Chief Minister Michael Gunner says there is “probably no reason” to drug test NT public servants amid calls for police to be tested, following the arrest of two officers over the weekend for alleged cocaine use.
Mr Gunner said the issue of drug testing bureaucrats and politicians is not on the table, despite some members of the public and police calling for it.
“There’s a significant amount of expense and process for a workforce where there is probably no reason,” he told Mix 104.9 Monday morning.
“What would be my public justification to an AO4 working behind a desk somewhere that I’m going to drug test you now? I don’t think the expense of that stacks up.”
He added that he couldn’t think of a reason for testing a public servant outside of the possible use of heavy machinery.
“I don’t think that’s a common workplace condition for any of workplaces apart from operating heavy machinery,” Mr Gunner said. “There has to be a reason for why you’re doing it. With police, obviously because they’re in charge of the justice system, there is some sense as to why you would test there.”
Discussions between the NT Police and the Police Association to bring in random drug-testing for NT police officers are ongoing and started before the arrests on Friday night. Two officers, 43-year-old man and 28-year-old woman, both officers of Darwin Command, were charged with drug offences and suspended without pay.
The NT is the only jurisdiction not to randomly test police officers. Under the NT rules, an officer would first have to commit an offence before being tested.
Mr Gunner said he supports changing the rules to permit drug-testing of officers and would legislate it if necessary.
“I think this is quite reasonable (negotiations) happening between the police commissioner and the police association,” he said.
“We’re happy to support what the police commissioner and the police association negotiate. If that required legislated change, we would do that. But my understanding is it could just be negotiated as part of workplace conditions.
“Other states and territories are doing it, (so) as opposed to isolating ours, it’s more about how do we put (testing) in place here.
“I’m not aware of this being a wide-spread issue … I genuinely believe that this alleged incident doesn’t reflect on the police force at large.”
Police Association president Paul McCue said on Sunday that talks were progressing and had been ongoing for “years”.
Some officers the NT Independent spoke with following the arrests indicated that drug use amongst NT police officers was rare and welcomed the possible move to random testing, but called for others to undergo the same process.
“Personally I’ve got no issues with getting tested, but it should really be everybody,” one officer said.
“Are ambulance and fireys going to do it? Are the members of parliament going to do it?”
Blind Freddie can see he is frightened of what random drug testing in the NT public service would reveal.
Respectfully, the Chief Ministers logic is flawed.
How about compromised people in Procurement or in Finance roles with a lot of trust placed on their decision making?
You seriously want to know which staff member of the Health Department’s Alcohol & Other Drug Team as well as Mental Health team has a raging Cocaine issue.
How about the people who issue dollops of Grants money and check if the application is legit?
Cops have access to all the data. A Drug dependency would be compromising.
Their are provisions for Labour Hire staff to be drug tested before working in the NTG! If its good enough to test them its good enough to test the Public Servants!
Regarding costs: Public Servants have private industry nurses come out to their buildings and deliver the flu shots.
They also have the most flexible and generous working conditions as well as remuneration pay rates than anyone else in the NT!
Drug testing should be seen as Risk management.