Page 2791 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 20 October 1992
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... any person who would supply or administer methadone at the proposed treatment centre -
(A) has completed, to the satisfaction of the Board, a course of instruction approved by the Board ...
This is to make sure that people are competent to deal with the issues that confront people who have a difficulty with a drug of dependence. Michael Moore does not want that to happen. He likes the open slather approach which has been adopted by the Liberals; just let them run with it and do not worry about it. He says that all you have to do is make an application and you will get it; you can issue it to whoever you like and you do not have to have any particular training to do it. Of course, these people have to be fit and proper persons to supply and administer methadone. That is a pretty standard approach.
The other issue is that he is prepared to throw it out to the private sector, but he is not prepared to allow the board to collect a fee for the administration and consideration of issues which affect those people who will be provided with a service in the private sector. No, he is not prepared to do that. The Government has to carry the can here. It has to take back all the people who cannot afford methadone in the private treatment centres and just cop it sweet. If that is Michael Moore's approach, I will be glad to be able to report that he supports open slather on a range of drugs and I will be glad to report that the Liberals support him.
MR MOORE (9.47): Madam Speaker, it is mendacious of Mr Berry to suggest that I support open slather on a range of drugs.
Ms Follett: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I do not consider that word to be parliamentary.
MR MOORE: A precedent was set by Paul Whalan and he was your deputy.
MADAM SPEAKER: I believe that it has been ruled out of order before, Mr Moore, and I think I had better uphold that ruling. Could you find a synonym?
MR MOORE: Under those circumstances, Madam Speaker, and in deference to you, I will withdraw it. What we have heard from Mr Berry this evening really stretches the meaning of the word "furphy". It seems that Mr Berry is the only person who understands everything here and he has the gall to suggest, Madam Speaker, that I advocate an open slather on drugs. I have never advocated an open slather on any drugs.
Members interjected.
MR MOORE: I hear an interjection about free heroin, Madam Speaker. If I had provided as a policy the notion of handing free heroin out willy-nilly, perhaps you might have some kind of an argument. In fact, what I had suggested was a very carefully contrived and controlled epidemiological study. If you understood anything about an epidemiological study, Mr Berry, you would know that to get it to a gold standard, to make it of the highest possible standard, you would not want to charge for the drug. That is part and parcel of making it of the very highest standard and that is why that particular trial is proposed in that way. Madam Speaker, even in the broadest way - - -
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