Page 2771 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 20 October 1992
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MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, I can understand why the Liberal Party does not like this, but the point remains that they are adopting an approach that is a very high risk approach. The Government strategy, the Berry strategy, does have a controlled approach to the use of methadone in the community. It is based on our very fortunate position in the ACT as a city-state with health facilities conveniently located, under controlled medical supervision, where urine testing could be complied with.
No other State has that advantage. For New South Wales, for South Australia, for Queensland, for Western Australia, for any of those States to look at a broader distribution for methadone, they would have to either invest massively in infrastructure to build the sort of community health facilities we have, to enable them to have that level of control of this very dangerous substance, or give it out to the pharmacies, and that is what they have done. Giving it out to the pharmacies is better than nothing, but it is definitely a next best option. It is definitely not as secure an option, as safe an option, as the option that we are able - - -
Mr Moore: As controlled.
MR CONNOLLY: It is not as controlled an option, Mr Moore; thank you. As I said, that is something we wear with some pride. We think this dangerous substance should be controlled. It is not as controlled an option as we, fortunately, have the ability to provide here. Mr Berry's Bill provides for a safe and controlled expansion of the provision of this dangerous and addictive substance to those persons in need.
Mr De Domenico: We support Mr Berry's Bill.
MR CONNOLLY: I am pleased that you do; that is a sensible approach. What is extraordinary is why the Liberal Party wants to say, "Having gone to the community health centres, having provided additional places, having provided additional controlled access to methadone in the community, we want to go open slather and put it in the little local shopping centre. Every shopping centre can become a drug distribution point". That, from our perspective, is a dangerous approach. Madam Speaker, I urge members to support the Government's cautious approach to expanding methadone provisions and to reject the more open slather approach of Mrs Carnell.
MS SZUTY (8.35): Madam Speaker, we have spoken often in this Assembly about meeting the needs and protecting the welfare of Canberra residents. This Assembly now has the ability, arising from the report of the Select Committee on Drugs on methadone treatment services, to send out a strong message of support to people who are on the current program, those who would like to be on the methadone program but have been restrained by the lack of capacity of that program, and members of the community who are not intravenous drug users. The message of support that I hope gets through is that everyone who has a drug dependency can be helped by methadone treatment and should be able to receive help. The best way for the community to respond to the need that exists is to stop treating all methadone treatment patients like criminals, that is, making them report at certain times and forcing them to undergo urine tests in public and at times in humiliating circumstances.
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