevel%3d1&NRCACHEHINT=Guest&level=1

Most of the jobs here require people to actually get of their bums and get an education but since there is little incentive for them to do that, why should they? There are also plenty of unskilled jobs for those who could actually be bothered..

[mashman]

Where does the absurd idea come from that "every job" has been filled? It may be news to some but New Zealand has a desperate shortage of workers, even in unskilled jobs like fruit picking. Why? People would rather sit on their asses and smoke weed and get payed for it. Suckers like mashman are happy to cough up, so why the hell not?

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/templates/custom/SearchskillshortagesPopup.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID={3B3850BF-FB16-43DF-9CCD-FE0342BFB73C}&NRORIGINALURL=%2fmigrant%2fstream%2fwork%2fskilled migrant%2fLinkAdministration%2fToolboxLinks%2fesse ntialskills.htm%3flevel%3d1&NRCACHEHINT=Guest&level=1

Most of the jobs here require people to actually get of their bums and get an education but since there is little incentive for them to do that, why should they? There are also plenty of unskilled jobs for those who could actually be bothered..

It was a hypothetical question. There are plenty of people looking for jobs, why are they gonna get the bash because there's a minority who won't work? and why aren't they taking the jobs? Not all will be lazy, not all will fail a drugs test, yet not all are employed. So why aren't they taking the jobs Mr Einstein?