Back in July, Bill English raised the prospect of drug-testing beneficiaries, saying
"In my electorate, a lot of the jobs available to younger people are in forestry and in the meat-processing industry. And I'm told by those employers they often can't employ our own locally unemployed young people because they can't pass a drug test."It turns out that he lied:
Following a OIA request, CTU has received information from the Ministry of Social Development today that the government has received no advice, briefings, papers or reports in the last twelve months about complaints from employers about beneficiaries failing drug tests and is unable to locate the much vaunted complaints from employers about beneficiaries failing drug tests.So basically we have a Minister smearing beneficiaries without any evidence in order to whip up socio-economic prejudice (and redneck votes). Its disgusting behaviour. But its so very, very National, isn't it?
