The Victorian Labor Party Wants To Start Breath Testing State MPs

Victoria are just two days away from heading to the polls and the Labor Party have just rolled out another election promise: this morning they stated that, if elected, they’ll introduce random breath tests for MPs during sitting times. Though Labor spokesperson Martin Pakula has claimed the problem is “not widespread”, it’s been suggested that there have been multiple instances of MPs working under the influence.

Really, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise — these are the same people who came up with Myki.

Labor claim they have been “horrified” by the state of things over the past few years. “I think anyone who has been in Parliament for long enough has seen other members who have maybe not been in the best shape when they’ve been in the house,” their spokesperson said.

“MPs will be on notice that random tests can occur at any time … I think this is about attitude, it’s about behavioural change and it’s about making sure that the people who make the laws are also abiding by the laws.”

Though the details are yet to be ironed out — not to mention the finicky matter of Labor actually winning the election first — it’s proposed that the limit would be 0.05. Anyone blowing over that would potentially face docked pay or possible suspension. It would also be applied to magistrates and judges — a fact that Neil Mitchell awkwardly found hilarious this morning. Tune in to hear some good ol’ boys chuckling about getting totes wasted behind the bench.

Though Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews has proposed that he would also cancel the boozy $200,000 post-election party that is planned if Labor do indeed win, the idea’s been regarded by many as a bit of a last-ditch political stunt. Unsurprisingly, one of those people is Premier Denis Napthine. If you can’t place a face to that name, here he is spraying champagne in the air, here he is slammin’ a shot with a bunch of reporters, and here is playing with some sheep in his undies.

POLITICS.

“This is very hypocritical,” Napthine said. “[This coming from] the Labor Party who opposed drug and alcohol testing of workers on construction sites.”

And really, he has a fair point. People who go to work with bulldozers and sledgehammers probably should stay sober. Downing some pints over lunch then returning to your job that requires you to balance on half-made roofs, and operate heavy machinery prolly ain’t a great idea. In fact, this is true of most jobs. Though writers are generally alright — don’t pretend you didn’t read our drunk blog — I don’t think anyone wants drunk teachers, pilots or doctors.

Yes, it’s a slippery slope in deciding who gets tested and when, but politicians should definitely be on that list of professions. If I was working at a bar and someone started babbling about tummy eggs I’d probably cut them off  — that standard should probably be the same for State Parliament.

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Via ABC.