Page 2770 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 20 October 1992

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takes the point that the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy is overly cautious. He does not like urine testing; he says that it is an intrusion on individuals. It is a very necessary safeguard which all jurisdictions seem to favour. We can understand where Mr Moore is coming from on these issues, because Mr Moore's position on substance abuse - - -

Mr Moore: You are misleading the house again.

MR CONNOLLY: I take a point of order, Madam Speaker. I ask him to withdraw that allegation that I am misleading the house.

MADAM SPEAKER: I am sorry; I was distracted.

MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, he says that I am misleading the house. I demand that he withdraw.

MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Moore, I do not think it is appropriate to say that the Minister is misleading the house. I ask you to withdraw that.

Mr Moore: Madam Speaker, throughout his speech he constantly attributes to me things that simply are not the case. However, in deference to you, Madam Speaker, I will withdraw.

MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Moore, you are at liberty to raise those points of order as they come up, and I will act on them.

Ms Follett: Madam Speaker, on a point of order: I seek your guidance. If Mr Moore wants to raise those matters, I would have thought it should have been by way of a personal explanation or a claim that he had been misrepresented, rather than a point of order.

MADAM SPEAKER: Ms Follett, that is correct - either a personal explanation or a deliberate point of order at any particular time, and I am open to those. Members, I ask you to remember standing order 61, which says that members are not to be interrupted during their speeches except to raise a point of order. Mr Connolly, please proceed.

MR CONNOLLY: One can understand where Mr Moore is coming from on this, because Mr Moore's position on substance abuse and drugs is well known. Mr Moore favours heroin trials; Mr Moore favours a number of proposals which go far beyond what I think any other member of this Assembly would favour. Mr Moore is very much on the public record as taking a liberal approach to drug control and substance abuse. Mr Moore very strongly supports heroin trials and this type of thing.

What amazes me is how the Liberal Party seem to have been caught up in this agenda. Perhaps they think that liberalisation means something the Liberal Party should support. That is about the extent of the logic we find from this extraordinary support the Liberal Party has given to a measure which is moving away from a controlled approach on a very dangerous substance, methadone, to a more open slather approach. It is the approach that has every community pharmacy as a focus - - -

Mrs Carnell: It does not. Haven't you read it either?


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