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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 4 Hansard (20 April) . . Page.. 994 ..

MS CARNELL (continuing):

pharmacological treatments that are worthy of consideration and Commonwealth support. This Government has not reneged on its commitment to a heroin trial in the ACT or to the detailed consideration of a range of additional and innovative treatment options for people with drug dependency options.

Mr Speaker, one of the most important things to emerge from the COAG meeting is a commitment to a partnership approach. The Commonwealth, States and Territories have agreed to work together to better manage the issue of illicit drugs. This means carefully drawn, explicit and practical links between education, law enforcement and treatment efforts at all levels of government and in the wider community. The ACT will respond to this challenge. I will be working with my ministerial colleagues to develop practical ways to improve the situation for drug-dependent people in the ACT.

It is great to see for the first time a truly national approach. There is a broad range of views in this area. There is a broad range of views in this Assembly. I think we can all say, and certainly we all said at COAG, that everybody accepts that there is a huge problem in the community, as I hope everyone in this place accepts that there is huge problem. The only way we will make a significant difference is to put aside political differences, as happened at COAG, and look for cooperation, look for agreement and look for ways forward in an area where more and more young and not so young people in this country are ruining their lives and, for that matter, killing themselves.

I present the following paper:

Outcomes of the Special Council of Australian Governments - National Approach to Illicit Drug Use - ministerial statement, 20 April 1999.

I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

MR WOOD (3.48): Mr Speaker, I move:

That the debate be now adjourned.

In doing so, I ask the manager of government business to see whether this can be listed for a cognate debate with order of the day No. 8 on the notice paper.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

MR SPEAKER: I have received a letter from Mr Quinlan proposing that a matter of public importance be submitted to the Assembly for discussion, namely:

The selling down of ACTEW Corporation through merger.

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