cannabisnews.com: Queen's Park Up to Drug Test? Queen's Park Up to Drug Test? Posted by FoM on November 30, 2000 at 14:54:43 PT By James Wallace -- Toronto Sun Source: Canoe If the government wants to "help" drug-addicted welfare recipients by forcing them to take urine tests, MPPs should get the same consideration, Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty said yesterday. McGuinty cheekily introduced a law that would make MPPs submit to mandatory drug testing or face losing their paycheque. "To quote the minister of Community and Social Services, 'Drug addiction is a serious problem in our community,' " McGuinty told the Legislature. LAW TABLED: "We could turn our backs and pretend the problem doesn't exist here in this chamber among MPPs, but I'm not prepared to do that," he said. The law passed first reading but won't go further without government support. It calls for the creation of an Office of Drug Testing and Surveillance of the Members of the Legislative Assembly and a urine specimen collection and testing program. The office would supervise the collection of each "member's urine specimen at least three times a year" and those who test positive or refuse to participate would lose their $78,000 salary and pension benefits. McGuinty later said the point of the bill is to ridicule the government's drug testing program for welfare recipients. That program requires welfare clients to submit to random urine analysis if they are suspected of drug use and forces those caught using drugs to get treatment or lose their benefits. "The point I'm making is what's good for the goose should be good for the gander," McGuinty said. "They've got a ridiculous program that they've tried to set out before them," he added. "I'm quite confident that it will be found to be illegal." PROBLEMS: Social Services Minister John Baird defended his drug testing program, saying it will help as many as 20,000 people on welfare with drug problems. "Following through on the government's policy is a high form of compliment," he said in the Legislature. New Democrat MPP Marilyn Churley gave Baird a urine test bottle after Question Period and asked if he'd been tested. "I was in the summer," he said. "For insurance." NewsHawk: Chris C.Source: CanoeAuthor: James Wallace - Toronto SunPublished: Thursday, November 30, 2000 Copyright © 2000, Canoe Limited Partnership.Website: http://www.canoe.ca/Feedback: http://www.canoe.ca/Help/feedback.html Related Article:How About A Urine Sample, Mr Harris?http://mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1782/a03.htmlCannabisNews Drug Testing Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/drug_testing.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by Walter Gourlay on December 05, 2000 at 00:43:00 PT: Drug test My most recent comment that drug testers should be "punched out" may be viewed as an overemotional statement by some. I admit it came in haste and was not constructive. Tyrannical personality types have been in the world for a long time; they will always be here. The best way to fight them is to mount a cool-headed yet relentless attack on their hypocrisy, bigotry and false logic. I endeavor to be true to this principle. Hopefully, the truth will crush them sooner rather than later. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Walter Gourlay on December 04, 2000 at 01:33:30 PT: Drug tests These "puritan monitors" should test for alcohol too. I hope they keep trying to play mommy and daddy so they can get burned real bad. I'd like to see someone threw their urine in their faces and then punch them out. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on December 01, 2000 at 03:43:21 PT: Not in Amerika! "McGuinty later said the point of the bill is to ridicule the government's drug testing program for welfare recipients."This is a lovely idea. There is nothing worse than a hypocritical politician, and that includes 99+% of them. Does anyone know a congress(wo)man with the cojones to introduce such a bill in the US Congress? It would get killed so fast that it would set some kind of record, particularly if you included metabolites of whiskey and tobacco. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: