Federal Labor has accused the Morrison government of being "mean and nasty" for having another crack at trying to legislate drug testing for welfare recipients.
On Friday the government announced it is resurrecting plans to test 5000 Newstart and Youth Allowance recipients for drugs in a two-year pilot scheme.
Labor MP Matt Keogh said a Senate inquiry had already looked at the proposal and was given expert evidence saying it "wouldn't work".
"What the government is really doing here is trying to dress this up as a political issue, showing that it's still a mean and nasty government by picking on people who are looking for work," he told ABC television on Saturday.
"Maybe the government could turn its attention instead to looking at how it could better support those people into work and better support them by looking at reviewing the level of Newstart."
Liberal senator Eric Abetz, a former employment minister, defended government attempts to assist jobseekers that may have a drug issue.
"There is no doubt that people that have drug issues find it exceptionally difficult to either get a job or keep a job" he told the national broadcaster.
"When you seek to lift people out of drug addiction into employment, it is the exact opposite of being mean and nasty. It is a bit of tough love to assist people to be able to get their lives together."
Key Senate crossbencher Jacqui Lambie is open to backing the trials but only if federal politicians are drug tested too.
Senator Abetz said he would be more than happy to submit himself to such testing, but was sceptical of what it would achieve.
"Look, it's got Jacqui Lambie a headline. Good luck to her. But is it needed, will it make any difference? I doubt it," the senator said.
Asked for his view on Senator Lambie's proposal, Mr Keogh said: "For once in my life, I agree with Eric."
