Page 1807 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 15 June 1993
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SCRUTINY OF BILLS AND SUBORDINATE LEGISLATION -
STANDING COMMITTEE
Reports and Statement
MRS GRASSBY: I present reports Nos 9 and 10 of 1993 of the Standing Committee on Scrutiny of Bills and Subordinate Legislation, and I ask for leave to make a brief statement on the reports.
Leave granted.
MRS GRASSBY: Report No. 9 of 1993, which I have just presented, was circulated when the Assembly was not sitting on 10 June 1993, pursuant to the resolution of appointment of 27 March 1993. Report No. 10 of 1993 contains the committee's comments on one piece of subordinate legislation. I commend the reports to the Assembly.
Sitting suspended from 5.26 to 8.00 pm
DRUGS - SELECT COMMITTEE
Final Report -
Alcohol and Youth - A Rite of Passage?
MR MOORE (8.00): I present the final report of the Select Committee on Drugs entitled Alcohol and Youth - A Rite of Passage?, together with the minutes of proceedings. I move:
That the report be noted.
It is with great pleasure that I rise tonight to speak to this report. The history of this committee goes back to the First Assembly; the Select Committee on Drugs really took over from where the Select Committee on HIV, Illegal Drugs and Prostitution left off. That first committee concentrated particularly on illegal drugs, whereas the second committee, although we did do a report on methadone, has concentrated on legal drugs, particularly in the report on benzodiazepines and now the report on alcohol. It is important to mention to members that the work I personally have done on illegal drugs will continue. The study trip I undertook was to carry out further work with the Australian Parliamentary Group on Drug Law Reform. Shortly I will be circulating to members a copy of the charter of that group, and members may consider it appropriate to become part of that group. I am looking forward later this week to the response of the Government to the benzodiazepine report, and in due time to the Government's response to this report.
It seems to me that, although there is a great deal of harm and a great deal of expense associated with the way we deal with illegal drugs, the greatest harm that can most easily be identified in our society is the harm associated with the legal drugs, that is, tobacco and alcohol. The Minister for Health has already taken quite strong steps, and I commend him for the work he has done, with regard to the killer drug tobacco, and I hope that some of that work will continue. I also hope that in a small way this report will help us to minimise the harm associated with alcohol, particularly in dealing with youth.
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