Page 2300 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 3 August 2022
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They do not make any changes to the penalties for these serious offences. The bill is proposed to be amended by the government, the detail of which Minister Stephen-Smith has spoken to today and circulated—apparently, Mr Hanson missed that. This will ensure the application of lower penalties for small quantity personal possession offences whilst closing any possible loopholes for drug dealers carrying higher quantities.
Our commonwealth law allows for state and territory governments to make their own laws in relation to the decriminalisation of illicit drugs and diversion. The interaction between commonwealth and territory legislation has been an important consideration as the government has developed its amendments to the bill. Importantly, the amendments to be put forward by Minister Stephen-Smith will, as she has outlined in great detail, make sure that our laws can be applied in conjunction, not in conflict, with commonwealth law. But they also allow for the framework to adapt over the longer term. A legislated review of the law after two years will allow this place to understand the impact of these changes and to respond as needed.
The ACT government invests more than $22 million each year in alcohol and drug treatment services, provided by Canberra Health Services and non-government providers. This includes almost $20 million in additional funding for new alcohol and other drug treatment and harm reduction services since the commencement of the 2018-21 ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan, including an extra $2.93 million to Canberra Health Services over four years, and ongoing in their base funding, to expand early intervention and diversion programs for people in contact or at risk of contact with the criminal justice system.
Yesterday’s budget included more than $13 million in additional funding for alcohol and other drug treatment and support services in Canberra, including: supporting the delivery of residential treatment services; increasing targeted treatment for methamphetamine addiction; new support services; counsellors for families, carers and children of individuals who use drugs; the continued redevelopment of the Watson health precinct; the commencement of a residential program at the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm; and improving the real-time prescription monitoring service, Canberra Script. As a government, we are backing up our principles of harm minimisation with the funding and support required to make a genuine difference in people’s lives. The development of the next ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan is underway, and it is expected to be finalised later this year.
I am supporting this change because it is genuine, progressive reform, when implemented sensibly and in full consultation with the community. I recognise that not everyone agrees; there are very few issues in this life, in this world, that everyone agrees with. But what I am confident of is that a significant majority of the Canberra community will support this shift in our legal and health focus. I respect the right of others to hold a different view and to advocate for it in this place, but I respectfully disagree. I have outlined why I support the change and why I believe this parliament should vote on it, but not today.
Most Canberrans understand that, whether it is a 20-year-old caught with a pill in their pocket on a night out or someone grappling with a debilitating and harmful meth addiction, a criminal conviction is not going to positively change their behaviour.
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