Summary

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The majority voted against a motion introduced by WA Senator Rachel Siewert (Greens), which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) the drug testing trial of 5,000 people applying for income support announced in the 2017-18 budget,

(ii) that the Government may require an exemption from the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 to enact this measure,

(iii) that, in 2013, a position paper by The Australian National Council on Drugs, found there would be serious ethical and legal problems with implementing a drug testing program for income support recipients in Australia,

(iv) that both the United Kingdom and Ontario, Canada stepped away from proposals for drug testing income support recipients because it was rejected by experts as being discriminatory or imposing unfair conditionality, and

(v) that, from 2011 to 2014, only two people out of 108 408 tested in Arizona, USA had a positive drug test; and

(b) calls on the Government to abandon this budget measure.

Votes Not passed by a large majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Cory Bernardi SA Australian Conservatives No
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 9 Yes 0 No
Richard Di Natale Victoria Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Scott Ludlam WA Yes
Nick McKim Tasmania Yes
Lee Rhiannon NSW Yes
Janet Rice Victoria Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Larissa Waters Queensland Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Australian Labor Party (84% turnout) 0 Yes 21 No
Carol Brown Tasmania No
Doug Cameron NSW No
Jacinta Collins Victoria No
Sam Dastyari NSW No
Patrick Dodson WA No
Don Farrell SA No
Alex Gallacher SA No
Katy Gallagher ACT No
Chris Ketter Queensland No
Kimberley Kitching Victoria No
Gavin Marshall Victoria No
Jenny McAllister NSW No
Malarndirri McCarthy NT No
Claire Moore Queensland No
Deborah O'Neill NSW No
Helen Polley Tasmania No
Louise Pratt WA No
Lisa Singh Tasmania No
Glenn Sterle WA No
Anne Urquhart Tasmania No
Murray Watt Queensland No
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania Absent
Kim Carr Victoria Absent
Anthony Chisholm Queensland Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party No
Derryn Hinch Victoria Derryn Hinch's Justice Party No
Sue Lines WA Deputy President No
Lucy Gichuhi SA Independent No
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Independent Absent
David Leyonhjelm NSW Liberal Democratic Party No
Liberal National Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 2 No
Matthew Canavan Queensland No
James McGrath Queensland No
Liberal Party (86% turnout) 0 Yes 18 No
Eric Abetz Tasmania No
Christopher Back WA No
Simon Birmingham SA No
David Bushby Tasmania No
Michaelia Cash WA No
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania No
David Fawcett SA No
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW No
Mitch Fifield Victoria No
Jane Hume Victoria No
Ian Macdonald Queensland No
James Paterson Victoria No
Marise Payne NSW No
Linda Reynolds WA No
Anne Ruston SA No
Scott Ryan Victoria No
Zed Seselja ACT No
Dean Smith WA No
George Brandis Queensland Absent
Mathias Cormann WA Absent
Arthur Sinodinos NSW Absent
National Party (75% turnout) 0 Yes 3 No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria No
Fiona Nash NSW No
Barry O'Sullivan Queensland No
John Williams NSW Absent
Nick Xenophon Team (100% turnout) 0 Yes 3 No
Stirling Griff SA No
Skye Kakoschke-Moore SA No
Nick Xenophon SA No
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 4 No
Brian Burston NSW No
Peter Georgiou WA No
Pauline Hanson Queensland No
Malcolm Roberts Queensland No
Stephen Parry Tasmania President No
Totals (88% turnout) 9 Yes – 58 No