Page 4110 - Week 13 - Thursday, 2 December 2021
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
including disability, trauma and alcohol and drug use. I am pleased that this received initial funding in the 2020-21 budget. This investment will contribute to the development of a future service that breaks down the silos that are so challenging for so many young people who experience co-occurring challenges in our community.
I would also like to quickly point to the Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT, ATODA, funded by ACT Health, which has developed and is delivering alcohol and other drug training for community services from other sectors. As noted by Minister Davidson in her amendments, the territory shares responsibility with the commonwealth in these areas. I am also looking forward to the finalisation of the new national agreement on mental health and suicide prevention, which will reflect the principle of governments working together to improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes for a range of vulnerable cohorts, including people impacted by problematic substance use.
The combination of our existing services working better together, sharing knowledge and improving processes to support individuals in their care, along with additional services that can manage specific instances of comorbid presentation, is key to the government’s vision of a better health system and better outcomes for those in the community that need care the most.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I acknowledge the presence in the gallery of Janine Haskins. I had the privilege of attending online the annual remembrance ceremony for drug-related deaths organised by Family and Friends for Drug Law Reform earlier this year, not very long ago, at which Ms Haskins spoke. In part of her speech, Ms Haskins noted that Brontë Haskins felt incredibly ashamed of her dependence on substances and its effect on herself, her family and her friends. She said:
It appears that many members of our community often lose sight of the fact that substance users are people first and foremost. This judgmental approach merely amplifies many substance users’ sense of worthlessness and effectively not feeling like a member of our general community.
I want to assure Ms Haskins that we see Brontë in her full glory and we sympathise deeply with her terrible loss. We will continue to work to ensure that our service system improves and that no-one else has to go through the experience that she has been through.
I acknowledge the ongoing interest in this space, and I look forward to hearing from Minister Davidson next year on the work underway as we continue to progress our nation-leading harm minimisation approach to alcohol and other drug policy. I thank all of those present for their continued interest in this space, and Minister Davidson for her measured amendments to the motion that will allow enough time to provide a thorough response and update, as this topic deserves, without impacting on the timely consideration of Mr Pettersson’s private member’s bill, which is indeed aimed at reducing the stigma and shame that too many drug users now feel in our community. Again, I thank Ms Lee and Mrs Jones for bringing this motion to the Assembly. It has been an honour to speak on it.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video