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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (17 June) . . Page.. 1679 ..

MRS CARNELL: Talking about people who do not play politics on this sort of issue, do you remember - - -

Mr Berry: I do.

MRS CARNELL: Yes, you do; that is right.

Mr Berry: Because you are wrong.

MRS CARNELL: There you go; Mr Berry does play politics with this issue, on his own admission, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker. There were silly car stickers, silly comments about an open slather on drugs. Absolute rubbish! Most of the time, apart from Mr Berry and those opposite, in this Assembly we have managed to have, I think, very rational and very thoughtful debates on this issue - something that lots of other parliaments cannot say. But I have to say I was ashamed of Mr Berry making the comments he made. It sounded like those other parliaments that I have been so negative about when it comes to debates on drug law, on medical usage of cannabis - the loads of simplistic rubbish that you do not expect to come out of this Assembly on these issues. You see Mr Berry come out with loads of simplistic rubbish on other things.

Mr Berry: Like the National Health and Medical Research Council? They are a bunch of dummies, are they?

MRS CARNELL: It is interesting that Mr Berry makes a comment like that. The Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy - - -

Mr Berry: No, the National Health and Medical Research Council. Are they a bunch of dummies?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Berry, it is a good idea to actually listen for a moment. The Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy, at its 31 July 1997 meeting, will consider a paper on the scientific, legal and ethical issues relating to the conduct of trials for the therapeutic uses of cannabis.

Mr Berry: Good stuff. A good idea. I support that.

MRS CARNELL: A good idea, yes. What a good idea, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker! I would have to say that the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy is not some sort of way off the planet body.

Mr Berry: No. I used to be on it myself.

MRS CARNELL: You did. He was. So, what is going to happen? That body is going to look at this particular issue.

Debate interrupted.

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