Page 3485 - Week 10 - Thursday, 20 October 2022
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However, if data emerges from the scheme to show that these thresholds are not appropriate, I think it is a very good thing that they be reviewed, and that will be built into this legislation.
MR HANSON (Murrumbidgee) (5.24): I agree with a lot of the comments that the minister made about the Greens amendments in terms of the volume of drugs that people would be allowed to have in their possession. With respect to the limits she has put in, I also share those concerns. I think hers are bad; I think the Greens’ are worse. That is the nub of it.
When she was speaking to the other amendments that are part of the suite, and in talking about Mr Davis’s attempt to leap straight to legalisation—the decrim step, as it has been characterised—the minister just gave the game away. She said, “No, we do it in a staged approach; we did it with cannabis.” With cannabis, it went to decrim. We had decrim around for a while, then it was legalised. That is what the government have said they will do here—a staged approach.
We know that this is their first step on the way to legalisation. That is abundantly clear from what the minister just said. It is the staged approach that they are trying to take. They did it with cannabis. That went to decrim. They had an offence notice. That is what they are doing here. The minister said, “No, it’s a staged approach; that’s how we do business.”
Members, you can bet your bottom dollar that that is where this is heading. I have no doubt that the legalisation element of this comes after the next election, if they are successful. They will not take it to the election, just like they did not take this to the election. I think that the rabbit is out of the bag. We know what the plan is: the staged approach of legalising meth and heroin. Thanks, Minister, for clarifying.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong) (5.26): All I want to say is that I would encourage Mr Hanson to check the Hansard. He has absolutely misrepresented what I indicated in this matter.
Amendments negatived.
Clause 4.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong) (5.27): I move amendment No 7 circulated in my name [see schedule 1 at page 3500].
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 4, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 5.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong) (5.27): I move amendment No 8 circulated in my name [see schedule 1 at page 3500].
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