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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (5 November) . . Page.. 3597 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

(4) believes that the programs put in place should primarily seek to deter people, particularly young people, from taking up drugs as well as minimise the harm associated with drugs and the harmful use of drugs and such programs should include education, treatment and rehabilitation programs focused to meet the special needs of the targeted groups rather than based on out of date formulae;

(5) believes that no person seeking access to rehabilitation or other treatment programs should be forced to wait to gain entry.

Mr Speaker, this motion has been put forward by me to deal with the emerging drug problem - a very serious issue that needs the attention of the Assembly - and it follows in the wake of decisions by Prime Minister Howard. I want, first of all, to thank members for convening an Administration and Procedure Committee meeting yesterday to ensure that this amended motion could be included on the agenda today.

It is a two-part motion. Firstly, it expresses concern over the approach to drugs taken by Prime Minister John Howard in his recently announced drug strategy. I have seen in media reports the comments of others in relation to this matter, but I would say that John Howard's approach is what you would expect from a "back to the future" Prime Minister who still seems to be living in the 1950s with picket fences and FJ Holdens. I think he has been very deserving of the criticism he has got. There has been criticism in the past of his other decisions in relation to the heroin trial which was proposed in the ACT. I have had something to say on that, and I have had something to say about the Labor Party's position in relation to that. As long as Prime Minister Howard has his way - and others - there will not be an option available to the Territory on this matter. There will not be an option to pursue this course in the Territory. That is regrettable, but we have to move on in the circumstances available to us.

Secondly, the motion states that the Assembly believes that the best approach to drugs is a broad-based, multifaceted approach that can respond in an innovative way to the needs of drug users. I say again that John Howard has stuck his head in the sand over drugs. I mentioned a little while ago that he was unwilling to give the heroin trial a go. He came up with his own strategy which returns to what other people have described as "just say no", and a "lock them up" approach to drug use. That is not to say that young people saying no to drugs is a bad thing, but the "just say no" approach from John Howard is one that is tired and does not hit the right chord in terms of a public education approach and it will not work. It is a worn-out slogan and ultimately it will fail our young people.

While education is a very important aspect of a successful drug program, the message must be realistic and it has to be crafted in a contemporary fashion to meet the needs of young people and the target audience. It must recognise and respond to peer pressure, the desire of young people to try new things, and the fact that drugs are easily available for young people. Few of them see the dark side of drugs. Most see drugs only as

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