Page 4579 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 6 December 1994
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I think we all understand that there has been a great deal of interest in the medical and other uses of cannabis hemp. Recently on ABC TV there was a program called The Billion Dollar Crop. It premiered on Sunday, 7 August, and was narrated by Jack Thompson. Among other things, it talked about the medicinal uses of cannabis hemp. Another program has been just about completed and should go to air soon. I have been approached by companies, businesses throughout Australia, and researchers interested in commercial uses of this product that would benefit all Australians. Whatever happens today, let us hope that the view of those people with power in governments in Australia changes and that they start supporting the people by supporting the commercial uses of cannabis hemp. As members know, I always look at what people consider about different issues that come before this Assembly. I grant that the amendment was introduced with haste last week. There is no denying that.
Mr Berry: You voted for it.
MR STEVENSON: Mr Berry says that I voted for it. Indeed I did, but not without thought. Is it not interesting that, on the day we voted for this Bill, I had a motion before this Assembly to change the standing orders to allow a minimum time for people to find out about legislation. Part of that motion gave people an opportunity to find out about amendments. As Mr Lamont would well know, you may have an animal farewell Bill on the table for many months; but, if you introduce an amendment at the last minute to ban circuses with so-called exotic animals, that is a major step. It is not just the Bill that should have some time, but amendments. I sought to require a minimum time of 14 days so that matters could be brought up in the Assembly without having to be voted on in principle and agreed or disagreed, so that members could ask questions, perhaps on behalf of people in the community.
I thought that was a good idea, and I am sure that most people would think it was a good idea. Unfortunately, we just lost it by a 16 to 1 vote because members in this Assembly, when it comes down to crunch time, do not really want people to have time. Every member in this Assembly has complained, I dare say, about matters being rushed through; but when they have the opportunity, when it comes to the crunch, they do not vote to do their best to make sure that that does not happen. In the amendment I did allow that if a matter was considered by the majority of members in this Assembly to be urgent it could be heard, and last week the majority of members did consider this matter to be urgent. We conducted a straw poll of 100 people. It was very lineball; it was 52 for and 48 against. The Prime TV poll showed a majority in favour, but not by too many.
MR LAMONT (Minister for Urban Services, Minister for Housing and Community Services, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (4.56): These amendments will go down in the history of this Legislative Assembly as the tourniquet amendments. They are designed to stem the effects of the self-mutilation of the Liberal Party during a 30-minute frenzy last week. That is what these amendments seek to do. Mr Moore has held consistently a particular view about the use of cannabis, and the circumstances under which he believes that it should be used, administered, provided and available. I say quite simply to Mr Moore that what has happened in relation to the way he has proceeded could be expected because that is what he believes should happen.
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