There Are Calls For Aussie Politicians To Undergo IQ Tests

There are growing calls to have Australian politicians tested on their IQ to see if they're fit to govern.

Journalist Peter Gleeson suggested Queensland representatives undergo mandatory testing or face the sack if they refuse or score below the state average.

It's a mammoth task being an elected official and the News Corp columnist reckons they should have to do an intelligence quiz to see if they're up for the challenge.

People who live in the Sunshine State have an average IQ of 99, so the politician would have to score on or above that to continue working under Mr Gleeson's idea.

He wrote: "These are the people who guide our future, debate major laws and put in place policy that is supposed to reflect community expectations.

"It is a huge responsibility but some of our MPs - and Cabinet Ministers for that matter - are way out of their depth.

"Why let dumb politicians ruin our lives?"

The idea was sparked from the columnist's outrage over the state's youth justice laws.

However, it's probably unlikely that politicians would submit to have their IQ tested and have the result published publicly.

There was another call two years ago for MPs to undergo a different type of test.

Senator Jacqui Lambie suggested Australian politicians should be drug tested for illegal substances and alcohol when they arrive to work.

Her polarising suggestion came after the government announced it would drug test welfare recipients.

"If the Govt is saying that welfare recipients should be drug tested because they are on the public purse then by that logic everyone else being paid by the taxpayer should also be subject to drug testing why just pick on poor people?" she wrote on Twitter.

According to SBS, when questioned on the matter, Lambie double downed with: "I want to see the politicians up there grow a spine and you don't go and put something on someone else that you don't expect to put on yourself.

"If you've got nothing to hide up there in that big white house then it's now your turn to go and do that random drug and alcohol test. What's wrong with you people, might miss a few wines after 8 o'clock at night will we? That'll keep the backbenchers in line."

Interestingly, when asked what he thought about the idea, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was all for it.

Featured Image Credit: Queensland Government

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie